Paul Cook

Clunking noise could be a bad shock. I have the same thing on thw right front of my 97 LS400. Took it to three different shops and they couldn't identify anything wrong. But check brake wear also. And Im sorry to say I do not know if we have a posi-traction type differential in the rear. Call the dealer or stop by and see if you can get an answer to that one before you start tearing things apart. Paul

The other issue I see you calling out is the battery quickly dying. It shouldn't. Maybe your battery is bad. Can you get it to an Auto parts store for testing with a load tester? Paul

We don't seem to even have a category in the Lexus "How To" Guides for the "SC" Sports Coupe of the Lexus line. What's up with that? I could not believe that there isn't a single video or guide on how to remove the front or rear bumpers on the 430! Sheesh. That was a learning experience. LOL. There is a lot of valuable information buried in the Forum but you have to go through 39 pages to see if anything you want is actually there. I have tried the search option and it leaves something to be desired. Anyway. Just a bit of a humorous rant this morning. Paul

Pherbear2, did you ever get any traction on this issue? If not, you have to inspect your air intakes and vacuum lines, especially the vacuum switch to see if anything broke or didn't get reconnected. I know you have already checked and rechecked, but you have to go back and just stare at it for awhile because there is no way changing the Thermostat should have anything to do with starting/running. Good Luck and keep us in the loop. Thanks. Paul

This worked for me. 😀 1. Tools - paperclip 2. Photo of where to install the paperclip. 3. Car parked on flat level surface with steering wheel turned to the straight position. 4. Insert key in ignition but leave "OFF". 5. Insert the paperclip in the White OBD II Port connector position shown in the photo. (located under the dash by the drivers left knee. May have a black cover.) 6. Turn key to "ON" position (but do not start) and observe the VSC and ABS Lamps flashing on the cluster. Wait 15 seconds. 7. Turn key to "OFF". 8. Remove the paperclip from The "White OBD" connector and replace the black cover. 9. Start the car. VSC and the VSC OFF Lamps should be "OFF". 10. Press the "VSC OFF" Button on the center console. Verify "VSC OFF" illuminates. Press again and verify the VSC OFF Lamp on the cluster goes "OFF". Hope this helps someone. Paul

Are you a mechanic or want to have fun rewiring or use the car for parts? Because its only cheap if it is cheap to fix. Mileage can be a concern if it wasn't properly maintained. In other words, unless you actually go inspect the car, see if you can even do a diagnostic scan on it, verify maintenance history, check for keys and a backup set etc. It's a total crap shoot. Good luck. Paul

I was curious about how to get any maintenance history uploaded that "I" had accomplished and saw an old thread somewhere here on the forum about others who wanted to do the same thing. At the time of the original post, I dont believe there was a consumer app. I did a quick check in the Play Store for my Android phone and there it was. Free! Seems like a nice app too. Lots of handy features that many of us would use. I "assume" there is one in the Apple Store also but don't know for certain. Anyway. Just wanted to put out the word to others who change their own oil or perform other maintenance on their vehicles. Paul

Well Tyler. You could do what I did for my 02 Acura RSX Type S and have the seats reupholstered in a nice Vinyl. The look is basically identical but much cheaper. If you cant go that route, then your number one choice for finding a suitable replacement cover would be in my opinion, ebay. You certainly cant beat their selection and they usually have everything from covers to actual replacement skins with the tools you need to do a very nice job yourself. Good luck whichever way you decide to go. Paul

Why not look at another IS for him? "Best" is really a subjective term and is impossible to define because best is different from person to person. If reliabilty and cost of maintenance are the most important then start looking there. If its gas mileage, thats a different ballgame. If Insurance is a concern, then maybe an older car with lower miles that he can insure with liabilty only. Good luck in your search. Most kids are just happy to have something to drive. 😉 Paul

The "Reprogramming" referenced in the article is a general piece of information that may or may not apply to your vehicle. My 97 LS400 has a specific procedure written by Lexus as to when and how this particular procedure should be accomplished. It is usually indicated when you do an ECU reboot caused by disconnecting the battery and connecting the positive and negative battery cables together for a few minutes to completely drain any power from the computer ( ECU), clearing the memory of any run settings it has stored and resetting it back to a base setting. After reconnecting the battery, you start and run the engine at specified RPM's and time so the computer can re-learn and adjust sensor inputs etc. for optimal efficiency. But I must reiterate that I do not know if such a procedure applies to your specific year, make and model. I did just notice that you have a 97. Have you done any research on the requirement to have your ECU inspected for possible capacitor failure? There is extensive information about this in the LS400 section. Just a thought. Paul

There is nothing I can find in the Supplemental Maintenance Manual regarding valve adjustment periods other than to "Inspect for excessive Lifter noise and engine vibration. I know it has the same "shim" type of valve adjustment as the 1UZ-FE and 2UZ engines and would be an incredible PITA if I ever decided to do one. But I was just curious if anyone has ever bothered to do the procedure for their SC430? Paul

From what I know about the ECU and fuel management, the ECU has to compensate somehow by adjusting the engine timing. I am not 100% knowledgeable about the details though. As far as type of fuel, as long as it is a quality gas with additives for cleaning the fuel system, it should be OK. Ifyou get any knocks or engine runs momentarily after you shut it off, thats definitely an indication that your Octane is too low and would need to go up to at least a mid-grade fuel. Paul

https://www.yourmechanic.com/article/symptoms-of-a-bad-or-failing-throttle-body Or it could be this. Or it could be both. You stated you use regular instead of premium. Carbon fouling is is a possibility. Thats about all I can contribute on this matter from a distance. Please let us know what the end result turns out to be. Maybe it will help someone else down the road. Paul

https://www.yourmechanic.com/article/symptoms-of-a-bad-or-failing-throttle-position-sensor Do one or more of these symptoms sound like what you are experiencing? Paul

Houston, you have a HUGE problem. When you say key fob, I am assuming you mean the key as well as the remote that locks and unlocks the vehicle. Do you have the Valet key that came with the car or the small rectangular silver aluminum key code that should be in the owners manual booklet? Because if not, you have a very large planter unless you want to spend a considerable sum to get all of the various electronics to talk to each other. The dealer MAY be able to help with the key code and even the transponder if they decide to be helpful. You can get replacement keys on ebay. Even get them cut for not much money by using just a picture of the key. Im sorry that I doubt you have a good picture of your original key and remote. 1. You need a key cut. Without a master, that's basically impossible. 2. You need the proper frequency transponder to talk to the car. 3. You need the key coded to the ECU and its imobilizer circuit. Option one. Seek out a professional automotive lock smith for their opinion on what your real options are. Two. Get used keys, locks, ignition and doors and the matching ECU from a salvage car and HOPE it works when your done installing everything. Im sorry. I hope I'm wrong and someone else chimes in with a simple solution because I know I am giving you absolutely doom and gloom. But keys in modern cars are way more complex than a simple house key. So sorry for your loss. Paul

No. Not talking about the type of gas, i.e. regular or premium. But if the car is running rich ( too much gasoline being injected into the cylinders for the amount of air supplied) it will smell like gasoline and definitely will not run right or even run at all. Too lean (too little fuel being injected) and you wont smell gas. And if you are not getting a spark, it will smell like gas too. Im just trying to figure out which way the airflow mixture might be going to cause the problems your having. A proper ratio is called "stoich". Dont need to get into an engineering lesson here but if either is out of normal range, the burning efficiency goes down. Loss of power, poor mileage or no affect on mileage etc. I asked about outside temperatures because it could be an electronic issue. One thats only caused when it gets too warm. Your ECU (electronic control unit) is the brain's that make all of the good things happen. But its just a computer with parts that fail like everything else. I had to change every capacitor inside my 97 LS400 ECU because they were old and out of tolerance. It didnt throw any codes either. But it was just kinda "off". Trying to diagnose a modern car is already difficult enough. With a diagnostic scanner, you can check your car yourself in moments, then let your mechanic know. You could spend thousands trying to figure out what your particular problem is without one. Considering the age of the car, that makes no sense. Psul

Oh yea. Let us know if there has been any other weirdness that you can think of. Does it happen on really hot days only? Has your gas mileage changed?These types of problems often come with other problems that seem completely unrelated sometimes. Paul

It cost nothing to be helpful. 😉 New question, do you smell gasoline from the engine or exhaust when this happens? The real problem with a too rich mixture is the possibility of damage to the Catalytic converter. And the airflow sensor is most likely references the Mass Airflow Sensor on the intake. Admittedly, I own a 97 LS400 and an 02 SC430 so I am not up to speed on the specifics of your car. But I always recommend that we own a good Diagnostic scanner because for whatever reason, sometimes the codes dont stick in the memory. A nice one for personal use is available for around $100.00. Sounds like a lot now. But will pay for itself quickly if you do your own maintenance or own an older car. Paul

Do you have a diagnostic scanner to check for DTC codes? Could it be your gas cap? The only wild guess I can dream up right now is some kind of a vacuum problem or vapor lock situation. Im assuming here that this only happens after the engine is at normal operating temperature. Paul

It could be helpful if we knew what code it was throwing. Basically your saying that the air/fuel ratio is being thrown out so badly the car stops running and THEN it wont start again causing you to have to tow the vehicle to a repair shop. That is not a sensor problem most likely. But the list of things it could be are too numerous to get into without the aid of a diagnostic scanner. Sorry I cant be more helpful. Paul

This will close out this thread on replacing the Mark Levinson stereo with another Mark Levinson stereo. I found a clean replacement unit on ebay for a very good price that had the same P Code as the original head unit. I disconnected the battery before I installed the replacement as I figure that is probably the most important thing you want to do to so you don't accidentally activate the theft deterent system. I then plugged in the replacement unit and reassembled the center console. Hooked up the battery and turned it on. The unit came on normally with all functionality including control using the mode control switches on the steering wheel. Not much else to say other than that the unit I purchased is plug and play. It has the same P code as the original unit and I assume this applies to all units as long as it was properly removed. By that I mean that the battery was disconnected prior to unplugging the unit. If it wasn't, I can make no guarantee that a theft deterent feature wouldn't be activated requiring dealer assistance to reset the unit. Paul

Just by chance, is the red light on the fob on continuous? My initial guess is that one of the buttons is stuck continuously. Lots of ways that can be wrong because if it was then the stuck button feature would most likely activate when you get close to the car. I get the impression that is not an issue. I doubt its a battery issue because you have gone through so many. Do you have a second fob? If so try it. I have never heard of an "immobilizer" issue that could cause such an issue, but if more that one fob is affected you might have to conclude that your issue is external. My long shot guess is that you have some trash in the fob causing a power short inside. But again, I doubt that because you would have addressed that after changing the battery a couple of times or the fob would just would quit working altogether. And lastly, if you keep your keys in your pocket or purse(?), could it be causing the fob to activate. Im just trying to hit all the possibilities. Most likely is that you just have a defective fob. Let us know if you find out something that would help others. Paul

Is anyone providing repair services for the audio and nav motorized door assembly? I am waiting to install my replacement Mark Levinson stereo because I dont want to have to pull it back out again. Thanks for any assist. Psul

OK. I'm pretty famous around my household for saying I usually screw up everything the first time I do it. And my power antenna for my 02 SC430 is no exception. I had to take it apart to get the broken cable out and made the mistake of getting curious. So I pulled out the gears. That was my first mistake. Second was pulling the motor. That was the final mistake because the motor is not self contained. The brushes popped out and to make a long story shorter, it was effectively destroyed. Now I said that was my final mistake. Well really, my final mistake was throwing the actual power antenna away out of disgust that Toyota/Lexus Engineers who would make such a stupid design. I kept the antenna switch assy which was good. But without the antenna motor, I was unable to blank off the hole in the fender. So, what I "really" want is the Aluminum pipe that goes through the fender since I have already mounted an amplified antenna to replace the Lexus $700+ stock power antenna. Anybody know of one available? Thanks. Below is a pic of the amplified antenna I mounted in the middle of the short glass to replace the stock unit. Sorry about the quality of the night time picture. Best I could do to get this out. Total cost of the new antenna was something like $33.00 and takes about 2 hours if you have never done it before.

I dont buy new cars. Why? They are ridiculously expensive here in California due to high taxes, high registration fees and high insurance cost. And then top it off with the fact that I seem to put close to 30,000 miles on a car in a single year, and you get the point. So, I buy quality used cars with good maintenance history records from private sellers who dont know all the tricks that maybe a less scrupulous dealer might know. My latest is a low mileage 2002 SC430. Beautiful car. But as with all older cars there is always something. Today it was my roof not retracting. Its an intermittent problem too which makes it worse because you know it will never fail for the dealer. But, I own an iCarsoft i905 Multi-System Scanner and it has all the features I needed for this car to let me know that I have a B2502 DTC and that code says that I have an open in Roof Drive Motor RH Circuit. The hard top system has no less than ten individual motors, three ECU's, twelve switches and all of this has to work flawlessly. Troubleshooting a single problem like this becomes prohibitively expensive very quickly. But if you have your own scanner that has the right software for your car, problems like these suddenly become not so terrifying. Is my B2502 going to be a problem to fix? Yes, I'm sure it will have its challenges. But without a scanner, I wouldn't even know where to start or what to tell my mechanic. Think about it and then buy yourself one. It doesn't have to be the i905, its just what I own. But it should definately be a tool in your box. Paul