project300

I know this is an old thread, but I noticed this error and thought it should be corrected. ALL SC300's and 400's with traction control use both the rear brakes and throttle to gain traction, just like sc_toy said. Remember that the car has an open differential and the ABS system is monitoring the wheels speed in relation to the other. When one wheel turns slower than the other 4, the car is starting to skid and ABS takes control of that one wheel and pulses the brakes. When one rear wheel turns faster than the others, that wheel is spinning and ABS is applied to that wheel while the throttle is reduced. This sends the spinning wheel's force thru the open differential to the wheel that has more traction. So the TRAC trades power for traction. If TRAC only modulated the throttle, it would be throttle control, not traction control and it would be totally useless. Anyhow, it's a pretty unnecessary system if you know how to handle a rear wheel drive car in the wet or snow, but for those who don't let up on the gas when they should, it could help. I usually turn mine off. Heated seats are ok, but the SC ones take a long time to heat up, dont get very hot. Plus, they dont have a range of temps like Audi/VWs.

92 Ford Festiva L 5-speed The most reliable car I have ever owned and easily the cheapest in every way. Never in 100K plus miles did it ever not start or strand me. It was like driving a go-cart and I miss it sometimes, especially the 5-speed.

Better yet, POST EM! = community. ← Glad to share the info. If you have not seen this site before it is a great FAQ with useful info and lots of links to Soarer/SC sites. Intellexual.net Does any body know if there are aftermarket CD changers using the same protocol today that can "talk" to the stock head unit? What is the protocol in our pioneer units called?

This is a pretty easy fix and you wont get hit on the head unloading groceries anymore! It's been a few months since I replaced mine, but here is what I recall. You will need to take out all of the trunk liner to have the most room to work. I even laid down inside to do the job. Like Johnny said, you will need to take off the rubber stops that clip onto the bars so you can fully extend the lid. Then prop it open or tie it off with rope before you take the old struts off. As for the ball joint attachment, if your new strut came with a ball on the end you should have no problems, otherwise do your best and follow the instructions with the new strut. Depending on your model, you will need box end wrenches to remove the ball joint and a screwdriver or something to pry off the metal clip on the end of the strut. Hardest thing about this fix was the cramped location, but its easy.

Like most pre 96 CD changers in the SC's mine is about worthless and plays fewer discs everyday, so I'm on the market for a replacement. I understand that the 96 ES changers work well, but I want more than a 6-CD magazine so I was looking into what it would take to put an aftermarket CD changer in there. I found the schematic diagrams for all of the wire harnesses for the stock SC system explaining each wires color and function. Now I want to use this info to hack into the harness and hook up another CD changer. Now I'm trying to find what models of CD changer would work. Different brands of changers use different protocol to let the head unit talk to the changer, so I know there are incompatability issues. Does anybody have experience or suggestions with aftermarket CD changer installs? Anybody with a pre 96 12CD changer that can share their solution? Is there anything on the market (new or used) that could be modified to work? Pioneer? Thanks!

Stan, it is true that all SC's will wear out their lower control arm bushings by 100-130k miles. It's not a disaster though. Do a search under lower control arm and you will find a wealth of info on the topic. Parts and labor could run around $800, or you can DIY for about half that. Once its done the car will drive much better. Dont let this deter you.

You are a LexFREAK quoting George Carlin! He is the best. Anyhow gcarpent, yes there are many, many things that could cause the problems after an alignment you described. Tie rods, any and all control arm bushings, tie rod ends, steering rack mounts or tires. If evrything checks out, look at the caster setting on your alignment as it will cause the problems you describe. If caster is "to spec" you may need control arm busings or control arms because SC's usually need new front Lower Control arms which control caster alignment, after 100K miles. Until all of these are confirmed a-ok, it is hard to say exactly what is the cause of your "darting" problems. With an older SC like yours (and mine) it sounds like you need new front lower control arms. Usually this is referred to as "tramlining" when the car tends to follow the slight impressions in the lanes where other cars drive. In high performance cars it is tolerated for the increased responsiveness it gives the driver on flat roads or turns. FYI: Go to Firestone car service garage and buy their Lifetime Alignment for $130. You pay once and get alignments for the life of your car. In your case, you can tweak and fix all you like, realign and see if it did the trick. It pays for its self after only 2 or 3 alignments. Check it out if you are able. I recently did a front end rebuld and had the 4-way alignment after installing Supra front Lower Control Arms (highly recommended from Carson Toyota). I notice a small amount of "darting/tramlining", but it is small potatoes for the increased responsiveness I feel. Give it a try. I too have stock tires like you. You may find better handling characteristics with another tire, but the darting is likely due to tired (14 year old!) suspension parts that can not or will not alingn to spec. I agree to avoid Firestone/Bridgestone, since I too have had bad expereinces with those brands. Happy Darting!

Yes, the mast is the metal part that moves up and down when you turn on and off the radio. It is attached to a plastic shaft with teeth that coils into the motor housing in the fender. The plastic shaft pushes and pulls the antenna. If you can hear your antenna motor running when you turn the radio on or off, then you can just replace the mast and that should fix it. Eventually, the plastic shaft breaks or the teeth wear and the antenna makes noise or stops working. Lexus will charge you around $200 for a motor/mast unit. I got the mast replacement for $24 shipped on ebay and it works great. It comes with the white plastic toothed shaft attached. My old mast did not come out very easily. I had to take channel locks and pull and twist (and destroy) it to get it out. I also took the motor housing apart to remove the broken pieces of plastic shaft. Then just feed the new mast's shaft in and turn off the radio and it gets sucked in. Put the trim ring on and you're done. If you dont hear the motor when you turn on and off the radio, then you might need a new motor/mast unit or could have an electrical issue. There is a $30 replacement for this on ebay too, but I have not heard any reviews of it. It's an easy and cheap fix.

I have this problem too and I have researched it extensively. The leak is not what it seems. If you open your sunroof you can see a small hole at each corner. These holes are connected to drain tubes that can come loose. When the rear corners are loose it leaks to the rear floorboards and when the front corners are loose you get water on the speaker/floor. When the fronts are loose water runs over to the top of the windshield and then down the INNER acoustic door seal (not the seal you can see from outside the car) before finally dripping next to the speaker and onto the carpet. It looks like its a door seal problem or a windshield seal, but I would check the sunroof first. The fix is to take the headliner out and re-connect the drain tube from inside the car. Not as easy as it sounds. I have not been able to find any good instructions on how to get the headliner out, but I understand it is just held in by clips. I have made a few attempts at this with no luck. I am very concerned about snapping a clip and then having the liner sag so I chicken out. Whatever you do, DON'T use a pressure washer to locate the leak. Just trickle water from the hose over one seal at a time. First the door, then the windshield and then the sunroof. Check for leaks after each by looking in thru the opposite door. I think you will not see water on the floor until you get to the sunroof. Thats my $1.02 aprilguy, you made the right purchase. You have a great car with a temporary leak is all. That's why Lexus is the Persuit of perfection. Check with the dealer or a custom/detailing shop and they should have you dry in no time. Good luck and enjoy.