eatingupblacktop

Now how did Toyota miss that idea?

Ah, my bad. I mean to say that when the SC is jumped by my 4Runner, it starts instantly. The Autozone rep used a battery checker to determine its output while the SC was running. He then had me turn it off, then on again to check the alternator. The only thing he told me afterward was that both were in good shape. Since I didn't get to see the actual voltages as he tested, I plan to check both again at NAPA tomorrow afternoon and record them. The link you provided on the Autocraft battery is really informative - I've noticed inconsistent cell levels in the past and haven't given them much thought. I'll check the cell levels again when I get the chance tonight. Is there a way to do this at home, by any chance? Do you have a mutimeter?

What do you mean "isn't starting up on its own anymore"? Can you easily start the car by boosting? When the temps drop, the batt's cranking capacity is greatly diminished. You need to determine: > if the batt is being adequately charged by the alt ... is the batt drawing too much current (shorting) > if the batt is holding a charge/ what the cell levels are, read this: http://www.mail-archive.com/mercedes@okieb...m/msg73328.html > if the starter is drawing excessive current. What kind of tests were done ... were they load tested and what were the results? There are remedies for cold weather ... block heaters/battery heaters/trickle chargers/lower viscosity oil. However, I would start by making sure the charging system is working properly before buying any of these.

So much for anti theft nuts! :whistles:

Then this is what you're looking for: http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/transmission/removal.html ... pictures 11 through 12d

The only pic I can find that shows the cables comes from Lexls' site:

I believe the SC400 to be an exceptional car and the one pictured here to be a current and future classic Japanese Super Car. I see no Super cars in the Honda/Acura lineup. You fail to support your argument and your conclusions are fraught with logical fallacies. English is not your first language, no? Not to mention, Audis and VWs are hindteet... having owned them both (VR6, S8), I can say from experience they are exceptionally fun to drive and cost more than the pleasure in repairs... I'll take an SC400 any day over the newest German Fixinbreakenfarfromrunin. <_< Well spoken! Although I'm beginning to think that slamming airheads is a bit like p1ssing in the wind ... there's nothing really substantial to aim at. Welcome to the LOC and congrats on the new ride! Nice pics. Keep us posted on your build.

Planning a bit of tanning are we? :P

Sounds to me like you're not driving the car enough to recharge the batt. If you're not intending to drive the car much in the winter, use a trickle charger with an auto shutt off once a week and you should be fine.

Not sure what "like belts running together" means but if you're cranking slowly as 1951 describes, then try starting with another fully charged batt that's known to be good. If it starts, then you'll have to check the charging system to determine the prob.

If they heard the noise and agreed that it "shouldn't be there", then they can't refuse responsibility to "explore and/or fix" the prob. It was also incumbent on you to force the required diagnosis and repair. There are many avenues available to you when your vehicle is under warranty. By accepting (in the view of the dealer) the shortcomings in your vehicle while it was under warranty, they will no doubt claim (correctly imo) that you were satisfied with their explanations/diagnosis or whatever investigation was done at the time and are under no obligation to effect repairs now that the car is out of warranty. Basically, "ya snooze, ya loose"! Whether you feel this is poor service or customer relations, I doubt you now have any case for the dealer to make repairs free of charge. However, the fact that you're a repeat Lexus buyer should have significant influence with this or any dealer. At this point, I would think of a compromise that you and the dealer can live with and see if you can't re-establish the good business relationship you both once had. After all you did buy more than one Lexus!

Ok, fair enough, so I am having surging idle (rpm going up and down) and when its in Drive, the fluxuation gets so low that it stalls. I dont know whether one would consider that rough or not,or it would have to cough which it does not do. A couple of other possibilitiies: A dirty/sticking ISC. Solution would be to clean it to see what change it woudl make or if it needs replacing. Another cause could be leaking vacuum. Especially between the AFM and the manifold. The ECU hunts to correct the bad fuel slope because the leak changes the mixture that the AFM is reporting. The IACV is used by the ECU's fuel map in an attempt to adjust for the overly lean/rich oscillation. If the amount of the leak is sizeable, the O2 sensors will enrich the mix and send the revs up. As the revs climb the leak is overcome and the mix is leaned out, which brings the revs back down where the whole sequence is repeated. Check all your vacuum hoses and connections.

Make sure the shop put in ATF fluiud and not PS fluid. If you're sure it's the pump, you could have air in the system. Don't have the links in front of me. Easy enough to find. Just search for the threads (more than one) and read up on how to get rid of the air. Basically putting the car on jacks and turning the steering wheel lock to lock 20 to 40 times (with the engine running of course), taking her out for a few hours and repeating if necessary over the course of several days. If this is not your prob, then the pump replacement is suspect.

Merry Christmas to one and all! Happy Holidays and all the best for the New Year!

Ghostface, to help you assess the value of some of the responses here, check out this thread: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...&pid=394665

For your peace of mind, I would ask them to flush and bleed the system. I would also ask them to check the brake lines for any bulging which if present could fail at any time. Have them tell you how much is left on the pads and when the last brake service was done. Did you get any documented history with this car? Something to consider since you have the warranty, take the car in to a reputable shop for an overall inspection. These types of inspections are preferably done before purchasing the car. Nevertheless, get a written report and if there's anything not up to spec or that looks like a problem soon to ocurr, approach your dealer for the necessary repairs before the warranty expires. Of course you'll only be able to address whatever the warranty covers. Congrats on your new ride!

Welcome to the club! Having owned a 5 series, I can tell you the comparison in quality of parts with Lexus is day & night. My bimmer switches and interior trim pieces could have come from a vw they were such a poor quality. Just try the door handle on an LS and you'll immediately feel the difference. Loved my bimmer, especially the sweet 6 cyl, but will likely not buy another. Lots of modded SC's everywhere. Here's a link to one interesting mod done by a female: http://rides.importtuner.com/ride/1003507/...c400/index.html

Something else you can check is that the rear sway bar is secure. Check the brackets/bolts and bushings.

Too bad, so sad! One consolation, if you're familiar with the part or with the rough location for the part, most dealers' parts dept's will email/fax the relevant diag. So this action by Toyota doesn't make sense. It just makes life busier for the dealers' parts reps and I can't see them refusing to send the diags for fear of losing the sale to aftermarket shops. I'm curious how this would play out in countries like China? It's well known that info giant Google has caved to China's dictates. I know this example relates to political issues rather than consumer concerns. Nevertheless, their gov't controls virtually every commercial activity in that country. It would be interesting to learn how Toyota would handle a similar toyodiy.com situation there. Of course surmising that a toyodiy.com would be allowed in the first place.

You're kidding, right? Read it again. A T F . AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID. Every single auto parts store sells it. KMart sells it. WalMart sells it. Target sells it. It's FLUID. Where do you buy your power steering fluid? Go back and buy ATF instead. Seriously? A part number for a bottle of liquid??? Am I the only one who thinks this is the most bizarre request ever? RDM, if you go back and re-read his post I believe he was asking for the part number for the seals not for ATF as you surmised. Take it easy on the guy, he's obviously quite new and not very mechanically inclined. A car as complex as ours can be pretty damned intimidating to many. This is a great and informative forum, but if we flame someone who is asking for what appears to be very basic information they're not going to be very encouraged to come back. Go have a seasonal hot toddy! Regards, Brett Brett, you're right about the OP's asking for a part # rather than an ATF #. As for misunderstanding exchanges on these threads, I think it happens often and mostly with as pk describes himself, "noob questions". I've read quite a few posts that were so confusing that I didn't have the time to decipher them or conduct a class 101 on the subject before getting to any advice that might have helped the OP. I'm sure RDM wasn't intending to flame him as is obvious from his attempts to offer advice, but rather a misinterpretation and perhaps a bit of frustration that such basic information seemingly wasn't getting through. PK, I see you've done some research. Props to you and a suggestion to do a bit more, especially with definitions of terms and parts you're concerned with. It will help you to properly describe your prob and to understand the pertinent advice you receive in return. This site is loaded with info. Invest some time reading up. It's worth it! PS - Only a fool walks away pretending to understand something he's been told. Never hesitate to ask for an explanation for advice that's not entirely clear.

Agreed 100%! Unless you're dragging your brakes while driving or they're not oem, the pads should definitely last more than 30k! As 1990 suggests, measure them yourself, then you have the option of going back to the shop to tear a strip off! :chairshot:

Before spending any money, do a few tests. Check that all your connections are tight and corrosion free. In cold weather the cranking capacity of your batt is greatly diminished. Together with a poor connection, this will prevent starttup. Fully charge your batt before trying to start. Also load test your batt and test for holding a charge. Are you doing short runs? If so, the batt will not charge up. Have you tried boosting. If it starts with a boost, then the starter is not your prob. Check that the ground to the starter is secure and in good condition. Do you hear any clicks? Listen for a click at the starter relay. Even though the following link is for a 1UZFE, the same principles apply: http://www.lextreme.com/dx-starter.html

Welcome to the club mon ami Claudel! I've been to this site, but it's always great to hear an endorsement of any service located on the net. C'est tres bien et merci! I was planning to replace the lcd display myself, but since I'm not driving the LS during the winter, I'm thinking that maybe I'll send it out after all. My soldering skills are ok, it's just not something I'm interested in doing any more. And you can't beat $95.00 for sure.