Rattle Problems?
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 10
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From: CA
Brake Caliper Rattle
Brake caliper rattles drove me nuts when I first took delivery of my '05. I use my SC430 almost entirely for top-down driving. Most of my driving is in San Francisco. The streets are generally in poor condition. Poorly done trench repairs, potholes, raised/sunken utility covers, and cracked/rough pavement are ubiquitious. All of the pavement flaws are amplified by the runflat tires.
When I brought my SC430 in for service, I specified "brake caliper rattle" as the problem. To my chagrin the Lexus service techs responded, "no rattle found."
Fortunately, my service writer is car guy (Vette ZO6 owner) and realized that I knew what I was talking about. When I picked up my car he was apologetic and offered to take a spin with me to reproduce the rattle. The challenge was finding any pavement in the suburban area of the dealership that came remotely close to the poor pavement condition so common in San Francisco. We had to settle for repeated runs over raised railroad tracks to reporduce the rattle. He immediately heard the caliper rattle.
I had to leave the car again so the service department could take another crack at fixing the rattle. Apparently, this is a known problem since this time the techs installed an "anti-rattle kit."
Hope this helps someone else ...
Jim
When I brought my SC430 in for service, I specified "brake caliper rattle" as the problem. To my chagrin the Lexus service techs responded, "no rattle found."
Fortunately, my service writer is car guy (Vette ZO6 owner) and realized that I knew what I was talking about. When I picked up my car he was apologetic and offered to take a spin with me to reproduce the rattle. The challenge was finding any pavement in the suburban area of the dealership that came remotely close to the poor pavement condition so common in San Francisco. We had to settle for repeated runs over raised railroad tracks to reporduce the rattle. He immediately heard the caliper rattle.
I had to leave the car again so the service department could take another crack at fixing the rattle. Apparently, this is a known problem since this time the techs installed an "anti-rattle kit."
Hope this helps someone else ...
Jim
Last edited by SF_Jim; Jan 1, 2006 at 10:08 PM.
Could you be more specific with what in the caliper was rattling? I am pretty familiar with the brakes on these cars (same as most Lexus cars) and am curious. Now sometimes the brake dust shield comes too close to the rotor and that can cause a noise at times. I have heard of the calipers making clunks due to low pads or out of spec brake pins but not a rattle.
thanks
thanks
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
From: CA
PearlPower,
Good questions. Sorry I can't provide further details. My experience has been that dealer service does not provide a personal connection between the customer and the tech who services car. I've asked for this feedback loop but was told no. The only feedback is a general note on the paperwork left with the cashier.
Jim.
Good questions. Sorry I can't provide further details. My experience has been that dealer service does not provide a personal connection between the customer and the tech who services car. I've asked for this feedback loop but was told no. The only feedback is a general note on the paperwork left with the cashier.
Jim.
Last edited by SF_Jim; Jan 1, 2006 at 10:08 PM.
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
From: CA
I had a same rattle problem with my 03SC, it was coming from the pass. side (either panel or seat bracket) it seemed to go away when someone's sitting there though. A local dealer couldn't fix it so they replaced it with a new car. 
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 19
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Originally Posted by silversc430
Seems to me the service techs at Lexus just DON'T know what they are doing with regards to fixing rattles in the SC430. They just screw around with the parts near the rattle(s) -when and if they hear them- and just make thing worse. SOOOOOOO frustrating!!
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