jbarhorst2

I would suggest to you that they probably did not go out at the same time. She probably just didn't notice until they were both burned out. I also use Silverstars and have never gotten more than a year out of them. My money is on burned out bulbs. Tom

For the trunk release - is the lock pushed in?? Try unlocking it with the key. It's next to the inside button. It should pop out when you insert and turn the key.

Is it possible that your tranny is dropping in and out of overdrive? I know you said the tach doesn't indicate anything, but if it is only for a moment it might not register. I know mine drops into OD at about 40-42 MPH. Tom

I stand corrected. Did a little more research on the components of gasoline. I did not realize the percentage of toluene in gasoline. I originally thought it was only a very minor component. Tom

I think it is a bad idea. The seals, o-orings, etc. were designed to work with gasoline, not toluene. I suspect you may cause some issues. If there were no rubber or sealer components that it would touch, it may work theoretically. But I would not put it in my cars. Tom

Before you replace it, check the fuse for your cigarette lighter. Is your cigarette lighter working, or not?? The same fuse controls both. You may have dropped something dowwn inside the lighter socket that blew the fuse. Check inside the lighter socket before replacing the fuse. If there is something in there it will blow again if you do not get it out first. Tom

A blinking A/C light means that the compressor is not turning when it should be. If you are lucky, then it will be the clutch. Most likely it will be the compressor itself that is locked up. I think if you were just low on freon it simply would not run. Tom

Here is another alternative (and how I did mine when I changed my SC300 timing belt). Cut the serpentine belt into a piece long enough to surround the crank pulley. You do not want it to overlap (you will understand after the next few steps). Get a good pair of locking chain vice grips. Wrap the chain around the belt covered pulley and attach the end to the slot in the vice grips. Tighten the vice grips and lock into place. Depending on the car and area you are working with, devise an appropriate way to hold the vice grips in place. I used a short piece of pipe on mine and let that contact the ground at an angle. Slide a pipe over the end of your breaker bar and apply sufficient "gorilla force" as mentioned earlier to loosen said crank pulley bolt. Installation is basically in reverse. Turn the vice grips around so that they are facing the right direction to hold the pulley firmly in place. Using the serpentine belt as a protection device for the pulley works really well and allows you something to attach to. Tom

Sorry for the long delay. I had to get my camera back from someone. Here's my '97. Hope it helps.

What year is your SC? Mine is '97. Will that help? Tom

I am one of those guys who says "Use what the manual calls for". However, putting that aside, here are my thoughts on additives. My guess is that the additive they put in was not "co-engineered" with the main fluid they added. Additives will not necessarily remain in suspension when added to another fluid. I suspect that the additive will settle out of the carrier fluid over time - either less or more - but it will happen. Anyone else have thoughts? Tom

Here's how it works on my 2001 RX300. Press the MENU button. Touch SYSTEM OPTION on the screen. Touch the screen in the following locations in this order: UPPER LEFT CORNER LOWER LEFT CORNER UPPER LEFT CORNER LOWER LEFT CORNER LOWER RIGHT CORNER Touch OVERRIDE DRIVE. Then you press BACK and then the MAP button or something to get out of that screen. You will need to do this each time you start the car and want to use this function. Tom

I bought mine through Advance Auto Parts. I have a '97 SC300 w/spoiler. They work great and they have a lifetime warranty. They are made by Strong Arm and I spent less than $60 for the pair. Let me know if you need me to look up the part numbers I ordered. Tom

All good questions. I too had a factory phone installed, but removed it. I have not used it in years since I switched to digital service. I bought the Tellphone 4200 by Raytel. I chose it because of the display option. Some systems do not offer a display for the caller ID and other functions. I wired it in the traditional way rather than trying to integrate it with the old factory system wiring. It was not very difficult if you have done projects like this in the past. I used online information to find the mute wire on the back of my stereo. The hardest part (for me anyway) was deciding the way I wanted to tuck all of my wires in place. I think the website for my system is www.tellphone.com Tom

In the last week or so I installed a Bluetooth handfree system in my SC300. I don't know how I got along without it. I highly recommend this to anyone. Of course, I am a self proclaimed gadget freak. Tom

Check your cigarette lighter. Do you have power there?? You may have dropped something down into the cigarette lighter and blown the fuse. The same fuse powers the lighter and the HVAC control panel. You will still get the lights, but you will not get the display or the control. Tom

After my repair, my check engine light has not come on. I was getting the light frequently for the EGR valve. Since the head was sent out for repair all the gunk was cleaned out of it too. I assume either that or my leaking exhaust valves were throwing the code for the EGR valve low flow. Tom

Does your cigarette lighter work?? In my SC300 the AC panel power is controlled by the cigarette lighter fuse. I don't know if it is the same on the RX, but it is worth looking at. Tom

Well, I got the call today. My bill will be about $3,600. That includes the tow bill ($220), the cylinder head rework at the machine shop, a new timing belt and tensioner, and some minor other small parts while it was apart. My dealership warrantys everything for a year (unlimited mileage), so I don't feel too bad. My next car is going to be an LS and to get what I want I will be paying about $700 per month, so as long as my car runs for 5 months, I am ahead of the curve. ha ha Tom

I have not gotten the final bill from the dealership yet because it is still in the shop. Of course, I like putting the 2000 miles on their loaner for the past 2 weeks. I think it will be in the neighborhood of $3000. Odd that you have not noticed any coolant loss. Have you checked your oil for coolant contamination? Open your oil fill cap and see if there is a white sludge substance on the underside of the cap. If there is, then you have coolant in your oil. The dealership and I inspected my engine pretty closely while it was apart. My cylinder walls still have the marks from the original honing process. They are in good shape. Compression is also good. It really made me a believer out of the oil I use. I only use Mobil 1 synthetic. 214,000 miles and no apparent engine wear. I'll let you know the final bill once I get it. Tom

No, actually the exhaust valves were not seating properly on the cylinder head. This allowed part of the charge to escape during the compression cycle before ignition in those cylinders. That's apparently why I was smelling some raw fuel at the tailpipe. They sent the head out to a machine shop and they reground all the valves and milled the mating surface. It's being put back together now. Tom

Maybe your lock cylinder is bad. When you turn the key to start the car, nearly all electrical functions are cut off so all the power goes into starting the car. If your lock is bad it could be cutting power to everything as soon as you put the key in. I'm not sure how you would test for that. Tom

Randy, sorry for the delay. My car is in the shop for a head gasket failure. I'll create the drawing for you when I get the car back. Tom

It was the head gasket. I also had 2 exhaust valves not seating, so I was losing compression on those cylinders. I am having a valve job done and then they will put it all back together. Tom

Well, it goes in the shop tomorrow morning. I'm very curious. I am a fanatic about fluid changes and it has never overheated to my knowledge. I'll let you know what happens. Thanks Tom