LB Lex

The musty smell is usually caused by fungus or bacteria growing in the AC system. I sprayed Lysol into the AC filter opening when the AC is on to kill the fungus and bacteria. It got rid of the smell.

VSsc400

iTrader: (1)

i know this is an old thread. But it deserves a bump.

I have a 1992 SC400 and I just opened up the front cover. (removed glove box, steering ecu, fan ecu etc etc and the plastic cover and I see that there is room for 2 filters.

Here is what I did.
I purchased through rockauto Densoo cabin air filter (denso part number 453-1003. It comes with 2 identical looking filters. If you guys have been replacing 1 piece then you have another piece inside that also needs to be replaced.

I wanted to see what it looked like so..... (THIS DOES NOT NEED TO BE DONE!)
1. Remove lowest panel of the passenger side dash.
2.Remove glove box. Held down by 4 screws. There are 2 little square covers hiding the screws in front upper corners of the glove box. 2 others are at the bottom extreme left and right corners. You should be able to pull the whole box off.
3. 1 single screw holding the plastic tube.
4. You are now looking at the power steering ECU, cooling fan ECU and what I assume to be the transmission ECU.
5. I removed all the ECUs and removed the screws from the front. 5 black stubby ones holding the Tranny ECU (2), cooling fan ECU (2) and power steering ECU (1)
6. I then removed the temp sensor (2 screws)
7. I then removed the 4 screws holding the front cover to the condenser chamber. There are 3 stubs that tuck into a flap on top. You squeese it out of the flaps and push the panel up and the cover will come out.
8. Take a vaccuum and clean everything out. There should be all sorts of damp leaves, flies, bugs and such accumulated in there. I would also spray some lysol in there if you like. I removed about 1/4 of plastic shopping bag worth of gunk. It was nasty.
9. I took the 2 filters. I took really beefy sissors (the ones that cut through like anything) and trimmed the 2 filters. 1 opposing sides each. the filter that goes inside I trimmed off the side that goes to the inside (this side has 2 rails) and inside half of the little tab that you hold) and the filter that goes outside I trimmed off the side that goes to the outside (this side has 1 rail) and I slid them into the filter slot and they fit absolutely perfect!
10. installation is the reverse.

the only reason why I decided to take the whole thing apart is because I knew there was no filter in there and that there would be a lot of junk piled up. I didn't want to throw in the filters without first cleaning it out.

No matter what 92-93 guys will have to trim the 2 sides of the filters to make them fit. Putting 1 filter is useless. It'll just float around and do absolutely nothing.

I hope this helped.

There is room for 2 air filters. The only downside is that you have to trim off one side of each filter. The plastic tab on the inside filter needs to be clipped off 50%.

PERRYinLA

Great writeup, Dennis- thanks. I just went thru the same exercise and took a photo of the condenser chamber for everyone's reference. Mine was not so dirty, since I use a car cover. The bulk of the dirt is just to the right of the condenser fins. You can see the light shining thru the bottom slot where the filters go.

How weird is it that they made a provision for filters, but didn't include them in the '92's?

The part number Carson Toyota sent me was 88880-30040, costing $35. Trimming the filters was a bit tough for me. Even though the filter frame is plastic, there was some metal sandwitched in the middle, so scissors didn't work- I had to use a dremel cutting wheel. I used some sticky foam tape to seal up those small openings near the hinge part of each filter so there were no openings for unfiltered air to sneak through.

PERRYinLA

Here's the filters right before I installed them (mirror-imaged, to show them in the proper orientation as they go into the chamber, from the driver's view). You can see a little piece of foam I used to seal off the small center crack. Notice how the two bottom tabs have been trimmed to fit into the square holes of the bottom plug plate:

PERRYinLA

Be sure you use the right part number (Toyota 88880-30040), or you might end up like this nameless CL member, who IMed me recently:

NameLess: hey
NameLess: are you there?
PERRYinLA: yes
NameLess: i'm trying to install a cabin air filter in my '92, and I came across a thread in which you posted
NameLess: I have my dash opened up, and the evap cover removed- surprisingly there was only 1 bug inside
PERRYinLA: then why ain’t you posting on the thread? no one else benefits from this IM session
NameLess: i could post after I figure it out
NameLess: and post pics, but right now its getting dark out and my dash is opened up
PERRYinLA: that never stopped anyone else, but ok....
NameLess: I'll post a pictorial afterward if it makes you happy. Would you mind helping me?
NameLess: how do the filters fit inside?
PERRYinLA: I had to trim my filters to fit a 92
NameLess: yup I have shears for that - what parts of the filters did you trim?
PERRYinLA: the outer edges
NameLess: all 4 sides of both filters? there is 1 small tab that protrudes ~1 inch on both filters
PERRYinLA: not that side - the sides next to that side
NameLess: ok - so trim those off completely?
PERRYinLA: maybe 2 to 4 mm total
PERRYinLA: the rails- trim those first - start small - and only trim enuff to make it fit
PERRYinLA: lotta trial and error
NameLess: how are the filters supposed to sit - thats the main thing that confuses me –
PERRYinLA: OK- I emailed you a diagram (NOTE: shown below)
NameLess: so they're supposed to fit standing up?
NameLess: which filter goes in first? fat or skinny?
NameLess: the filters look like they'd be way too tall to fit as the diagram shows
NameLess: and they're too tall to get the right angle to put them in the slot
NameLess: the floor gets in the way
PERRYinLA: gotta bend them, as diagram shows
NameLess: its too tall to fit - how do you get it to fit in the darn slot?
PERRYinLA: what year yer car?
NameLess: 92
PERRYinLA: what part # you got here?
NameLess: 33040 or something
NameLess: is what it ends with
PERRYinLA: mine is 88880-30040
NameLess: yeah thats what mine is too- its in my car- i was trying to remember it
PERRYinLA: mine fit vertically fine, it was the width that needed trimming
NameLess: its sticking out the bottom by 2 inches
PERRYinLA: filters are fully up in there, yet still stick out 2 inches below opening?
NameLess: yup - want a pic?
PERRYinLA: no, if that is so, the filters are way too long, or you gotta different chamber
PERRYinLA: the filters are about 7.5" tall
NameLess: lemme measure mine up - lemme measure everything
NameLess: brb
NameLess: ***** ***** ***** *****
NameLess: part no is 88880-33040
NameLess: filter is 9.5" tall
NameLess: and i already cut the filter too
NameLess: the guy gave me a f****ng es300 filter
PERRYinLA: well, if you had camber open, it shoulda been obvious immediately that it would never fit
NameLess: i thought it had to be cut to fit or something
PERRYinLA: well, only a little trim
NameLess: the guy was the f****ing parts manager for the whole dealership
PERRYinLA: oh well, at least we figured it out!
NameLess: i figured he would give me the right part!
NameLess: i told him "cabin air filter for a 93 sc400"
PERRYinLA: the numbers are too similar !
NameLess: what do i do now?
PERRYinLA: oh well this will make for a good thread
NameLess: i modified the filter already
PERRYinLA: hopefully, he will take them back and eat the loss
PERRYinLA: or maybe you can sell them cheap on CL to ES owner - a few shims glued to sides, and back like new
NameLess: lol
NameLess: I’d still have to eat a big loss
PERRYinLA: i know- they ain’t cheap
NameLess: I’ll try to return them tomorrow, or at least split 50-50 w/ dealer
NameLess: thanks a lot
PERRYinLA: ok- good luck
NameLess: ill need it :-)

Ryeno

iTrader: (3)

Sorry to have to bump up such an old thread but.

Do i need 88880-30040 like it says in this guide for a 1992 sc300? Online it says 1995 sc300 uses 88880‑24020 for the filter.

RolxuSC400

The Sewell Parts online price went up I see but that shows a part 88880-33040. I think thats the part I got as well. Call them they have always been very knowledgeable and will assure you of getting the right part. Now I know with the early model SC's if their build date was prior to 9/02 or 9/03, I dont recall which year, they wont show it but the part they designate will work. I ran into the same problem when changing mine as it was an early production 92.

asnatlas

iTrader: (2)

Seems the 88880-30040 is the right one that most people are using ? It is the one that Carson Toyota is sending to SC owners...

Looks like the 88880-24020 can work also as it fits the SC3/4 1992 - 2000 (and I am assuming 1992 SCs) ??

And the 88880-33040 is for ES300 - 97-01...

gabe74gt

i had the same problem a year ago. and it was all fine of its own. dont understad how. hope same for you

TriniLex

Sorry for bumping this thread but I thought this find was interesting.
I have a 95 SC400.
I opened the wing nuts and the plate and I DONT see a filter?
Is this year missing the filter as well?

Any help would be appreciative


UPDATE: Sprayed some anti bacterial spray in the opening of the filter hole. Smell is gone..
UPDATE: I called lexus today and they stated that there are no filters originally installed in SCs older than year 2000.
Might buy one and modify it

Lexxxysc

This Is HelpFull

zuma1597

iTrader: (1)

thanks this helped! bump!

Big12ed

sorry to revive a death thread, and maybe im missing something; i just picked up a 93, and from what ive gathered, it doesnt have a filter (havent actually checked yet, havent had time)
but why would we need some special filter thing? couldnt you just get a furance filter from ace hardware and slip it in?

PERRYinLA

Yep. Ace is the Place.

Plus, their paint is on sale this week, so stock up if they have your car's color.

While you are there, be sure to stop by the lawnmower section and pick up a gas filter, too.

Let us know how it all turns out.

(Once you have the time, that is.)

Big12ed

Moderator edit, post removed. Cool your jets skippy.

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