RayMead

Hi all, I just bought a 2003 SC430 that has a little over 5,6000 miles (NO, that is not a type - 5,600 miles) on it...... It apparently had oil change, etc., at 5,000 miles....... was wondering what other things I might want to take care of?? For example, although the fluids (transmission, rear end, etc) only have been "used" for 5,000 miles, they are also now 9 years old...... so is breakdown of the fluids an issue?? Any thoughts on what should be, or what I might want to, address given its age (and not its mileage)? Thanks, Ray in Pennsylvania............

IcEnPinKi

iTrader: (1)

curious what did you pay?

SC43052

You are correct that all of the fluids will have aged, regardless of how many miles the car was operated. Some fluids (especially gasoline) can separate and loose properties.

Don't assume anything unless you have records. Most likely someone that owned 20 cars let this one sit, and didn't pay attention to it. Unless you have record of the oil change, I would change the oil again within 2-3K miles so you know it is full synthetic. I use Mobil 1 0W-40, but there are many great full synthetics on the market.

I would change the following :

Brake fluid - Flush lines and top off.
Engine Coolant - Drain, flush and refill.
Transmssion Fluid - Drain and fill. Drive a few hundred miles. Drain and fill again. Alternately you can drain, drop the pan and change the filter in place of the first drain.
Rear Differential - Drain and fill.
Power Steering Fluid - Drain and fill.

Research on this forum can provide recommendations for all fluids as well as DIY procedures for changing the fluids if you can turn a wrench.

Congratulations and enjoy it.

Harold57

The timing belt is also rated at mileage or time. 7 or 9 years is the recommended length of time before changing it, depending on what year car it is. Yours qualifies regardless.

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your acquisition.

lexie

last week my local lexus dealer was selling a 2002 with just 27k miles and I thought that was really low. But 2003 with 5k miles, this is unheard of!

P.S. the 2002 was sold in just a few days ; advertised asking price was $26,999.00.
Many people still like this car ; I think that is why my 2002 sc430 I bought in 7/2011 has depreciated only $800 !! in one year. That is really awesome

johnsfe

That's a holy grail SC! Wow..congrats. I can't imagine. I'm green with envy. Wowww!

playa3uhh

What do you do now? DRIVE IT!! These SCs are great cars. Sounds like you found one in great condition and practically brand new. I would go through and change all the fluids plus possibly the timing belt. Best thing to do is go to the dealer for a courtesy check, see what they recommend and then go from there. Cheers! Enjoy the new toy!

Jabberwock

100% agree get all fluid changed immediately including oil. They are 10 years old at this point.

I assume this car was garaged - so maybe run same TB for a year or two.

I think this was the SC at a Sewell dealership in Dallas that just came on the market - if so buyer should have asked Sewell to change TB and to change all fluids. If this is the same car I think they were asking 33k.

barncat

Did you buy it in Pa? Great job! Where in Pa are you? I'm near Harrisburg. Color? Pics?

RayMead

Hi everyone - thanks for all the post comments..... Here are some answers regarding the SC430 I just bought with 5,600 miles on it........

1. The car was not a barn find. Has been driven each summer since new, just not a whole lot of miles. The owner's dog did not like it, so he didn't drive it much....... (really)! It is a silver car with a very light colored interior.

2. I paid $20,000 for it - bought it from an estate, but did have an opportunity to talk at length with the previous owner's mechanic.

3. Thanks for the suggestion re the Timing Belt - I didn't think about that....... will check with the local Lexus dealer on this.

4. I purchased the car in Scranton, PA. It has been garage kept here its entire life - this car has nothing to do with the car in Texas.

5. My mechanic went thru the car - only problem found is the horn doesn't blow, but it does blow when you push the PANIC button on the fob. (Any thoughts?)

THE TIRES - I hate the runflats...... awful.......! My thought is to immediately replace them with:
1. Michelin Pilot HX MXM4s; or 2. Yokohama Avid Envigor ZPS (Any thoughts???)

I want Bridgestone Turanza LS-V tires, but they are discontinued - anyone know if they have been replaced by a new model, or????????

thanks much, Ray

barncat

WOW, you did good! Great find! I hated the run flats and immediately bought Conti Extreme DWS. I really like them. Read the stickys for great info on the car. You probably have the Ecru interior. Plenty of pics here to check out. Horn problem may be corroded contact. Have fun! It's great car to own. Bought my 03 in March with 38k miles for 24k.

mrblister

Welcome. I am near phila mine is a 2005 pb 7050 miles.

So when will you post some pictures.

husker741

My horn stopped working after awhile also. There are two of them and they are easy to replace. You just get a new horn that plugs into the front of the engine bay.

Jabberwock

20k for 2003 with 5 k miles is a great deal - nice catch. Horn not blowing via steering wheel needs to be investigated by Lexus - Believe it or not this is a potentially dangerous situation. You need to have a working horn when driving. Could be a $50 fix or a $1500 fix depending on whats wrong - hopefully cheap. If its the electronics "clockspring" inside the steering wheel could be expensive, or could just be corrosion on horn contacts.

OBP

Congrats. Great find ! On tires, second the suggestion on Conti Extreme Contact DWS. And please beware of Mich Pilot HX MXM4s. Since you're in PA, you probably want something that'll work well if you're caught out in light snow. I'd pick Conti DWS over HX MXM4s any winter's day. If you do want Michelin, get the Pilot Sport A/S. They're better than the HX MXM4s and possibly cheaper too.