t2d2

iTrader: (8)

I just bought a '94 SC400 in good mechanical shape but fairly poor cosmetic shape. The brilliance of the deal was dependent on a secondary purchase of a '96 SC300 in good cosmetic shape but poor mechanical shape (blown engine and the rest untested), making for one very good car between the two as a fun project. Everything that's good on one is bad on the other and vice versa.

Unfortunately, by the time I got home with the SC400 and called the SC300 owner, I found out he had sold it yesterday (for the same amount I was going to offer) and just hadn't taken down the ad... So now I need to source a bunch of replacement parts, which will make it a longer, and probably more expensive, project than anticipated.

I was going to replace the SC400's aftermarket stereo and wheels with the nice originals from the SC300, plus the much better door and dash trim. Same for the front seats and climate control LCD, dash cup holder, etc. I guess it was too good to be true. Bummer. I saw the mega sticky thread with lots of resources for correctly sized wheels (these aftermarket ones are rubbing at full lock) and what not.

Most significantly, I was foiled by the security system the first time I locked the car and got back in. It required disconnecting the battery and unlocking the passenger door to not set off the alarm, so I'm guessing the relay in the driver's door isn't working and it just wasn't ever locked on the used car lot. I also need to get a spare key and key fob, but I looked around online and couldn't find anyone stocking them for that year. Any ideas where to look? There isn't a local Lexus dealer, but maybe a Toyota shop can suffice?

Edit, this sounds like what happened to me:

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc-...need-help.html
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc-...779-alarm.html

Edit, Sewell popped up in some searches as a source of replacement keys ($100-200 cut to VIN):

http://lexus.sewellparts.com/accesso...C400-1994.html

Imoprtant repair items:

- The speedo/tach needles have no illumination, so there's probably a bulb I need to replace. Hopefully, one that's not too tough to get to...

- The tilt wheel motor makes a whirring noise in one of the four directions and not the others but never moves. I was counting on the SC300 donor parts to fix or replace that. Is it a common problem that I can address, or does it need a new unit? It's stuck in a fairly uncomfortable position right now.

- The climate control LED is only visible on the top 10% or so. The rest is blacked out like when a watch dies. I can live without it, but it would be nice to be able to see the settings.

Any favorite repair manual suggestions? I'm reasonably handy with that sort of stuff if I have a guide to work with. I'll definitely need it for figuring out how to take apart the dash.

t2d2

iTrader: (8)

I've found lots of references to searching the forum for the dead needles, but very few resources turning up in the searches... The best I've been able to figure out so far is that they have to be professionally replaced by the likes of lextech.org or taninautoelectronix.com; rather than a DIY project.

There are replacement tilt motor parts and gears on eBay that will probably do the trick, and it sounds like I need to get that resolved so it can be lowered and moved forward in order to have room to remove the gauge cluster, but that might be guess and check. Do my tilt symptoms sound like the sort of thing that a replacement motor would solve?

Edit, I'll try this in the morning: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc-...ng-repair.html

The climate control LCD looks to be a common problem, as well. Have people had better luck with used replacement units or the $40 screens on eBay that look to require some soldering?

SC400slide

iTrader: (11)

Tanin auto would be your best bet. Jason does great and usually service is less than a week before you get your cluster back!

Yeah. might want to tackle this first before attempting to remove the dash.

Correct. I am about to try one myself. These screens are at least 15 years old so no surprise they go out...if you've never touched a soldering iron or wick then IDK if you would want to play around with small(er) solder joints on these climate computers. Cost me $180 for a used one, and two backlight bulbs are already out...I think replacing the screen will be better. Once again, maybe Tanin Auto will be able to do this for you. You can shoot them a PM and see their pricing.

soarer93

there IS an alternate option for the climate control - I like the new LCD replacement - but the soldering and desoldering was a pain but worth it in the end..
but see below for a new... item..

Popformance LXCC
May be too expensive for what you want but it does seem cool - I know a few that already purchased one - waiting for them to arrive to install.
http://www.popformance.com/Products/LXCC/

t2d2

iTrader: (8)

Thanks, I'll give Tanin a call. I've got some soldering experience but it's hardly an area of comfort for me. If it's just a matter of getting a decent connection with some solder, then it's probably not a super precise thing beyond my skill level. Desoldering the current connections is something I've never done and know nothing about.

Buying a used one with a still working LCD does little good if that one's about to fail, too...

That Popformance LXCC unit is pretty slick, although not exactly my cup of tea. I like the OEM look over aftermarket for head units, so the same applies for the climate control. It does seem like a pretty good price for that sort of thing, though.

p.s. Didn't mean to ignore you guys all morning; I didn't realize my forum notifications were set to the Weekly default, so I hadn't seen your replies.

t2d2

iTrader: (8)

I got the tilt control mostly working with the gear wheel fix -- it adjusts up and down now but no forward/back motion. I saw somewhere that there may be separate motors for the two directions (?) but haven't seen any answers as to where to look for that.

TaninAuto

We can fix all of that for you. Reasonably priced and lightning fast turnaround.

Give us a shout.

t2d2

iTrader: (8)

Will do, thanks. Just taking care of a few other items first -- in the middle of door trim/lock work.

t2d2

iTrader: (8)

My car was purchased with aftermarket pin striping which was cracked and peeling, so I took it off yesterday in preparation for taking it to the paint shop to see about buffing and clear coating the rough top coat around the trunk/bumper area.

To my surprise, there was factory gold pin striping underneath it! (I believe the car color is Royal Jade?) At least, there is on some panels... The passenger door has the correct VIN stamped on it and has the pin striping. The driver door, however, has neither (no VIN whatsoever). The driver front fender has no pin striping, either. So, I'm guessing it was in an accident early enough in its life to not show as a salvage title, i.e., when the car's value was still high, and they replaced those parts.

That means door wiring was redone at some point, which in turn makes me wonder if my alarm issues with the driver's side door lock are related? I probably will need to do all the continuity checks and trace which wires go where... Also, playing around with stuff yesterday, I couldn't get the seat memory buttons to do anything (and the driver's door speakers produce no output, but I haven't ruled out the indecipherable, to-be-replaced JVC head unity and custom wiring to the left side of the trunk as the culprit for that), so there's a few potential problem areas with the door's wiring.

t2d2

iTrader: (8)

Ugh, engine problems may have just crept into the picture. I already had the typical, low-RPM hesitation, with spark plugs/wires and fuel filter replacement on the to-do list, but suddenly it's running real rough and can't get up to speed at all, and the Check Engine light came on. Could that be the next stage of one of those issues, or has something more serious probably occurred? The mechanic looked it over pre-purchase and didn't see anything wrong with the engine or transmission, so hopefully not...

1JZPWRD

iTrader: (59)

What codes are you showing to have? We could help you more precisely.

t2d2

iTrader: (8)

Thanks. I didn't know I could read the engine codes directly. After following advice to look for the diagnostic box under the dash (driver's side) and failing miserably to find anything other than fuses and wiring, I located the other one in the engine bay. Had a bit of trouble opening the box, eventually discovering that mine is installed backward, with the clip toward the back of the car, obstructed by hoses. I had to flip the top cover around 180 degrees (doable because the hinges are broken off) to match the orientation of the jumpers.

With that done, I got code 55, which corresponds to KS (Knock Sensor) Signal. Is that something that would go out suddenly like that, or might it be hinting at a deeper problem? The engine's stumbling seemed a lot more severe than I would expect from retarded timing.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/per...right-now.html
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/att...52__53__55.pdf

"No No. 2 knock sensor signal to ECM for 4 crank revolutions with engine speed between 1,600 rpm ∼ 5,200 rpm."

I'll see if I can walk through the diagnostic steps in the PDF...

t2d2

iTrader: (8)

Well, I ran the 3 driving pattern diagnosis steps on the 2nd page of the PDF and that brought the Check Engine light back. I'm not sure what exactly that tells me other than confirming the trouble code, though? I guess I'll need to figure out how to get to the rear knock sensor next for checking continuity. Any hints where to look for that and the KNK2 / Engine Control Module? I haven't been able to locate a repair manual yet.

t2d2

iTrader: (8)

Been reading up on it, and it sounds like knock sensor failure and/or wiring failure is just as likely a cause of the code 55 error as is actual engine problems. However, it also sounds like a pretty major ordeal to get to the sensor(s), so unless there's a way to easily access the wiring for a continuity check without disassembling the motor, I'll need to take it to the mechanic to see what they can muster.

t2d2

iTrader: (8)

The mechanic says it's definitely the knock sensor, rather than an engine that the sensor is detecting. I asked about wiring and they didn't think that's the culprit at this stage of the diagnostics, but maybe they can't reliable determine that without opening everything up?

They strongly encourage replacing both sensors while in there, given the amount of labor involved in case the other one goes out. Should I be looking to replace wiring in there, too?

I can't believe it costs $700 to replace a sensor... $160 ea plus $368 labor (4.6 hours). I know I can get the OEM sensors for half that on eBay, at least.