jbarhorst2

If you have a donut spare tire, you would want to turn off traction control if you put that donut on the rear. I'm not sure what size spare the LS comes with.

Does anyone have access to a service manual for a 97 SC300 that could post the pages that show the procedure for replacing shocks??

I just wanted to get a little more info before I dive into it.

Thanks for the help.

Tom

My right rear shock support also was broken/loose and would clang when going over sharp bumps. My dealer replaced the whole setup, but it was still in warranty. Sounds like there is a common issue here.

Tom

I haven't had an issue with mine yet.

I have used the cheaper ones and the more expensive ones.

You must use a CD-R. CD-RWs will not read.

Tom

Most vehicles have a lot of layers now in their rust protection systems. The entire paint system works in concert to prevent rust.

Here is a quick summary of the layers.

Electrogalvanized steel body panels (sometimes double sided).

Some manufacturers use pre-primed (coil coated) steel for outer body panels.

Phosphate layer (typically tri-metal --- nickel, zinc, manganese).

Electrocoat.

Primer Surfacer.

Basecoat.

Clearcoat.

If you have a pearl coat paint (tri coat - normally Pearl White) you have another layer between the basecoat and the clearcoat.

Tom

If you do not have a button you need to press to shift, then you just unscrew the "handle" off of the metal shaft.

Tom

Thanks for the tips.

One of my shocks is leaking. That's a pretty clear sign that it needs some attention.

Will I have to get an alignment after this, or does this not affect that?

Thanks

Tom

Group,

how easy is it to change the rear shocks on a 1997 SC300?

I am a pretty good DIY person.

How involved is it? Is it really as easy as unbolt the old and bolt in the new?

Does it change the alignment?

Tom

There have been some issues with RXs built before a certain time period (I think it was January 2001). The engine could develop sludge if it was not properly maintained. Then the engine could fail.

That's really all I have heard of.

Of course, if it was well maintained, you may not have these issues.

Tom

Depending on your insurance it may not be as expensive as you think.

I have glass replacement on my insurance and I don't pay anything when I need glass replaced. It costs a couple bucks a month, but I think it's worth it. Here in the midwest we get a lot of chips in th winter from the grit they put on the roads.

If you have this insurance, go to the Lexus dealer and get a genuine part.

Tom

I installed one in my SC using the FM modulator. I think that is the only way. I don't think our radios have inputs on the back, but I could be wrong.

Tom

Here's a possibility, although I don't know how likely it may be.

Perhaps the previous owner replaced the bulb that illuminates the ignition switch with a higher wattage version. Higher wattage = more heat. Maybe you should check to see if the bulb is stock.

Tom

The AC filter is the one in the glovebox.

The RX is considered an AWD because you always have some power going to all wheels. You cannot turn it off. The propeller shaft is the drive shaft.

Thanks for the info guys.

Is there a maximum pressure I should stay under when I'm pushing the new fluid through the system?

Thanks

Tom

I have not heard anyone talk about wheel bearings. I have a '97 SC300. Do the front wheel bearings require any routine maintenence? When I drove GM RWD cars I know that I had to repack the bearings every so often (at least at each brake job). Does the same hold true with the Lexus products, or are they different?

Thanks

Tom

The phone in your GS is probably an analog phone. I assume you do not have the Sprint phone that was in some of the newer cars. Most cellular companies will not turn on service to an analog phone anymore. That being the case, your phone will only be good for dialing 911.

Do you mean that the windows still work from the driver controls or they still work from each individual door control?

VERY Sharp!!

Stevie is right. The heat from the exhaust manifold can be excrutiating. You'll only do it once. Here's how I do mine. I drive the car and get it warmed up, then I drain the oil. Then I let it sit overnight. By the morning, the manifold is cold and the filter has drained as much as it possibly can. I put several paper towels at the bottom of the filter to catch as much of the oil that comes out as possible. It actually works fairly well.

Good luck.

Tom

In the second link above, picture number 14 shows several round items with an X in the middle. These are your bulbs that have burned out for your buttons. Twist these out with a screwdriver and replace and you will be back in business. Your local dealer will have these, but my dealer did not have the right ones for my controls. They only had green covered bulbs instead of blue. I guess the newer cars have green. Go ahead and buy these bulbs and then take the colored rubber cover from your old bulbs and put them on the new. It's an easy job once you get the control box apart.

There is a fuse, but don't rule out the possibility that they could both be burned out. Not everyone keeps a close eye on those bulbs and gets them replaced. I do a lot of night driving (a little over an hour a day) and my bulbs in my SC last only about a year and a half.

I haven't looked specifically at the RX330, but check to see if it is in the same location as my RX300.

In the front of the engine compartment you will find where the exhaust manifold exits the engine. Look under it.

Tom

Group,

for those of you that have purchased from Irontoad.com, what has been your experience? I am one of those people who always doubts something that seems too good to be true.

How can they sell the same items for that much less? For example, the oil filter I need is 1/2 the cost that the dealer charges.

Do they buy up old merchandise that Toyota does not send to their dealers??

Are there any issues with the products they have?

Thanks

Tom

The POI database has been updated as well as the actual road database. More roads (new ones and some small ones) have been added.

Is the actual button damaged, or just the button cover that has the numbers??