DomLee

No major problems w/ my car thus far. The control arm bushings tend to go bad as you get close to the 100k mark, at least....from what I've observed. My transmission (manual)...is fine. It doesn't seem as firm in gear as other cars that I've driven, but my car does have 125k+ miles on it so that is to be expected. Maybe it is time for a rebuild? My engine is burning a bit of oil. Not sure where is it doing so, whether the oil seal rings are bad or whether it is just coming out of the valve cover. I did notice that the valve cover gasket does seem old. Biggest weakness? I guess the biggest weakness would be how "long" the car is. It is as long as a Yukon Denali!!! Overall, it is a very sound vehicle. My experience w/ this car is that it is a bit nose heavy. It handles very similar to my former 240sx, just on a "bigger" scale. I wish the feedback from the steering wheel was better. My steering wheel is so....light that I can easily steer the vehicle w/ a finger. While this is nice, I would've liked more feedback from the road. Also, I think you'll find a SC closer towards the 80,000 range for mileage. I don't expect to see ANY SCs w/ 40,000 miles. In fact, all the ones that I've seen thus far...have at least 100k miles.

I would say to run a search on Edmunds.com, cars.com, autotrader.com...and isolate the search criteria to cars in your area. That will help you determine what the market price is for cars in your area.

You need to check the window seals. Probably just a tear that occured... Window seals tend to be expensive though. No matter what car...

Is the one pictured...a genuine "Toyota" piece? I'm assuming that the product that we actually receive, does not say "Toyota" on it.

Search for "steering" and "bushing" ... http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...eering++bushing

Installing a spoiler is relatively simple. You would just need some basic tools. Off the top of my head, you would need: 1) A drill to make mounting holes in the trunk. 2) A basic surface cleaner to ensure that the work surface is nice and clean. 3) Rust protectant to paint along the areas that you drill into. 4) If Lexus has a specific mounting kit for the spoiler, use that. 5) Use a basic sealant to ensure that water does not penetrate between the spoiler and the trunk. 6) A ruler or measuring tape to ensure that your spoiler is mounted evenly. That seems to be it. Now if you have the spoiler w/ an LED, you would need a basic wire cutter/stripper and some wire connectors (don't remember what they are officially called). OR, best case scenario...would be if the plugs are already there...and you just have to snap the plugs together for it to work. I've mounted a spoiler or two before. Not hard. Just have to be meticulous. Any body shop can do the install, as they do stuff like this all the time. If you're worried about this, call your local Lexus dealership and ask to see what body shop they recommend.

The brake light within the spoiler is just your basic wiring job. Since you'll be making holes in the trunk to mount the spoiler, you may as well wire up the brake light also. Where in LA do you live?

On your instrument panel, upon startup you will see a signal which checks your brake lights. The module will ensure that this signal does not go off.

There are threads on this subject awhile back. Just have to search for it. http://www.luxurymods.com/tutorial12.htm You may need a taillight conversion module as well: http://www.luxurymods.com/ProductDetail.ph...ID=134&fid=1006 (I've never done this mod, and am only passing along info that I've come across)

More food for thought: http://www.slick50.com/faq.htm "Will Slick 50® Engine Treatment make the engine indestructible to thermal breakdown? No, Slick 50® Engine Treatment is designed to protect against friction and heat. Slick 50® Engine Treatment cannot be used to repair parts that are at the failing point or any pre-existing problems." "Will Slick 50® Annual Automatic Transmission Formula stop my automatic transmission from slipping? No, Slick 50® Automatic Transmission Formula Formula is designed to help prevent seal leaks, enhance fluid performance and protect against oxidation of the fluid. Slick 50® Automatic Transmission Formula will not correct any pre-existing mechanical problems." So if there is no pre-existing mechanical problems...WHY would you want to add anything to a perfectly running machine? In short, you don't. You don't buy a brand new BMW and start dumping this stuff into your car right? You only use this stuff on cars that you know are experiencing some "problems". Therefore, there is a pre-existing mechanical problem. Get what I'm saying?

24mpg w/ A/C versus 27mpg w/o A/C? You restated what you said in the first post. MPG will always be better w/o the use of A/C. Slick50, ProLong and all of those other products are nothing more than your basic re-bottled fuel system cleaners and other "oils". The only fuel system cleaner I use on occasion, is the one made by Chevron. That product works. Not as great as having your injectors sent out for cleaning, but not everyone has the luxury of being able to have some down time w/ their cars. Z-Max...includes a fuel system cleaner, an oil treatment, and a tranny fluid treatment. Well, if you are your average non-auto enthusiast...odds are...they've NEVER cleaned their fuel system before. Of course they will seemingly experience better pickup as well as better mileage w/ the use of a fuel system cleaner. At the very least, the fuel system cleaner works. The oil treatment...really is just your standard thin weight oil. Possibly a 0W30 or a 2-stroke oil...similar to Marvel's Mystery Oil. It doesn't do much. Any car that is burning a bit of oil...you may as well just top off your engine w/ half a quart of oil. You'll feel the same effect. In fact, there is a possibility that these oil treatments reduce the effectiveness of the protection of your current oil. You really don't use this stuff at the start of a fresh oil change, do you? To really "feel" a difference, you use this stuff...possibly halfway into your next oil change...like 1,500 miles. Any "new" oil introduced w/ the current black sludgy oil...will produce a slightly better compression. The tranny treatment. This stuff is a joke. That is like topping off the tranny fluid. If you're doing that,...try flushing your tranny fluid next time. All trannys operate better on "fresh" fluid. All this for roughly $40!!!! http://www.zmax.com/products/automotive.html Z-Max is making quite a hefty markup for that stuff. Chevron fuel system cleaner - $10 Valvoline Oil Treatment - $7 (all it is, is a heavy weight oil...like 20W50) 1 bottle of tranny fluid - possibly $8. I'm still at $25. That is a $15 profit based on the shelf prices, not the wholesale price!!!! With this money, you can purchase an air filter and a set of spark plugs too. Like I said, I have a bottle of Z-MOX I could sell you. I'll charge you the same price as them. With the money you just spent, you will not be able to afford as much food. Therefore you will be lighter. Your wallet will be lighter. And your car will be faster.

Nice car. As for the CD changer...mine kept showing an error on the display screen. It wasn't able to read the CD properly. I just purchased a CD lens cleaner and ran it a few times. Now, my CD player works nicely. Keep in mind that our cars are approaching 10 years old...so dust has accumulated in the CD players. Some people junk their CD players too early. As for the suspension, it could be a number of things.

Why don't you want to increase horsepower via intake and exhaust? This is one of the most easiest and cheaper forms of horsepower available.

Just as a FYI, there were 2 factory spoilers available. The early models had a flat spoiler seen here: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...&cmd=si&img=695 The later models had a raised spoiler seen here: http://www.intellexual.net/images/BC10.jpg

You got better gas mileage because you didn't run the A/C. You also drove at night, which would typically have less traffic than during the day. You're not making a fair comparison before and after using Z-max. And I don't trust any of this snake oil crap. Although I do have a bottle of Z-MOX I could sell you. Guaranteed to have you go faster, because your wallet will be lighter. Wallet lighter = less weight. Less weight = more speed. Special instructions also say to do a number 2 in the bathroom and go on a Lindsay Lohan diet.

If you're an audiophile...wouldn't you want a vehicle that is a hardtop, as opposed to be convertible?

What someone may think sounds good, someone else may think it sounds like crap. And what gives the most horsepower...can only be determined w/ dyno testing. Even then, various mods and other factors can change horsepower figures for cars.

Lots of stuff that is capable of being done. Intellexual.net

My alarm is armed when I hit the lock button on the door. The previous owner did not give me the master Lexus key (the one w/ the door open button). He lost it, but had two regular Lexus keys. I'm not sure about disarming the alarm when you insert a key in the door. I don't remember exactly, but I believe there was an instance when I set off the alarm while I had opened the hood. And the way I turned if off was to put the keys in the ignition (the windows were down, but when the alarm goes off, the doors will lock).

93 SC300

I have a factory alarm on my car. When armed, it goes off if the doors are opened w/o the use of a key (slim jimmed). The locks will attempt to go back in the locked position. I know, because I had to call AAA after I thought I had locked myself out of my car. Also goes off if the hood were to be opened. I think it also does the same for the trunk. The factory alarm sucks though. The alarm will not go off, if you break the window from what I've been told. (This info is coming from a very reputable Lexus speciality shop here in LA)

That is good to know. I was thinking about the in-cabin air filter this weekend. Nissan didn't introduce in-cabin air filters until the mid 90s, so I figured this was the case w/ Lexus as well. Just needed to confirm that. Thanks.

If you're paying for the cost of an interior panel, you may want to consider just bringing the armrest to an automotive upholstry shop. They may decide to repair the armrest (by using proper glues) or use a new leather panel. Worth looking into.

Your thread sounds EXATLY like this one. http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...showtopic=22271

A coilover is a shock and spring combination that is designed to be used together. The spring rate is matched w/ the dampening rate of the shock. Basically it works as a system. A benefit of coilovers is the threaded shock body. This enables height adjustment. How much height adjustablility depends on the amount of threading available. In fact, there is a thread this week about this stuff: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...showtopic=22188