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Simple really, too many computers slowly sucking the life out of your battery. The SC430 is well known for this. With a good battery you'll get around 3 weeks tops. I'd recommend a small smart charger such as a Battery Tender to keep the battery charged up and ready to go when you are. You won't lose your radio and seat settings as you will with a disconnect switch.

You could have suspension or other problems but I just fixed a squeak that occurred only with the top up by the following: Begin lowering the roof and stop the process by letting go of the button while the roof is just setting down in the trunk. This leaves the raised covers pointing up vertically to let the roof pass. (When the roof is up these covers form the rear "package shelf".) In the center of the car just under this cover there is a round black rubber bumper stop the size of a 50 cent piece (whatever those are). This stop is adjustable up-and-down. Rotating it counterclockwise raises the stop and clockwise lowers it. I raised my rubber stop, by hand, a couple of turns upward. For my SC that's all it took. The squeak is gone. This bumper helps to bind the package shelf to the roof when it is up and stops if from moving around - and squeaking. I don't know the Lexus method for adjusting this bumper stop but a turn or two worked for me. Good luck!

Oxygen sensors often fail with time more so than with miles. If your sensors haven't been replaced in 8 years then it's not only time but past time that they're replaced. No biggie. Glad you got the battery issue figured out and resolved. Even with a good battery the Lexus models suck down battery juice with all the parasitic keep-alive currents feeding the many onboard computers and security system. If your SC is a Sunday driver and not a daily driver you should invest in a smart charger to maintain it in peak condition and avoid those bad surprises. Your battery will last a lot longer. Now go and enjoy your SC!! (Oh, and ditch the run flats!)

Erect the seat backs and then run each seat bottom completely forward and backward to its stops. This tells the seat computers where the limits are. The beeping then stops during adjustments. Regards!

Nice post! I once had an alignment on my LX470 performed at my Lexus dealer. When I left the dealer and was rounding a clover leaf onto the freeway the car decided that it wasn't going where I was pointing it to go. The brakes started to pulsate in an attempt to correct the trajectory. Shortly, the computer gave up and just beeped and turned on some trouble lights. All this because the dealer had failed to align the car according to the service manual. The LX VSC has a similar requirement to the SC and the car must be "taught" what straight ahead is! You can't just crank away on the tie rods while the steering wheel is held straight ahead like you would in most other cars. The steering wheel, accelerometers, speed and wheel rotations must agree or else VSC kicks in.

In decent condition with no accident/salvage history that car is going to fetch $38-$43K.

One possible solution is Vais Technology. It integrate players such as your iPhone into the audio system. The VAIS products are hard wired solutions that allow playback and steering wheel control of the audio. Our OEM antique radios are the limiting factor in functionality. Our radios don't show text though so I use my VAIS in "simple" mode. Simple mode allows me to use the iTouch to select playlists. The VAIS charges the iTouch while in use and automatically pauses when the car is turned off. I have the SL2i-UP in my '06 SC and it works fine with my iTouch. I have a Blackberry so I can't comment on the iPhone bluetooth. Another source is Parrot. The MKi9100 and MKi9200 are popular. Good Luck!

I've done it on my LS430 with the same engine. The plugs are deeply recessed and some are a pain to get clearance for tools. The battery has to be removed to get to the plug nearest to it. I had to move the dipstick tube to get to another one. The recessed plugs also present some interesting challenges while you try to retrieve your socket and extensions that sometimes come loose as you try to pull the deep socket off of the plug. I think I used a 1.5", 3", 6" and a 9" extension to work my way around the engine. Lots of plastic also has to be removed such as engine cover and air intake. At least your not on your back with rust and grit falling in your eyes! I highly recommend Denso Ik20's for your plugs of choice. They're not cheap but they're OEM replacements and will reward you with improved performance and optimum mileage. This link may help Denso Ik20 Good Luck!

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9.1 is the latest and works fine but doesn't allow "motion override" using the hidden buttons. 8.1 is the previous release and does allow "motion override" using the hidden button. Your choice.

Size doesn't matter. If you want tire tread life then you have to ask to have as much negative camber removed as possible. If you can get -1/2 degree negative camber that should be fine. The factory spec is something like -2 degrees negative camber (radical). This helps cornering g's but at the cost of tire life. Try telling the person/shop doing the alignment to "stand the tires up" and try for 1/2 degree negative camber. That should do it. Regards! And welcome to the forum.

This link should help get you started.

A short follow up: The aftermarket manufacturer has stepped up to the plate and is going to replace my accumulator spheres! I applaud this turn of events and my confidence in this manufacturer is restored. He explains that there was a problem with the supplied raw elastomeric material that affected not only him but Lexus parts as well. I'm told that the problem has been corrected and he stands behind his product. I will install the replacements and restart the clock. I will be back with updates, good or bad, as time goes by.

I was having trouble with my AHC suspension system on my 2003 LX 470. I decided to replace my oem spheres with aftermarket ones. Twelve months later the front spheres went flat and luckily they were replaced within the warranty period (non-prorated). Eighteen months after the rears were installed they too went bad. This time the pro-rated warranty bill would have been around $500 (not counting my labor) for the warranty work, AHC fluid and shipping. Checking the best places that I know of to get Lexus OEM spheres I actually only saved 25% in the first place when I bought the aftermarket spheres!! I've given up on the aftermarket spheres and have gone back to Lexus OEM. Hopefully this post will save someone else the hassle and expense of going with the aftermarket suspension accumulator spheres. It's not worth posting the name of the outfit because I think they really do mean well. It's just that their spheres didn't hold up on my vehicle over a very short time period and they failed within 8000 miles after installation. I hope this helps someone else with their decision. By the way, my original AHC problem turned out to the hydraulic pump, which I replaced as a sub-assembly for little money. I have now reinstalled the original OEM spheres back onto the LX and they are still just fine. I have around 65,000 miles to date. My fingers are crossed! Cheers.

Call Lexus customer care and have them capture the address that is missing. They will report it to the map suppliers... NAVTEQ or TeleAtlas. Or you could report it to NAVTEQ directly. The link is: http://mapreporter.navteq.com/dur-web-exte...amp;language=en Thanks Navguy. I just did submit our address for inclusion in the database. Funny thing is that I thought that's why we spend the big bucks with these mapping companies to continuously monitor road, commercial and residential changes using their staff and resources. Why else would I spend hundred$ of dollar$ for a DVD? I really don't think it should be up to individuals to proactively find the mapping companies and submit information instead the mapping companies should interactively work with city, county, state and federal public records to cull this information from planning, zoning and building permit records to update their databases. Now that would be "earning" their money!