Tomj8

I had the same issue earlier this year on my own 1995 SC400.... it's a two step process for remote keys. FIRST: if you buy a key, it must be a "blank" so that it can FIRST be cut to your car's locks. If you buy a remote key that has already been cut, you must buy a blank blade for it from the dealer, and it will then have to be cut by the dealer. Call your dealer for the prices for a replacement blank key blade, and the key cutting. My recollection is it was about $75.00 for a blank and the cutting together. SECOND, the remote must be programmed by a Lexus dealer to enable it to operate your locks remotely. This carries a second charge, and may not be an operation that can be done while you wait. I was told I'd have to leave the key and pick it up the next day. As with most things Lexus, it was expensive. I believe the "programming" of the remote cost about $95.00 when I checked back in March....and may vary between dealers for all I know. Hope this helps.

Totally agree - surface rust on cast iron rotors is completely normal and not a worry.

I'd strongly suggest checking eBay before anything else. There are Lexus parts guys who sell used parts such as this routinely. Also, go online and Google "Lexus parts" (or a variation thereof) - you should pull a number of salvage yards across the U.S. who may have or will try to locate whatever you need. Best of luck on this; there are lots of used parts sources you can uncover if you put in a little time on the old PC.

I would suggest you check on eBay for your parts. A number of salvage yards across the U.S. sell Lexus parts on eBay and I would bet you can find someone willing to ship to you.

Good places to start would be fuses (driver side kick panel) and check to be sure it has a full charge of freon. System sensors will usually shut down the compressor to protect it from damage when low pressure is detected.

Naturally, the cost will depend on the problem - first thing is to try to narrow it down. First check fuses - one of the most likely culprits. Applicable fuses and location will be identified in the owner's manual. Another relatively common cause of A/C problems is the climate control module in the console. Check whether the climate display is blacked out or is still legible, and whether the the LEDs in the ON/OFF and FAN controls light and actually function (can you control fan speed, for example). Another possibility is low freon - the system is protected against low freon by a low pressure detector switch....if the freon pressure drops below a certain point, the A/C system will shut down for protection. First check for a burned fuse, second for a blackened climate display and functional controls, and third have the system checked for freon before assuming any major issues - especially if it was working last season.

You are most likely on the right track with the climate control unit. If your screen is blacked out, the display can be replaced but if there are no LED lights on the buttons, and no action at all from the HVAC it may also need an amp. My '95 SC-400 recently had no A/C action with a black screen. A Lexus dealer recommended I contact Mikado Technology, 8840 Forest St., Gilroy, CA, (408)848-5000 for refurbishment - he said dealerships all over the country use them with good results. They charge $195.00 to replace the display and backlight bulbs, and another $150.00 if it needs the amp repair. Contact Sammy Wu (sammywu@sbcglobal.net). Upon return, I plugged the unit in and everything was as new. You can spend about the same for a used unit if you aren't careful, and the new part is an unbelievable $1,184.00 - totally out of the question. I was very fortunate to find an honest Lexus parts man at a local dealership who put me wise. Best of luck.

There are lots of good used parts available online/on eBay, etc. Lots of folks out there catering to older Lexus owners - try doing an online search for Lexus parts and I think you'll be surprised how many turn up. Lots of people/companies doing repair & refurbish for these as well - I recently had no trouble finding a source to get the climate control module rebuilt for my "95 SC400, for example.

used vendor= http://www.luxuryautoparts.com/ ... (888) 589-7278 A good place to start might be eBay....lots of Lexus stuff posted there.

Sounds like the clutch throwout bearing. Noise with no pressure on the clutch pedal suggests the clutch may be improperly adjusted such that the clutch fingers are riding on the bearing constantly, and there should be clearance so that the bearing is clear of the fingers when the clutch is engaged - or you may simply have one that has worn out from use. Throwout bearings are sealed units designed for intermittent load only, and being spun constantly will heat the bearing and quickly put wear on it. An early sign of wear is looseness in the bearing and it isn't uncommon for a noisy throwout bearing to go quiet when pressure is applied to the clutch pedal.

I think the door panels are made of ABS plastic. Don't know how big a break you're talking about but there are ABS plastic cements that actually fuse (similar to welding) this type of plastic. If you have all the pieces, a super strong repair should be possible - contact a plastics company or do a little online research for plastic cement (not glue) that mends ABS. ABS is somewhat flexible but most Epoxy dries hard and brittle and would only be a good solution if the piece doesn't have to move or bend in any way. There are online sources, including ebay where you can no doubt find a replacement door panel if it comes to that, but a mend would be much easier and cheaper. See if you can verify it is ABS and check the yellow pages for local commercial/industrial plastics firms - they would be a great source of information and possibly the cement as well - lots of info online too. Regards.

I assume you've checked the fuse - that would be the first thing. The A/C compressor is fused - for my '95 SC400 it's fuse #2 in the driver's kick panel, a 10 amp (red) fuse. I'm not sure about SC300/400 but many A/C systems have low pressure detectors that shut the system down to protect the compressor when low freon pressure is detected. Have someone verify there is a full load of freon in the system before assuming the compressor itself is the problem - might save some big $$$$.

Be careful about taking the Lexus fuse listings in the owner's manual as a sure diagnostic; often they don't tell the whole story. I have a 1995 SC400 for which the lighter was out and found fuse 14 to be open. It's a 15 amp (blue) located on the driver's kick panel (check the manual diagram for fuse locations). I've discovered that in spite of the assignments in the manual several fuses may affect various other components as well. I got a clue about this by reading this forum - it may be a good investment in time to simply check every fuse in the panel whether or not the book says it has any connection to the problem. P.S.: There's a factory fuse puller stashed inside the lid of the large under hood fuse box (if someone hasn't removed it previously) that comes in very handy for pulling and checking the fuses while standing on your head in the floor board. BTW, one reason the lighter fuse blows often is that the lighter faces upward so any object such as a penny or paperclip that falls into the ligher socket while the lighter is out can cause a direct short that draws heavy current for extended periods. The fuse is there to protect against that heavy current draw scenario.

This symptom is a common indicator of worn valve guides and/or valve stem seals - this isn't a Lexus diagnostic; it's a symtom of valve seal leakage in virtually any overhead valve automobile engine. When the engine is shut down, worn valve guides and valve stem seals can allow small quantities of motor oil to "follow" the valve stem right down past the seals (this is what the valve stem seal is there for - to prevent this leakage) and valve guides into the combustion chambers. When the engine is started again, the oil that has accumulated on the valves and entered the combustion chambers will be burned off causing the pale blue oil smoke you are seeing. The smoking stops as soon as this oil burns off, and the reason it doesn't happen again while the engine is running is simply due to combustion pressures blowing up past the valve guides and stem seals in the opposite direction. There is usually some increased crankcase pressure as a side effect of these gases being able to get past the guides and up into the valve covers and thus on to the crankcase. The fix is a valve job by a professional who can replace both the valve guides and seals. If it doesn't smoke under hard acceleration, it probably isn't piston rings.

Thanks for the direct answer to my questions - I didn't want to replace the LCD only to find the A/C still didn't work. In my case, it appears all respondents turn out to be correct; I will indeed need to replace the entire unit. Thanks to all for helping me get the info I needed to make a good decision.

Thanks for the quick reply and the information. I have mechanical and soldering skills and could definitely do the repair work but I have two questions: 1) Does the display being black prevent the climate control from functioning? None of the climates control do anything. 2) I've removed four screws to remove the console trim piece but can't locate the last two near the ashtray area.

I recently acquired my first Lexus - a clean '95 SC400 with a bad climate control unit. I have mechanical and soldering skills but am a little uncertain how to remove the unit, and what a repair will consist of other than the obvious replacement of the LCD. The climate display in half black and none of the HVAC controls work; no fan, no A/C, etc. Will replacing the display restore operation, or is there more to it than that? I've checked all fuses, etc, and all are OK. Love the car, but dealer prices on parts scare me to death....$1184 quoted for a new climate control unit. Any help on secrets of removing the unit from the console, acquiring a new display, etc, etc, will be greatly appreciated.