TheJ-X

Howdy, folks. I'm writing to put in my two cents re: replacing taillight bulbs in the tailgate of an RX330. To get to the bulbs, you have to remove the molded interior trim panel. Not, NB, the felt covered panel across the bottom of the tailgate, but the one above it that runs the width of the tailgate up to the tailgate window. The panel itself is held in place by a few plastic pins. I gently used a flat panel screwdriver to pop one out of place, and the rest came off more easily. Once the panel was off, it hung by the wires going to the little, switch operated interior light. This was the most annoying aspect, because it was in my way and the little light itself is too dim to be useful, like Nancy Pelosi. Replacing the bulbs while seated in the tailgate and the tailgate shut may work better for some, but between my size and the junk in my tailgate, I just let the panel hang. I used a pair of needlenose pliers to gently tug the bulb and socket out, which came right out. The bulbs pop right out and in. I don't handle the bulbs bare-handed, wearing gloves to keep them clean and free of fingerprint oil. The bulb socket pops back into place (again, I used pliers to manipulate it), and the whole panel itself pops in. Once I had the first pin in place and inserted it, it seemed like the others lined right up and inserted with ease. The whole process took me no more than ten minutes, and the two tools I used were optional. I hope this helps.

Hello, A.P. Sorry to hear you're having problems w/ your TPMS. During the nine months I've had my 02 SC430, the system has actually worked correctly for only two. Your car is telling you one of its tires is flat. Maybe one of them actually is, so check the tire pressure. Other possibilities include one or more of the sensors was damaged during the removal of your old tires and installation of the new ones. I suspect you'll have to go to a Lexus dealer to verify this. If that is your problem, one would think that it's the responsibility of whatever company installed the tires to make it right. Also during installation, the sensors may have been put in the wrong place-- each sensor has a specific designation (front driver's. rear driver's, etc.). Your sensors may have been put back in the wrong place (front to rear, driver's to passenger, etc.). As an aside, this is but one of the many flaws in the system. Since the car is already expecting the sensors at a specific location, then the car should be able to tell you which tire is flat, even if that means something as crude as four beeps for front driver's, five beeps for front passenger, etc). No, you get the same alarm regardless of where the flat is. This is also a PITA if you want to rotate your tires, like, you know, a responsible car owner should. One of your sensors could have been damaged when you hit a pothole or curb (if that happened to you). Lastly, the battery in one or more sensor could have died. I'm given to understand they have a life of about 5 years. If your car is an 02 and the sensors have not been replaced, then the math works out. I hope this helps and your problem doesn't cost you anything. -Joe

Hey, DC'. Thanks for the quick response. Part of the problem is that the discs won't eject, and when I try to add discs to the three open slots, I get a SLOTS FULL message. I purposefully shut the radio (and all other accessories) inside the car of and dis- and recnnected the battery a second time, but it didn't help. Any other thoughts? -Joe

Hey, folks. Last night, I disconnected my SC43o's battery for a brief period. When I reconnected and started the car, the CD player wouldn't play. It shows all 6 slots as full (w/ only 3 discs actually in the player), and they won't play, eject, or load additional discs. The AM/ FM radio is unaffected, and I can adjust volume, bass, treble, etc. I also get an ERROR 3 code when I try to play discs. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance, Joe