jsade

Hi, I recently bought a 2004 SC 430 as my first car back in May. It was difficult trying to get one of these in Miami as for they are so rare here. I bought it with 103,600 miles on it. Everything works perfectly. A few switches don’t work like; To move the side mirrors, to open the trunk and gas, and locking the doors inside. But my main issue is the roof not opening. When I bought it, the owners told me that the roof didn’t open. They said it was one of the sensors in the trunk where the net connects to doesn’t work. I’ve called a few places and basically get told i’m an idiot for buying a convertible with its age that the roof doesn’t open. I still have hope and faith that one day the roof will open again and I wouldn’t have to spend thousands of dollars trying to figure out and repair the roof. Anyways, I’m not sure if it could be the sensors? or maybe water damage? i’m not sure lol

DshngDaryl

We can probably figure it out. Will you be doing the work yourself?

First we have a few questions that need to be answered:

1. was the car ever in an accident? Was it rear ended?
2. What else is not working on your car?
3. Do you have access to Techstream or another scanner that can read toyota specific codes?
4. What have you done to try and fix the problem so far?

The roof is a semi complicated system. It integrates into your windows and trunk system. Since you said your trunk doesn't work, my first instinct is to think it has to do with the computer that controls that system. If that is the case, you may have an easy problem to solve (but we would need to have your care scanned with techstream to find out if that is the problem)

jsade

Im trying to find someone who can figure out the job for me but I mostly have the help of my dad. The owners told me when I bought it that it was never in an accident but that it did sit in a junkyard for some years. A few buttons to control the seat movements don’t work. For example the drivers seat doesn’t move forward or backwards, it does recline and go up and down. The passenger seat doesn’t recline that’s about it. I also have to manually open the trunk and to open the gas tank too. I don’t have anything to scan the codes or sensors. I know I probably should do that lol. So what i’ve tried to see what i can do is check the fuses. I’ve checked all the fuses and they are all fine. Oh also, on the drivers side, I can’t put down the window to the passengers side.

Bgw70

Do you have any money to spend?
sounds like you need a copy of TechStream.
It will tell you everything that is going on.

DshngDaryl

if you have no idea what we are talking about when we say techstream, go to youtube and do a search for it

jsade

yeah I know what a techstream is. I’m going to try to buy one.

dan25man

1st I'd check the battery voltage. If you replaced it after it sat for years then it's a non-issue, but if the voltage is lower than nominal you may get some of those errors.

There are two safety switches for the SC430 top. One in the trunk with the rollable fabric tray, There's a switch in the left side "slot" that'll tell the computer it's safe to put the top down. Then in the glove box you need to turn of the "disable trunk" button. It's on the left side of the glovebox. Then the top will only go down when the engine is on. When you push the button you should get a chime and a green light on the switch and then the side windows will roll down. If you windows don't roll down then you'll get a red flashing light at the switch (basically means there's something preventing the top from dropping).

Alternatively, you could manually open and close the top. You'd need some tools and it'd take like 20-30 min, but it's possible. You can find youtibe videos about it.

GmanSC

If your trunk doesn't work with the switch (assume you don't have a bad switch), your top will not operate. Fix that part first.

jsade

So I was able to find the problem with my dad. We put a techstream on the car and it shows up that theirs a blown electrical circuit that doesn’t send electricity to the doors, the windows, the trunk opener, gas opener, the electric key and trunk. The roof is not the problem. It’s the doors and the windows. The previous owners did tell me that the car was once stolen and that the other key to the car for some reason didn’t work. But the key does work just the cars not reading it because the cars alarm system was perhaps deactivated when they had stolen it. The alarm system and Body control module are both connected and the BCM has control over the windows the doors and power lock, which all have to do with the whole process of the roof coming down. All the buttons seem to work (as in their not broken) but of course there’s no electricity going to them. Right now we are trying to figure out how we can reactivate this alarm system and find where it is.

GmanSC

What is (are) the code(s)?

jsade

It gave many codes. One of them being B1214 and Scout. Most of the codes came from the doors, windows, roof and trunk. As if electricity doesn’t pass to those places.

GmanSC

This may help

https://share.qclt.com/%E4%B8%B0%E7%...cw/cib1214.pdf

jsade

Thank you so much!!!!!!

Eklectika

HOPING . . . to tag along since this post is so similar. If you advise I should start a new thread - I will. Thanks!

MAIN ISSUE - CONVERTIBLE OPEN / CLOSE SWITCH - no lights, no sound, no movement, nothing . . . like it's a dead switch

LEXUS DEALER - said both RH roof lock switch assembly & the RH luggage lock actuator assembly need to be replaced - at a whopping $10K cost!!! This makes no sense to me how 2 assembly's could go bad at the same time. I do NOT have the codes (sorry). Car has 65K miles, 2004 and rarely have I driven it with the top down. Last time was probably a year ago and it worked perfectly.

ADDITIONAL INFO . . . (NOTE: car is currently @ Lexus dealer awaiting my repair decision) . . . cost for diagnosis = $200 including loaner car @ LEXUS JACKSONVILLE, FL

BATTERY - often dies due to lack of driving, very weak right now after a jump
ANTENNAE BROKEN - forced down in a car wash (recent break)
R.H. REAR VIEW MIRROR - sometimes works, sometimes not
ALL WINDOWS - working
NAVIGATION SYSTEM - not working
KEY FOB - broken so unable to test auto trunk release
FUSES - all okay
VALET BUTTON - not yet checked
HOUSED - outside, has had rats in glove box air filter system previously
NEVER - in a wreck
NO - I don't own a TechStream (afraid of downloading a virus - sellers of China unit on EBAY say to disengage firewall and antivirus in order to properly download TechStream software!)

Bgw70

please share all of the codes, it provides all the symptoms which will allow us to provide a better solution.