Monty87

I was going to address each issue in a separate thread but it's just making me think I might be wasting my time entirely trying to keep this car alive. I do love driving it though, being over 6' tall, I fit in it great, it has power/fun and I put a $1000 sound system in it a little over a year ago. I'm not a car guru at all though. If you can help me with your personal opinion or advice that would be great.

It has almost 170k miles, exterior paint is awful but not too many dents, interior is really beat up but I cover it up. Every time I need a fix is seems expensive compared to the value of the car. Has tires with only 5k of miles on it and just got the power steering fixed. It always gets an oil change on time and fluids etc.

Burns Oil. A mechanic i actually trusted in LA said I'd have to remove the transmission just to fix the two oil leaks it has, which seem to be pretty light. Few people said it's not worth fixing and to just keep feeding it oil. After finding out that info I literally drove 4000 miles to R.I., which is where I now live... the car did well.

Oxygen Sensor: Check Engine light is for the Ox Sensor. For a SMOG check in LA the mechanic did 'something' and told me to drive it for 30miles and if the Check Engine lights is still off, get the SMOG check. Which I did and it passed. Very shortly after, it came back on. Now I live in R.I. and now need a Vehicle Inspection sticker, it seems like I need to replace the sensor, or all of them. I wouldn't know where to start on which pair needs replacement. The only thing I know is just from reading here the past 10 minutes and my error code.

This car is rear wheel drive and I'm about to see nasty weather in about 2 months or so.

There is no heat. A friend of mine isolated the problem and I need a new part to be installed. I haven't researched it, or now the name of the part yet, point being another repair.

Lately, about 20% of the time when I drive the car, the engine vibrates in some abnormal ways that shakes the car when the car is stopped/idle. This is a new symptom. The only thing I can think of is that it's the first time the car has lived outside of LA and it does get pretty cold already at night here.

I was surprised to measure that I got 20 miles to the gallon. I drove til my 'low gas' light came on, filled up, then drove until the light came on again and did the math. Is this even possible?

Anyway, I don't have much money to spend, should I be investing in a different vehicle or do these things I've described seem less daunting then they really are in your opinion?

Thanks for reading, sorry if this not a standard type of thread to post.
Monty

SC400slide

iTrader: (11)

First minor mistake there, IMAO. A sound system fits in an SC, if it's tip top shape, or at least 70%.

170k isn't bad for an SC400. Exterior painting professionaly done would run you around 2k I'm guessing.

Here is something you're missing. The value of the car is what KBB or Motor Trend assume it's worth. But for us, we know the mechanical agility and enjoyment is so to us "enthusiasts", it's old gold. If you imagine this car can bring you to 400k, leaking oil or not, it can, if taken care of.

Excpected IMO to burn oil at it's age and mileage. Most cars do. Count your blessings. You don't own a 21 year old Jaguar!

Most Lexus cars eat o2 sensors like candy. It's standard. LA is picky with their smog checks. Replace all 2/3 of them. They all need it anyways.

That is a downside. If you're going to get rid of it because of this, that's logical. I would to. But since where I live, we get 1 inch or so of snow average so big whoop.

That would be your Heater Control Valve. I have 2 used ones for sale. PM me if you want one.

This sounds like engine mounts. Yours could be OEM from factory. Never changed. Wouldn't be surprised.

My SC has 150k and it gets 18 MPG, so yes, that is very possible. Good gas mileage for city driving. It's a V8, remember.

If you don't have the funds to keep your SC alive, and you keep driving it with issue after issue popping up, the SC will end up digging it's own grave. If you know what I mean.

For more straight forward responses:

-1992 Lexus SC400
-Paint is gone no dentst
-interior is toast but is covered
-leaking and burning oil
-leaky trans, no slipping
-170K roughly
-needs o2 sensors, and maybe some cats
-engine vibrates
-20 MPG

-Not much funding to keep alive.

In your case, OP, the best thing to do is to sell it. It's a working Lexus SC, somebody will want it. Or, if you get desperate, give it to me.

GL OP.

Sweatshop

iTrader: (11)

Sounds like a great time/project to start to learn to turn some wrenches. You'll save alot of money and you'll be more in-tune with your car. Cali guys on this forum are garage gurus. You should just ask some of them for some help in return for some cold beers and maybe something off the grill. Totally understandable if you don't want to get into what seems now like a huge project BUT could be rewarding if you get some/most of those things fixed. G/L.

SC4ME

i was in the same spot you were in 2 months ago pretty much. 92 sc4, 252k car was running but needed an overhaul to be road worthy, took me a few weeks to do the suspension, brakes, rims, tires, body, and im currently working on the engine, swapped trans, patched my leather, and added a few goodies along the way. you just need to be patient, the car deserves an investment its worth it.

Good luck

SC4Paulo

iTrader: (2)

if no money, cut your losses, sell the sc buy a better condition SC or another car if needed. if i had a grand for my car I would have gotten all the little problems fixed first. I didn't even have a CD player, all i did was buy the little tape cassette adaptors for my iphone and lived with my blown nak system. The only reasons i got coilovers for my car was because it was $300 and brand new :P other than that i wasn't gonna get coils anytime soon. as some friends of mine told me, maintenance first before fun and games.

RicoLSX

How do you feel about the car? Would you like to make a project out of it or only looking at it as a transportation device where you don't want to invest in it due to its diminished value?

Once you figure out the above I would then proceed...like kbb said it would be a good car to learn how to do some wrenching on given that you have the desire, time, space, and funds to try to do the work yourself. I bought my 106k mile SC for only $3k but with the understanding that I will end up multiplying that investment many, many times over once I'm done but it was a project oriented purchase from the start.

As for the snow...I'm sure FWD car would likely fare better but I've never lived in an area where it snows. Although I would assume those who live in snowy areas learn to deal with the RWD characteristics.

Biddles

iTrader: (2)

I was in the same boat as you a month ago...and I found a diamond in the rough...another SC400, 1996 model, 117 Original Miles, Second Owner, Interior perfect, exterior dings and dents from NY City Life, engine maintained very well if not perfectly. $2600. My other SC would have cost $2600 to fix mechanically, and the interior/exterior would still have needed work.

Just look for another SC400, a good one this time around, and do your research. Then use the other for parts, or part it out.

SC4ME

you mean 117,000 not 117 lol

2jznosht

Oil leak can wait. Just keep on top of the levels and continue with regular oil changes.

02 sensors are cheap. Buy a universal one for a few bucks.

For your heater there's a DIY on here that will walk you through switching the vacuum lines to get heat(a bypassed vsv works too. Ask your mechanic about it)

I live in Utah. Common sense and all seasons did just fine in the snow( trac and abs are a plus) there's also the option of snow tires...make sure your alignment I up to par...I replaced the rear caster/camber bolts and have none of the sliding issues I've read of here.

More details on your idle issue please...

SCstone

you stated not having the money to invest in the SC and are considering getting another vehicle. IMO in the event you do sell the SC for another car you will have to deal with the "new" car's problems. even then you still have to maintain/repair it. you could even get a brand new car but once the warranty is out you have to maintain/repair it. vicious cycle but it's a machine and machines need to be maintained. but heck you might luck out and find a better car who knows.

I've done it personally before. my first car (86 caprice classic) just wasn't worth fixing. I thought getting another car would fix my problems. I ended up with another newer car (95 civic) with a whole new set of problems which were WAY worse than the caprice. including suspension, a new engine AND transmission! none of which were apparent when i first got it or were mentioned by the seller. I don't regret it because i hated the boat and eventually did the swaps and repairs myself and learned ALOT. I knew NOTHING about cars when i got the civic not even an oil-change. now I own my own shop.

the problems you've stated are common and can happen to ANY vehicle at 170k without proper maintenance. your SC has alot of life left in it, it just needs some much needed tlc. with proper maintenance it will out-last most vehicles out there. most SC's both 300 and 400 run into the 300-400k miles without a rebuild!

repair shops love lexus's they charge extreme amounts of money for simple repairs. the parts themselves are pricey too but alot of it comes down to where they get their parts and then the labor on top. trust me I know, unfortunately I have to do the same thing to make a profit.

i.e : your o2 sensor can easily be replaced but going to a repair shop will be expensive and starts the cycle of avoiding repairs. you can aquire all the info you need from the forum and members always willing to help. if you can get a buddy to help you out and do it yourself you can save ALOT of money.

you might have to bite the bullet on the trickier stuff like gaskets/seals for the leaks but in the long run it'll last another 170k if you do.

heaters on any car usually go out because the hoses and plasic go bad from the temperature changes. it's probably something simple.

the shaking can be a few different things and will take some troubleshooting to figure out what it really is but chances are its the oem engine mounts. especially if you're running more torque than stock.

a tune-up and/or replacing/cleaning certain things like your air and fuel filters, spark plugs and wires, injectors, sensors, throttle body..ect can increase your mpg. your car will perform better and improve efficiency.

most idling issues I've dealt with were USUALLY dirty/old sensors, filters or vacuum leak. idle air control valve can get pretty "picky" after so many miles. but not every car has em, toyota/lexus does. could be distributor cap, rotor, wires, plugs..ect or even simple carbon build up. most of these are done in a tune-up and could fix alot of problems you are having and prevent others from happening.

California in general is pretty strict on emissions. most of the tune-up stuff i mentioned above will knock most of that out. that mechanic probably added injector cleaner to help pass smog but that stuff doesn't work all that well compared to actually getting your injectors cleaned. premium fuel is a must. but your emissions stuff like PCV, VSV, and EGR is where it really matters.

I don't want to mention seafoam but the stuff really does work but you have to be cautious of chunks of carbon and sludge moving around inside your engine. but i've seen this stuff turn fresh oil into pictch-black nasty-ness in just an hour so I know it works but can be risky. I have yet to do it to any of my vehicles but I've done it for friends and customers. in only 1 case a valve got stuck because of a piece carbon/sludge. but everything was alot cleaner internally and in every case ran better afterwards. make sure to drain the nasty oil out completly even pour a extra fresh qt through to get all the nasty-ness out once the oil starts coming out like it should. fill it back up with oil like you normally would.

a little wordy but I hope any of this helps in your decision.

what audio system did you get?! kinda strange to put 1g into audio just to end up selling it. I would have rocked out with an ipod and use that 1g for parts. just sayin'

SC4ME

no offense but this could have been summarized

but i agree 100%

Monty87

You guys are all awesome for taking the time to post, thank you very much!!!

When I put the stereo in I had a good paying gig and the car had no symptoms. Just name brand speakers, amps for them and a fancy CD/iPod/Bluetooth player.

I do love the car because the shape is very cool and being a big guy, I still fit in it. The seat goes back perfectly for me.

I don't want to give any ignorant replies at the moment, I'll start researching and browsing first.

Really appreciate the posts... especially the lengthy ones... cheers!

SC4ME

lengthy posts