DrAtomica

Since my car will not be used for a while I was thinking to send my ECU for a repair. Does anyone have any experience with some specific vendors? There are so many out there and I was wondering which ones are trusted by Club Lexus. Also, on a side note, what if the ECU was lost in the shipping processes, what can I do in that situation?

Zerodrag

iTrader: (5)

Do the 98+ ECUs suffer from the leaking capacitor issues? I had though it was only the earlier models?

FSUsucks1

iTrader: (5)

Tanim is really good. There are an authorized vendor on here.

KahnBB6

iTrader: (5)

DrAtomica,

I recommend you use Tanin Auto Electronix. I've had good experience with them recently and I'm using them again as of this writing to have my main ECU worked on. There is also Driftmotion but Tanin works on Lexus 1UZ and 2JZ-GE ECUs (and 1MZ-FE ECU's, etc) more often.

Replacing worn capacitors and servicing the injector driver circuits are all standard process on their end now.

Since you have concern over security during shipping, here is what I recommend:

Find your car's ECU on this list:

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/per...s-by-year.html

... And when you remove your '98 SC400 ECU, verify the part number you have on it (I also recommend carefully applying some 3M clear shipping tape to the aged thermal paper labels on the ECU to make sure they cannot be rubbed off and made illegible).

Look up the ECU part number in a Toyota Trademotion system of your choice and note that it matches to your car and get the replacement value for it. Also see if that EXACT ECU part number shows up on eBay with a picture of an identical part number on the ECU label. It wouldn't hurt to contact a Lexus dealer or Toyota dealer like Carson Toyota that sells Lexus parts and find out if your ECU part number is still in stock, low stock or discontinued unobtanium.

You can pick up a spare used ECU if you wish to (if available) but do this:

Get a very sturdy box, wrap your ECU in thick bubble wrap and use air packs or paper padding. You want an inch or so of cushion around the ECU or better. Laying the ECU at an angle in the box with ample padding at all edges also works. Just don't pack it with an exposed edge that can be jarred easily during handling.

Fedex, despite a recent horror story I lived some months back, is still a good service to use, but you should insure your ECU for full brand new replacement cost from Lexus, plus shipping. And require "Adult Signature Upon Delivery". I have used USPS with insurance and a required signature too but Fedex still has a better track record.

Also very important: avoid ANY "Overnight Shipping" option. Just avoid it. It is not worth the risk because while Fedex is otherwise good with the insurance and signature safeguards... their Overnight Delivery services are very, very questionable. Using that option is how I lost an ECU during return shipping-- they delivered to the middle of nowehere and I never got my original ECU back again.

For return shipping, again, insure for FULL brand new ECU replacement value, plus the shipping you incurred the first time, plus the return shipping cost, plus the Tanin repair cost and once again use the "Adult Signature Upon Delivery" requirement.

Shipping either way with these options will be on the slower side to remain affordable but this is the the best way I'd recommend you go about it. More common automatic SC300's and older SC400's probably are easier to source a used spare ECU for in case of an emergency but since 1998-2000 SC400's have low production numbers I would take these precautions to be safe.

Tanin themselves are excellent and very thorough with their repairs. I've been very happy with one of their repaired ECUs in my car.

And yes, I do think even 1998-2000 ECU's still technically fall into the capacitor failure matrix although maybe we haven't heard much about this for 98-00 SC400's because there are fewer of them in circulation than earlier SC400's. A good measure for comparison would be searching on CL to see how many 1998-2000 LS400 owners with the same engine and transmission have reported ECU issues.

DrAtomica

Thank you very much for the extreme detail in your post. I will indeed take your advice on the shipping, with the 98 ECU being rare and as my only vehicle the insurance is extremely important. I will contact Lexus/Toyota and check online for on the prices for a brand new ECU. I have heard many good things from Tanin, but on their website it says that they only work on 92-95 SC400s, I will still contact them regardless. I contacted LsCowboyLs from CL and many people have also recommended him, not much detail on the pricing and other things but I will discuss with him in full detail tomorrow. I'll go ahead and check the LS and GS forums as well, not sure if the same issue is present in the LS but I think it might be since Toyota were still using similar type of capacitors even for the 98+ models. Also, the heat in Texas is horrid, at times when I open the door I can feel the hot air gush on my face. Can't imagine what the capacitors are going through, I'm not sure on the details but some capacitors are up to 95F-110F, it's more than likely their time is up. There are some signs of the ECU going bad, the car cranks and then shuts off (happened twice in 4 months) but then works fine after i crank it up again, speedometer starts to flicker, and sometimes the transmission doesn't shift into third gear until it reaches higher RPM.

Teal Sc400

New ECU is priced over $1,000.

KahnBB6

iTrader: (5)

^^ That sounds right. I just insured my SC300 M/T ECU for $1,300 after all the other incurred costs were added up.

DrAtomica, you're welcome!

If your SC is your daily driver I would also recommend trying to locate the same ECU part number first to have a spare before you send your original to Tanin. This is what I did but it wasn't easy given the rarity of my type of ECU for specific model years and California-Spec.

Mostly I did this because I wasn't going to be caught stranded with no correct type ECU after my FedEx Overnight experience last year. It took a while to find another one.

The full insurance, adult signature upon delivery requirement and NON-Overnight slow shipping should be enough to ensure safety but finding a spare ECU cannot hurt. You can always resell it later.

Again, Tanin Auto take very good care of their customers. I've just learned to take a healthy protective stance with shipping services.

And it does sound like you're having some issues with that ECU. It is probably time to get it serviced. Then when you diagnose other problems with your car you aren't chasing phantoms created by ECU capacitor malfunction.

I am sure they will work on the 98-2000 ECU's as well. I recently asked them if they would perform capacitor replacement and injector driver circuit service to a 2JZ-GTE ECU I have and they said they haven't had a call for it but should be able to. I haven't done this yet. ECU programming differs greatly but the overall designs don't.

Driftmotion does this same repair service to many JDM 1JZ-GTE and JDM 2JZ-GTE ECU's after all.

Duck05

Some of us have "spare ECUs"....

And on Tanin.

KahnBB6

iTrader: (5)

^^^ Yes

Flygfsh

iTrader: (3)

Tanin Auto rocks.

bigwhite

Darryll Gellar did mine, works good. Its been awhile, isnt his shop called Lexus Parts Pro or something like that.

Duck05

He is a great choice, also....

Blkexcoupe

iTrader: (8)

The 98-00 models have immobilizers that match the key to the ecu. Finding a spare ecu with matching keys or the master key transponder would be necessary. After that swap the transponder into the current 3 button key, so the original key cylinders can be used.