GaDawg

After all the talk about the Seafoam, I tried it tonight on my 91 with 158000 on it. I slowly allowed a third of a can to be sucked in through a vacuum line, noted a bit of smoke, and then killed the engine for 5-6 minutes. It died twice upon restart and smoked a little, but NOTHING like what I have seen on the various youtube videos. Is my engine just that clean or did I somehow do something wrong? I've been doing it every 6 months for the past year and I notice a significant improvement in mileage and engine smoothness. The first time I did it, I got a decent amount of smoke. I followed the directions as you did, but aftre the 5 minutes I took it for a 10 mile drive to really work it through. When I first took off I had plenty of embarrassing smoke for about the first 3-4 miles and after that it dissipated 95%+. This last time I did it, it smoked some, but not near as much. My guess is that your engine was/is pretty clean. Less smoke = less buildup. Keep an eye on your mileage to see if it improves ast all...my guess, it should improve a bit. Mine went from 14-15 city/hwy to about 18-19 city/hwy...hope yours improves just as much. Wose case, your engine's cleaner.

Lexuscovergirl, You might want to try and disconnect your battery to see if it resets your airbag light. If not, you may want to get it checked out because it could be a real problem. Lexus philosophy tends to believe in "switchology" versus "maintenance" to ensure a low failure rate after repairs and the money the service generates...there's NO need to replace your cluster though. There are a few options. First, you can send your cluster to LexTech and get whatever color you want, but the needles only have one LED that lights up the needle from the base, slowly fading as it gets to the tip; it looks fine, but I prefer the needle lit all the way across, uniformly. Second, I made contact with a LOC member (dnaspeedo) who owns a shop in Florida that can do the work. The price is good and I visited their site, so it all looks like quality work and legit. Below is his last correspondence with me. Here's their site... http://www.dnaspeedometers.com/pointers.htm. The site seems to be down now, so feel free to call their number below. Hope this helps. Steve //////////////////////////// Hey Steve, We use red LEDs because we found the LEDs in the lense red already. I don't have pictures at night in the vehicle though. The pictures we have are on the bench with hardly any background lighting. Also in the picture we have simulated the dimming function in the car to the fullest. I'll be happy to get you some at night if you'd like once we get another vehicle in our shop. I do have another picture to send you. Should you want to speak to me, my Toll-free phone number is 1-888-495-2777. Our shop hours are M-F 9-5PM EST. We charge $189 for needles and backlighting bulbs. We also include return shipping UPS Ground with tracking info. We do not take payment in advance only when we have everything working and ready to ship back. Please make sure you include our repair form on our website if you decide to send it. Thanks, Andrew Gavosto DNA SPEEDOMETERS INC.

This is ONLY if djmicah doesn't have the stereo... ...but I have a Nakamichi head unit in great shape that I'm trying to part with. Let me know if you're interested if he can't help you out.

And the Jedi Master has spoken...again...Nuff Said! Since I based my plan of attack on Jibbby's experimentation/experience...I default to him. You have two guys that have done most of the same mods (exhaust-wise) and the results are identical and truly amazing. Listen, learn, and love the results!

What's the condition of the two interior door panels minus all the pieces and parts? How about the wood trim aft of the passenger door handle? i have a pair in good shape, tan int. in las vegas area....not sure what there worth..offers???? I PMd you to the address listed above.

Remove the rear resonators and stock mufflers and add high flow Magnaflows with high flow tips. You need to keep yteh sensors just aft of the forward cats or your light will come on...I'm pretty sure that's what your ECU uses to analyze the engine and its output. Kill the resonators fist and foremost and I recommend replacing those stock mufflers for sure. Those stock mufflers are heavy as crap and WAY too restrictive. I replaced everything aft of the center-rear cat (more of a junction than a cat). I added 2.25" pipes, straightened as much as possible without blocking the drivetrain, added oval, high-flow, polished stainless steel Magnaflow mufflers that fit PERFECTLY and use the stock mounts and added oval high-flow tips. The mufflers are smaller and MUCH lighter than the stock ones (full of water), but they look like they belong. It has a very smooth, deep, but quiet, purr when idle and when I accelerate I get a nice smooth, assertive rumble. A European sound versus the burble of an American V-8...its sounds sweet as hell. I plan to replace the 2 forward cats eventually with high-flowers as well. I'm keeping the pipes no bigger or smaller than 2.25" to keep the backflow where it should be. My car hauls now, but I still need to replace/recalibrate the torque converter for a bit more instantaneous launches....but it moves when you hit that sweet spot. Just my 2 cents.

I concur. That's exactly what my WheelSkiz cover is...mine looks exactly like the tan interior pic on the right.

What's the condition of the two interior door panels minus all the pieces and parts? How about the wood trim aft of the passenger door handle?

How about the long wood trim just aft of the passenger door handle?

Just stitch on a Wheelskinz cover (http://www.wheelskins.com/index.php) ....black is available for sure. You don't need to replace it, just cover it. I installed it on my car and it looks great...it also gives you a slightly thicker steering wheel, which is nice. You can also get them at Leatherseats.com. As you can see, you can go with a standard, factory look (http://www.wheelskins.com/original_wheelskin.php#) or two tone it.

Don't waste your time man. Even if they're OK now, its unlikely they'll last long. Just splurge the big $47 and your good to go.

Sorry Dude, but unless you have the skills to do it yourself, you'll need to give it up to a pro. You can go with LexTech or these guys below. You can still drive your car with the cluster out, just make sure you flow with traffic and have a full tank first. You'll only be without it for a few days. Read below... ///////////////////////// If anyone is interested, we have fully restored the needle LEDs in many ES, SC, GS, LS instrument clusters. I run a small speedometer repair company in Tampa, FL. Please look at our work when you get a chance at http://www.dnaspeedometers.com/pointers.htm or google us. We also include the backlighting bulbs in our repairs. Any questions please email me anytime at dnaspeedometers@hotmail.com. Any non-working or sticking speedometer or tach we can also fix. Should you want to speak to me, my Toll-free phone number is 1-888-495-2777. Our shop hours are M-F 9- 5PM EST. We charge $189 for needles and backlighting bulbs. We also include return shipping UPS Ground with tracking info. Andrew Gavosto DNA SPEEDOMETERS INC. /////////////////////// This is where I'm sending mine soon. Good luck and hope this helps. Steve

Still got em man.

Cool, glad I could help. Oh, and BTW....GO DAWGS!!! Sic 'em! Woof, Woof, Woof! Just couldn't help myself.

WAY too expensive for the 92-94 struts! I bought these on eBay for $47 (included shipping).. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Lexus-SC300...1QQcmdZViewItem They work perfectly.

I haven't had the problem, but you could simply replace the fabric with materials from a stereo shop. make sure it s heavier duty, thicker material than the kind you would use on a rear deck. Good luck.

So do you merely replace the LEDs in the needles(I don't plan on changing the color, so don't worry I'm not going down that route)? How long for an 94 SC400? They are considered analog, correct? I assume they are "exactly" the same brightness as OEM, correct? What do y'all do compared to what LexTEch's doing (other than the color thing)?

Just purchased a '92 SC300 as a daily driver for my son. It will need the gauge lighting (including needles) repaired. You mentioned 10 minutes to remove the gauge cluster. Any step by step instructions for a new owner? I was about to walk you through it when I found (again) Luxury Mods' tutorial... http://vipmods.com/tutorial7.htm I would just add to their tutorial... 1) Set your steering wheel full down and out. 2) Put a terry cloth hand towel on the steering column to protect the plastic screen. 3) Take your time removing screws because if you drop them back there you could add plenty of time to the job. 4) My wires wren't NEAR long enough to come out like the one in the pics, so I had to struggle with reachign back there to disengage the harness clips. You may have to actually type the address in your URL to get it to work, I did, but its a detailed (pics included) walkthrough. If you have any problems while going through it, feel free to ask me or one of the "grand elders" around here to help ya out. Its pretty straight forward, but I know it can be a bit nerve racking when dealing with a pricey part. Nice link. I've seen that before but couldn't find it. There are 4 key points and you've covered them well 1. Once you lower the steering wheel as far as possible, turn off the automatic teering wheel position and put the car key in another room. This way you won't have to reset the airbag light which can be frustrating. 2. Pull the dimmer panel firmly toward you. It will take a good grip and some force. 3. Definitely don't drop the 4 screws which hold the instrument panel. A magnetic probe nearby might help. 4. There are 3 electrical connectors to release the panel. You need to press a release tab on each one and wiggle to get them free. Good luck, Nice additions. I forgot about the steering button.

Just purchased a '92 SC300 as a daily driver for my son. It will need the gauge lighting (including needles) repaired. You mentioned 10 minutes to remove the gauge cluster. Any step by step instructions for a new owner? I was about to walk you through it when I found (again) Luxury Mods' tutorial... http://vipmods.com/tutorial7.htm I would just add to their tutorial... 1) Set your steering wheel full down and out. 2) Put a terry cloth hand towel on the steering column to protect the plastic screen. 3) Take your time removing screws because if you drop them back there you could add plenty of time to the job. 4) My wires wren't NEAR long enough to come out like the one in the pics, so I had to struggle with reachign back there to disengage the harness clips. You may have to actually type the address in your URL to get it to work, I did, but its a detailed (pics included) walkthrough. If you have any problems while going through it, feel free to ask me or one of the "grand elders" around here to help ya out. Its pretty straight forward, but I know it can be a bit nerve racking when dealing with a pricey part.

They were trashed. The outside of the cones were torn. I have the subwoofer and door speakers + tweeters.

They were trashed. The outside of the cones were torn. I have the subwoofer and door speakers + tweeters.

It actually only cost me $20 for 10 bulbs...I accidently misquoted the price. So, you were able to screw in the LEDs into the OEM set up without any mods? I assume it's brighter than the standard bulb replacement. How does it look?

Nothing against LexTech, but you don't really need to send it to them for just changing out the backlighting. It's TOO easy, as long as you take your time and are careful...the needles maybe, but not the backlighting. It will take about 10 minutes to get the cluster out, 10 minutes to swap out the bulbs and 10 minutes to reinstal the cluster. The large bulbs for the speedo and tach are part no. 83119-24570 (14 volt, 3 watt, blue cap bulbs). If you order the required 8 from Lexus, it'll cost you $74.03. Go to the local Toyota dealership and order the same part number and it'll cost you $46.48. It'll be such a nice change from the burned out or yellowish (burned off the original bue cap) tint. I'll gladly walk you through it if you like, let me know. /////////////////// BTW, if you ever need to repair your climate control, send it to Mikado Technology Company in South San Fran... Mikado Technology Company 1435 Huntington Ave, Suite C South San Francisco CA 94080-5974 (650) 615-9966 Really nice people (I met them last time I was in Cali and delivered my climate control to their door) and they do a fine job. They can replace burned out bulbs and the blacked out LCD screen on your climate control for $195 (includes shipping back to you). They can replace the needles with LEDs in the backside of the needles it'll look like new for $243. They can also replace the bulbs in back while their at it, but I recommend you going with replacing them yourself. If you need to rpair your needles, just remove your cluster, have it packed and ensured through FedEx or UPS and they can turn it very fast. The $243 includes shipping back to you.

The dealer is a tool! Anyone who tells you that it'll be too loud or sound like anything other than a well-built V8 are full of it! My cars sounds smooth, low and mean. Its not too loud or obnoxious by any means. All the resonators are doing is restricting your airflow and muffling the sound so the older set that they were catering to generally wouldn't want to hear the exhaust....not to mention adding unnecessary weight. Delete the resonators, straighten the pipes, replace with 2.25", replace OEM mufflers with high flow Magnaflows, Megans, etc... and consider replacing the cats up front with hi-flowing ones. You'll notice a huge improvement in sound, a noticeable improvement in HP and better mpg just by replacing the mufflers/tips and removing the resonators alone. I just bought my first Lexus a 1991 LS 400 with every option available at that time including ground effects... It sits right and looks mean but it sounds like a sewing machine instead of a V8...It seems to have a main muffler behing the cats and then two more out back at the bumper...are these back ones the resonators?? and are these the ones I should take off so it sounds right??? Thanks, Stroker You can ask the experts on the LS forum, but I assume the set up is like the SC and the stuff just forward of your mufflers would be resonators. The SC has two forward cats, a rear/center cat aft of them where the pipes come back together, followed by two HUGE/HEAVY resonators and two HUGE/HEAVY mufflers. You probably need the cats for emissions, but hi-flowing cats and mufflers will increase the flow and should still keep you healthy. The resonators are merely a sound deadening asset for the original clientele. The stock cats and mufflers are very restrictive (low flow) compared to what you need or should want.

The dealer is a tool! Anyone who tells you that it'll be too loud or sound like anything other than a well-built V8 are full of it! My cars sounds smooth, low and mean. Its not too loud or obnoxious by any means. All the resonators are doing is restricting your airflow and muffling the sound so the older set that they were catering to generally wouldn't want to hear the exhaust....not to mention adding unnecessary weight. Delete the resonators, straighten the pipes, replace with 2.25", replace OEM mufflers with high flow Magnaflows, Megans, etc... and consider replacing the cats up front with hi-flowing ones. You'll notice a huge improvement in sound, a noticeable improvement in HP and better mpg just by replacing the mufflers/tips and removing the resonators alone. Thanks for the info, do you have any vids or audio of what your sc sounds like? I would love to hear what you mean. I guess I have to get around to filming something. I'll see what I can do.