the automatic volume seems busted on 02 SC. Yesterday, it suddenly went to extremely high volume while playing a dvd (sounded like an explosion) and then it did the same thing again about two hours later. Now the auto volume doesn't work at all. Could it be a fuse?

 

No.

A bad fuse would completely stop the radio from working. Could be either a bad mic, but more likely a bad chip.

 

Hit SET button; volume goes to full. That problem?

VERY common problem on '02 models. (Was always surprised that Lexus didn't do a recall.)

Most of us detected the problem early and had it fixed under warranty. The fix was a new amplifier replacement. It's expensive, but I believe you can live with the problem by not using the SET button.

Or are you referring to the ASL (Automatic Sound Leveling) acting up? Not sure. Same fix though.

The Technical Service Bulletin# for these issues on a 2002 Model is:
AU001-01 OCT 01 Audio Sound System - Inoperative/Erratic

 

think you hit the nail on the head--must've accidentally hit the set button. can live with it....bought the '02 used in November with just 22K on it. great car, perfect for FL. biggest problem is the run flats, bridgestones with about 10k of tread left (so my mechanic tells me), noisy and rough. when ready to replace, what would you recommend? second biggest pain is the gps (have a garmin in family car, there's just no comparison, DVD driven gps are worthless. replaced the original version with an 06, and of course, the maps are updated, but nothing else works, can't program destination or poi's, and everytime I get a 'no dvd detected' message, have to open the player, take out the dvd, replace it and it'll read maps for a while. Other than that, it's my first V8 since my first car--a 57 t-bird. that was a fun beauty, but no comparison. thanks for your help.

 

1. Yes, you inherited the stereo problem the previous owner never fixed under warranty. That's happened a lot. A number of 2002 owners have been able to make a case to their neighborhood Lexus Dealer, that the problem should have been fixed under warranty, and the dealership has obliged and fixed it for free. It's worth a shot. Come prepared with the Technical Service Bulletin number I provided above. That gets their attention.

2. The long-time favorite tire for our cars is the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S. (I've been on them for a lot of miles, and will buy the same again later this year, without thinking twice about it.) See abbeyrd's thread a few down from this one about the Michelins. A search will reveal lots of satisfied customers, as well. They're expensive ($250-$300/tire) but very much worth it.

3. Your Nav symptoms sound like a) a bad factory disk, b) a copy of a factory disk (these have never worked correctly,) c) a dust problem in the deck which needs to be blown out, d) or the deck motor is wearing out which is a common problem for SC430 drivers who use their Navs all the time. Your symptoms sound most like (a or b) though. I'm a believer in having the dealership do the disk upgrades, so if the disk is bad, or goes bad, Lexus will replace it for free. (And in your case, they'd diagnose the problem too.) The cost has gone down from $350 to around $190 at the dealership, as well. And yes, our Nav Units were very good back in 2001-2002, but now they've fallen way behind the curve. Still does what I need it to though.

Hope that helps.

 

you'll find the service bulletin, attached as a PDF document, in a previous thread about this problem here: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc-...se-help-2.html Go to my comment, #18 for the file.

 

Great photoshop pix. You're very talented--in photoshop and working on your car Like your back seat tonneau cover. does it cut down on air turbulence?
What's involved in switching to LEDs? Difficult for an amateur?

 

thanks, that's very helpful. Right-on diagnosis on the disk--bad rip of a factory disc. Don't really use the system, since I only drive locally, on sunny days. I'll be a driver school candidate for quite a while, I guess.

 

I had this problem a few months back and you have to replace the AMP...the radio will randomly go to FULL VOLUME and it will be the death of your speakers and your ears I promise...try to go to your friendly Lexus dealership and see if they can fix it via "goodwill" as it was a TSIB in the past. You will also notice some weird characters that happen when the radio goes to blast mode appearing on your display...its really a weird problem...Good luck!

 

I can confirm that the Amp problem can occur when you turn on the radio. It is not just when the SET button is hit.

 

Yea and after you get that BOOM effect...be VERY careful the next time you hit SET as it will automatically change SET to max volume...

 

you can get used amps all day long on eBay if you need to find one:

they retail for $1000+ (that's what they had on my service bill when they replaced mine under warranty) but this one is $299:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/02-08...fAudioQ5fVideo

www.sewellpartsonline.com has it new OEM didn't get the price