Guys, anyone ever get the auto trunk springs to work for the SC400 so that when you pop the trunk it actually pops open?

I wired my alarm with the trunk pop but without the springs to pull the trunk up and open it just basically unlocks in and stays closed.

These auto opening trunk springs don't look like they'd work for the sc400 trunk arms. Anyone do this and what product did you use?

Amazon

Amazon

 

wait a minute...wait one ding dang minute...the trunk is SUPPOSED to pop open automatically (standard feature) when I unlock it?!

I guess my rear trunk struts need replacing. I had no idea until I watched a YT video and the guy popped the trunk and it automatically opened! Mind blown...

 

LOL I didn't know this either... the trunk didn't pop when I bought it. It's gotten a lot worse now, to the point where it won't even stay up. Does anyone have good recommendations for replacement struts?

 

I've never seen an SC whose trunk opened automatically, even with fresh struts. As far as I know, it should just pop the lock without raising up, and it will re-lock itself if left like that for too long. (I think I've only had that happen once.) A re-locking feature wouldn't make sense if it were intended to automatically raise.

 

I don't think we're allowed to post external links here but if you want to see it in action go to youtube.com and search for this video by _haunted then scrub to 8:10

How To Replace Trunk Struts on a Lexus SC400 SC300

Should look like this:

You Tube

 

The part # in the video (pm1057-pr) says it's for SC's -- my first guess was he got something spec'd for a much heavier trunk or hatch -- but something doesn't seem right there. I have to think the trunk would be really difficult to close if it has that much more initial "spring" than normal. The video ends without showing that...

 

I want to know this too. I read a few reviews on struts that worked at first and installed fine but then died a few months later. My SC just had them replaced not too long before I got her but as I said, the trunk never auto opened so they must have gone bad too.

If they're all like this then probably better to just go with the spring hack and save yourself the trouble of continuingly having to replace the trunk struts all the time!

 

the part looks legit with part number 6453029025 or 64530-29025 but I've noticed some struts are for trunks with spoilers and some without spoilers. I assume that the struts for trunks with spoilers push with a higher force because of the extra weight

listed on this OEM site lexuspartsnow

https://www.lexuspartsnow.com/parts/...530-29025.html

 

I've had the same thing happen to me. Worked as a pop up for the first 2 - 3 weeks and then stopped and now it only clicks open and i have to nudge it up a bit for it to go up. Personally I don't mind that at all but I'm glad the spring thing exists if i decide to have the auto open function at some point

 

I don't see a way to use that springy thing without having them be in the way or having to perform some other mod to force it. The geometry doesn't seem to work so I'm just going to replace the struts ($20 cheap enough) and pray for it to work.

 

If it happens for just a couple weeks with new struts, then I see only two possible answers:

1) Aftermarket struts are horrible quality and their capabilities diminish almost immediately after install. (The replacements in my '98 were getting too weak to fully raise the trunk lid after a couple years, so I'm not ruling out that possibility! I need to re-do them soon.)

2) Aftermarket struts -- at least some of them -- are stronger than stock and provide too much lift until breaking in, meaning the system was not intended to auto-raise. Losing that quality within a couple weeks would not have been acceptable with the OEM setup, had it been a thing.

 

Not aware of anything like “auto-raise” for 1st gen SCs. Just replace the struts with new ones. The slightly stronger ones may lift the lid to an open position when there is no spoiler but hard to call that “auto-raise”.

The wife’s LS460 has the actual motor to mechanically raise the trunk and the button to “auto-close” it. My LS430 lid is extremely heavy and has to be hoisted up after engaging the trunk release; there is motor to gracefully close/lock the lid (instead of allowing it to slam down and shake all of the tail lights housed in the lid).

Can’t see how the aftermarket springs would fit….

The video above depicts the challenges of replacing the struts and make sure the new units include the bolts (mine didn’t and the old bolts had to be cut out of the original struts to be re-used with the new parts.).

 

Try searching for Strongarm 4508 on Amazon. I put these in years ago and they still hold.

 

they hold but will they push the trunk up and auto-lift?

 

I don’t recall ever having struts that will push the lid up as soon as it’s unlatched.