RxG300

so: my giant headache, i mean SC300, just got fixed...again. I replaced the harmonic balancer and fan and went for a drive. 5 minutes later i pulled back into my driveway with the Check Engine light on and the car smelling like burning rubber or something.

the next morning, i checked my radiator and discovered it was empty, which i thought was strange. So i filled it back up, while the car was running. and filled and filled and filled.... until a little river of antifreeze started running out from under my car.

It appears like my car emptied the entire radiator again!

my live-in mechanic (my uncle's nick name. lol) thinks the block is cracked...meaning i pretty much need a new engine.

does anyone else think that's what the issue could be?

if it is a cracked block, i dont know what im going to do with this car. my POS jeep has been more reliable, and its had everything replaced on it except the transmission!

pretty much my question is this: do you all think replacing the engine with a newer 2jz (possibly one with VVTi) would be worth keeping the car, or should i just part it out and cut my losses?

thanks for any input.

parnzen

u have had problems with an sc?

RxG300

i've had nothing but problems with my SC since i bought it in December...

Durrr

what year of SC and how many miles? Are you having any other symptoms?

RxG300

its a 92 SC300. we just figured out that the radiator is infact cracked, not the block. thank god. now all i have to do is find a radiator and get it in before my spring break trip! lol

5sp_jzz30

iTrader: (2)

dude it a 92 sc300. the car is 16 years old. it will have some problems. you lucked out and pulled the lemon of the barrel apparently since you say you had nothing but problems. most of the people on here will agree that the sc is a reliable car in stock form.

youre having problems at first because you just bought the car and its old. you will need to replace certain things when buying an old car. take care of the little things and then you will be fine.

what other problems have you had with the car?

btw how do you assume that the block is cracked if you are losing coolant? did you even get under the car to diagnose the leak or just assumed?

RxG300

my uncle thought it was a cracked block because its been overheating and it LOOKED like the coolant was pouring out from the back of the engine.

anyways, so far i've had to replace the waterpump, ac compressor, harmonic balancer/crankshaft pulley, timing belt, serpentine belt, radiator fan, and now the radiator itself. HOPEFULLY once this is fixed it will be a reliable car. thats what i was hoping for but i've kinda lost faith in it.

i love my SC...what im not loving is the fact that parts for any other lexus (except with same engine) are half the price of parts for mine.

im ordering a new radiator from advanced auto tomorrow so ill have to see.

i just have this overwhelming feeling that if i had gotten an ES300 like i originally was going to get, that i wouldnt be having these issues.
what concerns me is that this car had EVERY single oil change (up to 150k) done at a Lexus dealer! and yet im having problems. go figure. =/

5sp_jzz30

iTrader: (2)

water pump and timing belt are maintenance parts so you cant count those. you have to do that on any car. harmonic balancer is kind of common. a cheap alternative is an ebay aluminum pulley. the fan sometimes goes out but i have never seen it in person. why dont you just fix the radiator.

es300 is a good car too. i have worked at a shop that specializes strictly in toyota/lexus vehicles and i can tell you that i have only seen one sc come it in 2 years. it was a 93 sc400 and it needed a trans. you wouldnt believe how many camrys and es300 come in. you can make a business just servicing and repairing those. we have about 6 or 7 sc customers. when i came to the shop last week, not counting my sc, i counted 5 sc in the lot. granted one was a car we parted out but none the less.

when i bought my sc i replaced the timing belt, water pump, thermostat, couple of seals, and shocks(mine were blown), later did the clutch. it all cost me less then a 1000 to do. i got my clutch for 220ish, and tokico/eibach setup for 150.

good luck

Durrr

So far ive replaced shocks/springs, did TT brakes all the way around with wheels and tires, redid the sound system, cluster needles and CC lights, O2 sensors and shift solenoids. I have a lot more to go too..

RxG300

yeah, my car needs alot of cosmetic things to make it perfect for me. however, at the moment id really like it to just be running!

it turns out the radiator isnt the original, so we're gonna look into getting it fixed instead of replaced. i have a new Ac compressor to go in, and hopefully i can get the car back together for my florida trip in two weeks. we'll see.

part of me just wants to sell my SC and get something else. i DEF want another lexus...just not the one i picked. lol