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Lexus SC 430

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Comments

  • rcraftrcraft Member Posts: 16
    I replaced my wife's 2006 OE run flats with Michelin Pilot Sport PS2's. She tells me that it made a big difference. This particular tire is OE on several other makes (including the Porsche Boxter) which made me think they ought to be pretty good. They are.

    :shades:
  • marishkamarishka Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2004 SC430 and just purchased my fourth (4th!!) windshield. The first three were covered under warranty and there no visible pits or pocks on the windshield.
    This last one had a tiny chip from a flying rock, but that shouldn't cause an entire windshield to crack. I think it's a design flaw that they don't want to admit. I notice these windshield cracks always occur in summer, always in the same place (behind the mirrir in the top center) and I suspect it may be due to the cold air inside the vehicle and the hot air outside. Also on my third set of tires at 50,000 miles. Looking forward to the day my lease is up. As much as I love this car, it's become a money pit.
  • fb04scfb04sc Member Posts: 4
    (sc06) same thing happened to me 2 weeks ago! I heard the stone hit the windshield but didn't see any damage. upon returning to my car a couple of hours later I sat down and right there in front of me was the crack shaped like the letter L from the top of the windshield down and to the right. the dealership service writer took a pencil point and followed the outline of the crack, and there it was right at the top a space the pencil point fit into (the point of impact) the explanation was that the perimeter of the windshild is weak due to the lack of any framing holding the glass and with expansion and contraction due to temperature it cracked. so for both our sakes if we are going to be pelted by stones please let it be in the middle and not the outer edges.
  • rlejr66rlejr66 Member Posts: 44
    Hey SC430 owners, quick question . . . . .do you know whether you can put the windows up when the top is down? Just wondering. Looking at buying an SC soon and that was just something I was thinking about. You quite frequently see BMW's rolling around town with the top down and the windows up. Thanks in advance!
  • joec7joec7 Member Posts: 4
    Yep do it all the time. I have 2004 Peddle Beach and love it! Have fun
  • rlejr66rlejr66 Member Posts: 44
    Thanks joec7 for the reply. Be looking for me back here when I get the SC! :shades:
  • hygienedivahygienediva Member Posts: 1
    I ALSO HAVE A 2004 SC430 AND WAS DRIVING ON MY WAY TO WORK ONE DAY AND HEARD A CRACK BUT I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS ODD. ABT A WEEK LATER I HAPPENED TO LOOK BEHIND THE MIRROR IN THE TOP CENTER AND IT WAS A SMALL CRACK THERE. LUCKILY, AS SOON AS I SAW IT I CALLED NATIONWIDE AND THEY CAME TO REPAIR IT FOR ME, LEAVING JUST A TINY MARK, SO I'M PRAYING IT STAYS LIKE THAT AND DOESN'T SPREAD B/C I CALLED DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID ITS NEAR $1200 TO HAVE WINDSHIELD REPLACED! BUT IT'S IRONIC HOW IT CHIPPED IN THE SAME SPOT RT BEHIND THE FRONT MIRROR WITH YOURS ALSO.
  • rlejr66rlejr66 Member Posts: 44
    :cry: Been a while since I have been to this forum. From the looks of it, not many other people have visited either. Anyway. . . . . . walked into my garage Friday morning last week to take my wifes 2006 SC430 to get her VAIS XM module installed and guess what? The windshield was cracked. She had no idea. A nice crack from the passenger side 1/4 of the way across the windshield. She took it to the dealership today and they confirmed a stress crack which will be replaced under warranty. Sounds like a pattern forming with the SC's. I think the roof closes to hard, something Lexus probably needs to take a look at.
  • mbuntinmbuntin Member Posts: 1
    I was wondering if I can change the setting in my navigation to allow me to have the passenger program the unit will I am driving. In my Garmin 2620 I can disable the safe mode unit to allow this.

    Mark
  • stormbringer1stormbringer1 Member Posts: 12
    Sorry I don't read this forum that much mostly the GX and Shelby forums. Does anyone know when this model is planned for a full remodel? Haven't heard that much and a few years ago Toyota made a SC model for the car show, any news on that also? thnaks
  • sp1010sp1010 Member Posts: 2
    Hi "scsc430",

    I'm also going to be taking the plunge on an '06 SC 430. Since it's been about two years since your posting, I was wondering how you've enjoyed or not enjoyed your car the last two years. Any regrets? Have you had windshield cracking problems? Did you find run flats not worth replacing once they've worn out?
    And would you recommend the extended warranty? I'm looking at a used '06 with 12k miles. Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

    Sal

    Your posting below:

    #1099 of 1170 SC 430 blue/saddle by scsc430 Jun 12, 2006 (6:43 pm)
    Hey everyone,

    I took the plunge today, and put down a deposit for an '06 SC 430 blue/saddle. I'm from South Carolina, but the car is coming from Florida by truck within the next 7-10 days. (I'm probably not going to sleep a bit until I get the call form the dealer.) I've been reading all of these postings carefully, as well as doing a lot of Internet research, and it seems that, in spite of some problems, most people are very satisfied with their cars. This will be my first Lexus, and I'm eager to see how their service after the sale stacks up.

    A few questions...

    1. Is it wise to purchase an extended warranty for this vehicle?
    2. Are the run flats not worth replacing once they've worn out?
    3. Are Zaino car care products the best ones on the market?

    Thanks for y'alls input everyone! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts...
  • jtmavjtmav Member Posts: 18
    I own an 06 SC with 25k, my second as my previous was an '03. To answer your questions:
    1) depends on how long you want to keep it. While extremely reliable they are not cheap to fix. If you were to have any problems with the roof, for instance, that might cost the equivalent of the extended warranty. I am covered for 5yrs/100k.
    2) I ditched the run flats on both my SCs, never looked back. Keep both a ContiComfort kit(Tire Rack) as well as a puncture repair kit. Completely different ride with standard tires.
    3) Simply put, YES Zaino is all I use at this point, my SC is black/black. I have tried most everything out there and Zaino gets my vote.
    Good luck and congrats,
    JTMav
  • sp1010sp1010 Member Posts: 2
    Thanks! And the black/black is really sharp. That's exactly what I'm looking at too. I appreciate the advice. Thanks again.
  • docrock143docrock143 Member Posts: 18
    Hi all...new to the SC 430 family. Just got a 2005 silver SC 430 with 22K miles - a very nice machine! A quick question. I notice that when I turn the radio on, the rear antenna extends fully, then retracts about 1/3 of the way back. Is that normal operation? Or does this need to be checked out by the dealer?

    Thanks!
    Alan
    P.S. Any particular quirks on the SC that I need to know about?
  • zasjemzasjem Member Posts: 1
    Hi! I own a 2002 SC 430 - it has 66,000 miles and my left fan belt or the cooling engine fan is riding a little rough. This problem just started and so I have been riding around the last 2 days with out running my air conditioner (in Florida). I'm not sure if the fan belt needs to be replaced or if a bracket is loose. Has anyone experienced this?
  • barresa62barresa62 Member Posts: 1,379
    Ok...I'm about to become an owner of a 92' SC 400. It has been a friend of mine's for the last 15 years and babied. It's black w/a grey interior and extra matching wood in the console inset. It has all the options except the Nakamichi (sp?) stereo. He's updated it w/the chrome rims from the 95' edition. The beauty has been dealer serviced the entire time as my friend works in the car sales industry.

    My question is why there is not a separate SC300/400 forum discussion. I know that the SC 300/400 a very popular and sought after so I'm curious.

    Newbie in Seattle,
    Stephen
  • brigitte1brigitte1 Member Posts: 1
    Hi there ... I'm new to the SC 430 too--got a 2008 in tigereye a few months ago. My antenna does the same, so I guess it's normal. The weird thing, though, is that it also moves up or down when I push different buttons to change radio stations. I'm going to ask about this when I go for service next. It seems like a bad idea, that the antenna could wear out in time. I only had one other car with a retractable antenna, and the antenna did eventually wear out. It might have been after 100,000 miles, though--I don't remember exactly--but still!
  • mdamesmdames Member Posts: 79
    This is normal. The antenna extends shorter for AM stations and longer for FM stations. It will automatically retract a certain amount based on the strength of the FM signal. This is all automatic.
  • rcraftrcraft Member Posts: 16
    My wife's SC430 (2006 with 15K miles) has always gotten about 22 mpg in day-to-day use and about 27 mpg on the highway. I stumbled across a gas additive (I know, I know, they're all snake oil) and decided to give it a try. I have an RX400h (2006 with 40K miles). I put it in her car and she began to get 31 mpg in her day-to-day use and on the highway she got 45!!! This is getting in Prius territory. I didn't believe her - I assumed the computer was somehow being fooled by the additive so I drove her car a few times to work and manually calculated the mileage. Bingo, I was right!! the computer was off - I got 34 mpg in the day-to-day drive cycle :) . Honestly, this is JAW DROPPING mileage for a 300 hp 4.3 liter V8.

    I then put it in my RX and saw a much more modest increase. it went from 28 mpg to 30. This still makes it worthwhile, but man! you have got to try this stuff in your SC's - it's goofy high mileage!! The product is called "EthosFR" and it advertises itself as a "fuel reformulator".

    The website is http://www.ethosnw.com

    Just be prepared when you open the website they have a car horn honking so turn your volume down. I don't have any idea who thought that was a good idea.

    I really can't explain how we got such a stupid increase, but I'm jazzed about it and wanted to share it with other SC owners. It doesn't seem to have the same affect on all cars (my RX for example, but that may be because it's a hybrid and is already very efficient), but the stuff seems to work really well in the '06 SC430.

    Give it a try and hit me back to see how you do!
    :shades:
  • pilot1777rpilot1777r Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2007 SC430 with navigation. I can't transfer my phone book from my cell phone because my phone is too old. Is there a way I can manually add numbers to the phone book? thanks!
  • icncsicncs Member Posts: 1
    Both fuses checked out fine but the radio still doesnt work. Any thoughts would be helpful.
  • eljuezeljuez Member Posts: 2
    Does anyone know how to change the cabin filter on a 2002 SC430? I know it's behind the glove box; I just don't know how to get to it. There are two twist knobs, one on each side of the inside of the glove box. They only turn about 1/4 turn, but nothing happens.
  • tmakogontmakogon Member Posts: 74
    To change cabin flter, turn the knobs 1/4 turn in the glove compartment in the direction opposite to a "click" position. Then pull both knobs out if you have strong fingers.

    I actually found it difficult to pull them out so I pushed the glove compartment walls one at a time for the pins to slip out of their grooves without any problems.

    After you get the glove compartment door fully open, use a flashlight to look at the filter door and push it up as the arrow on it shows to open. Pull out the cabin filter, taking care not to spill any leaves etc. off the filter top. Replace and close back in reverse order.

    Regards,
    Taras
  • eljuezeljuez Member Posts: 2
    Taras: Thanks for your reply. Actually, I finally figured out that the instructions that came with the filter were wrong. You are correct about needing strong fingers. Once you get the knobs to come loose, it's a breeze. Thanks again. eljuez
  • tmakogontmakogon Member Posts: 74
    Actually, I went on a 370 mile roundtrip recently, and still had 5 gallons remaining in the tank when I returned. The ride was very comfortable.

    To see if SC would be good for grand touring, I checked how much luggage would fit in with the top up. I got a standard set of three suitcases (large, medium and small) fit in the trunk. The middle one goes in first to the bottom with the floormat removed, then the large and the small one. Here's a link to the photo:

    www.geocities.com/makogon/3case.jpg

    Yes, the cover does close.
  • jimbo409jimbo409 Member Posts: 18
    I am looking at buying an sc430 with 70,000 miles. It has been dealer service and has all records. Excellent condition. He is asking 18000.00 for the car and is not real flexible. The car runs great and looks great the positive is all the records are there and I talked to the Lexus dealer who knew this owner and said he took great care of the car. Is it worth the money. This will be for my wife who only drives about 4000 miles per year. Thanks jimbo
  • rcraftrcraft Member Posts: 16
    Jimbo,

    My wife loves this model car. She had a 2006 SC that we bought new and when Lexus came out with a hardtop convertible IS, I took her to the Lexus dealer to try to interest her in that car - since it has an actual backseat. Well, as luck would have it, sitting next to the IS I was attempting to interest her in, sat a 2009 Pebble Beach SC430 (sigh), we drove the '09 PB home that evening. Bottom line, women love this car. Ours have never needed ANYTHING but normal service. I would be concerned with potential repairs on older cars. All mechanical things break and wear out, even if they are made of Lexonium ;) . The SC430 is a complicated car and there are lots of opportunities for things to malfunction. If you go into this understanding that repair bills (if needed) will be high, and it's quite likely that only your Lexus dealer can do the work, then your wife will enjoy the car immensely.

    Good Luck!
  • paradisekidparadisekid Member Posts: 1
    Every time we use the air con or fan to get air, or even heat, my car smelled like rotten eggs. When I brought this to the dealer they said, oh yeah thats a problem with the water from the air con drips into a tank, forms mold and then it smells bad. We've seen it a lot. So they put some mist stuff in and cleaned the filters. Now the air coming out of the vents smells like castor oil. The dealer now says oh we've never seen this before well do a Mist treatment one more time but its your problem not ours.

    I think its a design flaw. Anyone else else have this problem or a solution. Thanks
  • dchukadchuka Member Posts: 1
    This is the scenario that occurred this morning: My daughter took my SC out this morning, putting the top up after she pulled out of the garage. As she came to the stop sign about a block from home, she stepped on the brake and the car completely shut off. She put it in park, turned the key and it started no problem. She turned the car around to bring it back home and every time she hit the brake, the car turned off.

    I drove the car last night and it was fine. The car has approximately 47,000 miles on it.
    Anybody have any suggestion as to what it might be for when I get home tonight?

    Thanks in advance.

    Doug
  • rcraftrcraft Member Posts: 16
    Since you've driven since, and it's fine ... I'd suggest that a "top position sensor switch" might have been involved. Since you indicated that she put the top up, did it ever do anything like this with the top down? Has it done it before or since? A transitory, non-repeating problem isn't so bad ... if it shows up intermittently, much more of a problem. If it doesn't happen again, I wouldn't worry too much. All modern cars are FULL of electronic sensors. Not unlike your home computer ... a "control, alt, delete" exercise is good for them. My wife''s SC430 probably has as many as my RX Hybrid ... good case for extended warranty IMHO.
  • tampadantampadan Member Posts: 1
    I am hearing an intermittent noise coming from the proximity of the tachometer. It sounds like a spooling noise that I would hear from a worn out speedometer cable. The problem is that I hear it while the engine is running and I am in PARK. I am baffled. I highly doubt there is anything mechanical that runs to the tach. Any ideas?
  • dustdemondustdemon Member Posts: 1
    :confuse: This is in regards to something I have been looking for, my Dr has a 2003 Lexus SC 430 convertible. Does it have a timer on the headlights that will automatically turn off the headlights after say 1 minute. Cadillacs & other cars have this feature, it gives the person time to say get in their homes, or somewhere else without being left in the dark. I have searched through the owners manual & have not found anything about this.
  • jackalopejackalope Member Posts: 4
    Yes
  • rcraftrcraft Member Posts: 16
    Yes
  • tmakogontmakogon Member Posts: 74
    Some posts indicated that SC430 may be not too aesthetically pleasing. This is not surprising because the use of the golden ratio was ignored in car's design. I ran a simple analysis and found that SC430 proportion is some 33% off the Golden ratio.

    Here's a link to the image: car.bappy.com/sc.jpg

    Have a look at the picture and decide which car you like better, the one on the left or on the right. The one on the right you may say is an instant classic. It is much closer to the golden ratio than the one on the left because I have shifted the cabin backward until it looked good to me. What I also noticed was that the ratio of the hood length to the trunk length happens to be 2:1 on the right image, and the ratio of the cabin+trunk to the hood is close to the golden ratio.

    Lexus may have moved the cabin forward to allow the engineering innovation of a convertible hardtop to fit in the trunk, or perhaps tried to go for the mid-cabin supercar look. Nevertheless, SC430 is an excellent luxury GT comfortable for long travel and for daily trips.
  • tmakogontmakogon Member Posts: 74
    I have just realized why I like my SC430 so much: it is very well-mannered. Yes, it would get me to 60 miles per hour speed in under 6 seconds but it would never make a rough move along the way. This shows not only the good engineering but also the good breeding.
    I bought it for the classic curvy looks but I am enjoying it for the powerful smooth ride.
  • rcraftrcraft Member Posts: 16
    My wiffe is now on her second one ... this one is a '09 SC430 Pebble Beach. She absolutely loves the car. I drive an 2010 RX450h and like the larger car and the utility of a crossover. But she wouldn't go for anything else. When it was time to trade in her '06, I tried to get her interested in Porche, MB AMG, Audi, and even a Corvette ... no luck. Her "ideal" fun car is the Lexus SC430 ... it's fast enough for her, sporty enough for her and sexy enough for her, the folding hardtop is icing on a delightful cake. We're each on our 2nd Lexus and have done nothing to either of them but normal service and the dealership is EXCELLENT! What's not to like?
  • asolare1asolare1 Member Posts: 31
    My wife just got a 2010 SC430 to replace her 2007 that came off lease. She also looked at the competitive vehicles from MB. BMW, Porsche and Audi and decided she had loved her SC so much that she wanted another one as your wife did.
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