lexuslover

i have a lot of creaks from the roof and pillars when going over uneven surfaces, like entering my driveway at an angle, not head on. speed bumps are 50/50 - if you go over straight, doesn't seem to creak, but unevenly, there is a creak. it's definitely like the body is twisting or something and the seam between the retract roof and windshield/pillars are creaking.

i told the techs about it, and they said it is normal convertible noise. i know, i know, i should have been like, that's crap, but i am tired of fighting the service ppl giving me the crazy look, so i just live w/ it. my sister had a CLK cabrio that made a lot of similar noises, and even worse, so i am ok with it. but yeah, it is irritating. i am surprised at the ppl who report total silence. that is amazing - you must baby your cars big time! i think maybe i have hit one too many bumps or something with my harsh suspension and RF's to ever have a silent car again!

jk335

When my car gets out of the body shop, I have gotten a few reccomendations from friends and service tech. Something called for Silicon Spray, that might silence the creak I am recieving from the pilliar. I figured out its either coming from the glas pressing the vynal dash or it's the dash touching the pillar.

Annoying, they should have used cloth...amazing... just a little more money might have stopped these creaks.

I am hoping to fix them myself. I once owned a bmw z3, which was a rattling machine, so I know I can take on the SC430 and fix things too

rominl

iTrader: (4)

man i guess i am kinda lucky not to have any noise from the roof. that was actually what i worried about coz' it's convertible and it flexes quite a bit, but surprisingly so far i don't have any significant noise that i notice when going up drievways

beachdrive

When new my car had a rattle in the radio that was fixed by the dealer puling it out and doing some magic. Never came back. However, I did have a number of other noises in the upper area and rear cockpit that went away when I switched to non-run flats. Another owner referred to me by the dealership also had the same noises that also went away from the tire switch. I have driven 15,000 miles since then and the noises are still not back. I think the ride was just too stiff with run flats and induced rattles that were just not be evident with less stiff sidewalls.

jk335

I am seriously contemplating a switch of the tires. How much would a new set of tires run me, if I were to do this. Do they make an all season tire, or am I looking at summer tires again for this SC430.


Any input on the tire change out would be great. Did you use the same rims as before?

JK

Gojirra99

Yes, there are all season tires available, & it's up to you whether you want to keep the stock rims or switch to aftermarket rims

I & many here have the Michelin Pilot Sports A/S.
Here are some of the popular tire choices : http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Compar...=All&x=98&y=11 (There are 2 pages in this link )

beachdrive

I also changed to Michelin PiIot Sport A/S. I kept the same rims and actually bought the tires (special order) and had the installation done at my Lexus dealer. In my case I am glad that I did (have them install the tires) as I had two tire pressure sensor failures sometime after. The dealership wanted to know "who mounted these tires for you?" Fortunately I was able to tell them they did so they took complete responsibility.

You could buy the tires from anyone (such as Tire Rack) , but I would suggest having them installed by Lexus. Low profile tires with pressure sensors is a tricky installation.

The Michelins are relatively expensive - about $250 each. As I have mentioned in a previous post, I really like these tires, but might try a less expensive tire next time. Since I plan on keeping this car a very long time, I wil go through many tires and thought I might check out the differences.

I also added a spare tire from Lexus which upped my total cost another $600-800 (I forgot final cost) for wheel, tire, mount. A lot of folks on this site skip that step as you can read about in many posts on this subject.

sc430blue

I have just over 50k miles and no rattles. I dont baby my car at all. Guess I'm just one of the lucky ones.

1NICESC430

Beachdrive -
I did likewise, but I bought Goodyear Eagle F1 tires and had Tirerack ship them to my dealer. Before I had a chance to get to the dealer (150 miles away), they sold my tires to another SC owner who happened to see them and then ordered another set for me.

Although it took a lot longer than planned to remove the run flats, they didn't charge me for the extra time, which was only fair. However, I'll bet there are some dealers who would.

The Goodyears are great except that they're a bit noisy.

I also had them install the spare. They gave me a really good deal after I told them what another member of this forum paid for the spare kit in Texas.

Dorschel Lexus in Rochester, NY - great service and parts people.

Goodyear F1

beachdrive

1NICESC430,

I researched the Goodyear Eagle tires you bought as the alternative to the Michelins, but could not find enough opinions form others (that was two years ago). Glad to hear you had good experience with them. They are now back on my potential tire list.

jk335

Hey Guys,

Just to give you an update, the SC is not rattle free. I ended up takign apart the pillar on the passengerside door. They had replaced the winshield last month, and doing so, must have created a rattle. by simply popping off the cover and then snapping it in again, I seem to have quieted the rattle.

But if it comes back, I will have Lexus reinstall the pillar because I think they were the cause of the rattle.

The car came back form the shop and looks like a million bucks. The painted rear bumper matches beautifully, and now I have a car on my hands that I now do not want to get scratched badly again. But I realize dings will happen. But all turned out okay. The shop who did all the work...the 5 dings, the repainting, and the reconditioning ended up charging me onl 150 dollars, since they had heard from another source my dad was very sick. So dentmasters was the only charge, and even that was a reduced price. The bumper and detail work was all free. I consider myself very lucky! Now I will post some pictures! Peace everyone.

sflex2

I've been a Lexus guy since 1994. First was a Lexus ES300 Anniversary addition which I traded in 1997 for the 1998 second generation GS400. Both are excellent cars with zero maintenance issues except for normal maintenance & service. The GS400 just got it's first rear brake pads replaced this month and front pads are original at 89,000 miles. In 2002, I desperately wanted a hardtop convertible and decided on the SLK320. Poor choice, as I experienced so many issues with ride quality (totally absent), catalitic converter out at 15,000 miles, interior noise (all day long) and problems with the braking system. Needless to say, the car spent lots of time at the dealership. On top of that, their service dept is awful with Enterprise Rental Car running the loaner program and cost 11.00 per day. Mercedes free loaners are limited..very limited. I test drove the SL500 at least 3 times and was not impressed considering the hefty price tag. In 2004, I went back to my roots and traded the SLK for the SC430 and I love this car. What a difference. It's like the GS400, but a convertible. It's every thing I was looking for. Not a sports car like the BoxterS or Vette, but I appreciate the finer things i.e. killer interior, sound system, gadgets, smooth ride (even with runflats, compared to SLK), smooth engine, and good looks. The car has been out since 2002, but I get positive feedback while sitting in traffic all the time. Pretty cool! and yes, I do hear some rattle from time to time, but it's nothing like the others, SLK320, Boxter, TT and even the 95-100K SL500.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

welcome to the forum, it's nice to hear about your feedback with the slk and the sl. so the sl doesn't drive right or the interior wasn't right? would love to hear more

lkirchner

Henry,

As you know I owned an SC and now have a SL all be it an AMG. I will not let my experience with the SC cloud my judgement. The interior on the SC is definetly more eye catching than the SL but I don't think the quality is any better. In fact the SL uses leather on all of the surfaces, dash, door panels seat backs but you would expect that since the price is so much higher.. The Nav in the SC is also much better in the SL; in fact there is NO comparison..

As far as ride quality is concerned, the SL has a much firmer ride than the SC but not harsh like the SC is with the run flats. The transmission on the SL is much more positve and not sliuggish like the SC. Braking on the SL in my estimation is more positive than the SC. As far as rattles are concerned my SL has none and the car feels like it is made out of a single block of metal. Handling is much crisper than the SC but the SC is not a semi sports car.

I really don't think you can honestly compare the 2 cars as they are approaching the market differently. After owning both you could make comparisons all day long and come up with a single conclusion; I like the S_ better because that is my preference . And to compare the SLK to the SC is rediculous. The first generation SLK was not a good car and was really cheaply built.

By the way Henry I did do the Renntech modifications to my car, supposedly it will now generate 613 horsepower with 626 foot pounds of torque. Not a bad cruiser for an old fart like me.

sflex2

Lou K,

You're absolutely correct. It is ridiculous to compare the SC to the SLK, but at the time, I had nothing to compare it to. The SLK 320 (with AMG sport package) was the only retractable hardtop within my price range (around 55,000). If I would have known that the car was built so poorly, I would have spent the extra money for the SC. I just expected more from Mercedes in terms of service & reliability. Don't get me wrong, I think they have some of the nicest, sportest looking cars, love the new CLS500 and all the AMGs, but the customer service experience left a bad taste in my mouth. Maybe it was just my dealership.