GaryAllen

Greetings from Gary in Western Massachusetts I love my white 92 LEXUS SC400 - got it from my mom in '94 - who got it new in Miami. Currently has 160000 miles - I'm retired (i.e. poor) now so I hope to keep this running for a long time. Beautiful Car !! Not many problems over the years - window switch in '95 and '98 power steering pump leaked and damaged alternator - replaced both in 2000 (I read others had this same problem :( other than that just brakes, tires, shocks, a few bulbs, serpentine belt, etc. All in all amazingly problem free. Two things that have bothered me for a long time (and I see others have the same problems). The SPEEDOMETER AND TACH NEEDLE LIGHTS are out - kind of hard to see your speed - I'm glad it gets through Inspection (either they don't care or don't notice) MOISTURE IN THE HEADLIGHTS when it rains or is washed. Really bad when I moved up here and the dealer changed a bulb (in a warm humid garage) and then took it outside on a damp cold day - needless to say it failed Inspection. What kind of terrible design is this? Are the lenses actually open to the atmosphere when a bulb is replaced? I imagine it would cost a few thousand dollars to have the headlight replaced and the needle gauges fixed. INSPECTION is again due this month - and I'm having a VERY tough time so far. On my way to the Inspection Station the day after Labor Day I noticed the ABS light coming on intermittently. Someone has since told me this may not be a problem for inspection and is probably one of the sensors. Then the next day my battery (2 years old) was dead. I got a free replacement (Interstate MTP-27F) but the shop mistakenly gave me a MTP-27. Stupid me :( I didn't notice till after I had touched the battery posts and saw a spark. After installing the proper battery the car wouldn't start - no instrument lights - etc. I checked all the fuses and saw the 150 Amp Alternator fuse was blown (That's a LOT of current) Anyway finally replaced that - dealer had the part for $19. Then the car started OK. But more BAD NEWS - now a day later the new battery is completely dead. I am charging it and hope it can be recussitated. Meanwhile I checked with a Ammeter and saw that about 3 amps is being drawn even when the car is off. I pulled EVERY fuse and it is still drawing 3 amps. That's a lot of current - one would something would be getting very hot. Any suggestions what it might be? Hopefully the battery will charge and I can start it Monday and get through Inspection before the headlights fog up again. Then to the shop to see where 3 amps is going? I did a little googling and saw some posts suggesting an ALTERNATOR problem. I'll be happy if that's all it is and I can get through Inspection and keep my baby running for another year. I'll let you know. Gary PS I did have some other interesting problems with the POLICE STATE in PENNSYLVANIA threatening me and trying to get me to rip out the BEAUTIFUL DEALER INSTALLED SAFETY WINDOW TINT (35%) installed on all cars in Florida. My research indicated that it was quite legal and it DID pass Inspection in PA - yet the police continually threaten people to remove it and illegally extort fines from them. Read the whole interesting story at <url> http://www.berksweb.com/users/dmv/tint/auto.html </url>