jbarhorst2

Sorry for the delay. I have been out of town. I have the factory service manuals and it says the entire dash. I don't think my dash is split into 2 sections. I think it is all one piece. My manual says nothing about the engine. Tom

More info might be helpful to the group. Does the passenger side seat heater work? Does the light on the switch work when you turn on the seat? Have you checked the fuse/breaker? What have you checked so far? Tom

I haven't done mine, but the service manual says that you have to take out the dash. You also have to evacuate the AC system because the entire AC module has to come out to remove the heater core. Tom

I don't believe the '97 SC300 is an interference engine. This is before the VVTi. Tom

What happens when you push the SAT button on the radio?? There is a separate module that must be installed for satellite radio. If you can hear the XM preview channel, then you have the module. If not, then you probably do not. Vaistech has a less expensive solution than the Lexus dealer. Tom

The antenna will adjust it's length to tune in the radio station you have selected the best that it can. As far as the grinding, it sounds like the stop set points are not working. I'm not sure if these are switch related or programming related. Tom

OK. Maybe only 2 of the items are related. Does your cigarette lighter work? That same fuse powers the AC panel. You may have a coin or something in the lighter socket causing your fuses to blow. As far as the brake lights and shifting, maybe the brake light switch is not working properly. I may be mistaken, but I thought the same switch controlled both the brake lights and the solenoid release for shifting out of park. Tom

I believe you can replace the mast which includes the nylon cord and the metal shaft that extends when powered. There should be no need to replace the entire motor as long as it is in good condition. Tom

There is an electronic valve that restricts hot water flow to the heater core. It is inline with the hoses going to the heater core. That could be bad or stuck. Or, it could be that the heater core is clogged and not allowing fluid flow. Also, the blend door under the dash may not be opening to allow hot air to flow into the cabin. Tom

While the physical dimensions and construction are very similar, the differences are within the panel. LCD panels work because of PREDETERMINED areas that can be activated with an electrical charge. Turn the charge on, the crystals change alignment and the segment appears. Release the charge and the segment disappears. The segments in the panel are different. The HVAC panel has the segments that show you which direction the air is moving. The radio does not, hence they are different panels. It is not like a computer screen LCD panel that can be infinitely configured. It is more like a calculator display. Tom

No. The HVAC and radio LCD panels are different. Tom

Here's another suggestion as well. Could be that the exhaust passages on the way to the EGR valve are partially plugged and not letting enough gas through. That was the problem on my car. Once cleaned out it was fixed. I also had tried replacing the EGR temp sensor, to no avail. Tom

We like the Michelin Cross Terrain that we replaced our originals with about 1 1/2 years ago. Tom

I bought my '97 SC300 six years ago with 82,000 on the clock. I now have 274,000 on it and just returned from a trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I put 1,700 miles on it this trip without a problem. But, I do meticulous maintenance myself. I did have to get a new head gasket about a year ago. I am told that it is fairly common in this engine with higher mileage. I think I had 225,000 when it let go. Always check for leaks. Check service history. The timing belt is recommended at 90,000 miles. You should also change the water pump, idler pulleys, tensioner, and water pipe o-rings at that time among oher items. Spark plugs are recommended at 60,000 miles. Wires can go 2 sets and last 120,000. Mine burns oil now, but didn't start until about 215,000 miles or so. I always use synthetic so even though it burns about 1 quart per 1000 miles, you don't get the ntelltale smoke from the tailpipe. Air conditioning is an achiles heel on these cars. The front compound pipe is a poor design and gets a hole worn in it over time. If it is not leaking you should put rubber between metal bracket and aluminum pipe to save it from death. This is the set of aluminum pipes that follows under the radiator. If you have other questions feel free to ask. Tom

Above dead pedal at top of carpeting on left wall.

Does your compressor cycle on and off?? I agree that it sounds like you are a little low on freon and the compressor is not cycling. If it does not cycle, the moisture in the air will eventually clog the evaporator and cause your issue just as the others said. Start your car, turn the AC down to COLD, keep the RPM at about 1500 and check the AC sight glass. It is in the AC line that runs very near the driver side headlight. You should not see bubbles. If you see bubbles, then you are low on freon. If you are low on freon, you may have a slow leak. Tom

Be careful about adding only freon to a slow leak. I did that for a while to mine several years ago and toasted the compressor. As the freon leaks out you are also losing oil. Once enough of the oil is gone, there is not enough to properly lubricate the system during use. My advice, have the cheap problem taken care of before you get a bigger one. Tom

Im not sure the compressor is your problem. The compressor may not be running to protect itself from the low pressure. A common problem is a hole that gets worn in the AC lines that run near the bottom of the radiator. You may find a leak there. Tom

Since you say it is not a fuse issue, your cigarette lighter works -- correct?? Is it completely dead, or does the backlighting come on with your headlights? Tom

I am going to add my two cents and disagree with Tomj8. I don't think you are burning oil. I think it is coolant or fuel. Oil typically has a blue tint to it and you specifically mentioned it was white. Does your car idle rough during this time and then smooth out? If it is coolant (you can smell its sweetness in the exhaust smoke) you may be looking at a head gasket job. If you smell excess fuel in the exhaust, it may just be running really rich for some reason at startup. Possibly a leaky injector or something. My money would be on coolant leakage. Tom

Agreed. Sometimes we engineers can't let a detail slip by. I have read through my service manual and do not see a method for changing the display. They just keep referencing that USA is F and Canada is C. I wonder if it is in the computer installed? Tom

Sounds more like the engine is running rich. Possible O2 sensors or another emissions sensor. Are you getting a CEL? Tom

Technically it's F temp minus 32 times 5 divided by 9. You know us engineers can't let a number go by...

I used version #2 on my '97 SC300. Worked great.

You need to compress the spring with a spring compression tool (that's what I call it) and then remove from assembly. That's how I did mine. The tool is not too expensive. Tom