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You might double check that the drivers side seat has been reset in case the battery had been disconnected which is almost always why the memory won't store, though maybe not in this case as you say the passenger side is working, either way it's an easy couple of minutes to fix.
You just have to move the seat all the way forward and then all the way back then put the seat where you want it and set the memory as normal. You'll also find it in the owner's manual.
Regarding the ML speaker, yeah really easy & common for those to go bad, but also relatively easy to fix and or replace as well.
I'd be very curious to know what they're asking price wise for either of these SC430s. Such a great car when everything is operating correctly, nothing like it on the road today, totally love mine.
Hope the purchase works out for you.
Originally Posted by mak99
I was thinking the same thing. The battery was dead when I first tried to start it up that morning ~11am, so that was the first strike (albeit small). Then they took it to put some more gas in it before I went for my drive (showed 13mi to empty). Since I discovered the closing issue at the end of the ~30 min test drive, the battery should have been fully charged and should not have been any root cause for the package shelf issue. This makes me hesitant to continue pursuing this car as I'm not sure I'd be up to any task involving tearing into the roof innards to solve and problems.
But, the test drive was good, drove and handled very well. The other few items I noticed not working were the drivers side seat memories (passenger side worked), one fog light was out (easy fix), and some tiny paint imperfections (though acceptable for age of paint). Also one of the ML speakers appeared blown, which I would not have thought to check if not for this forum...so glad I'm doing my research!
I drove another one today that seemed just as fine mechanically and electrically, and cycled the top a few times which worked as expected. Downside was the interior was tan and not black and was showing some age. But I need to remember it's a 2002 so it won't be factory fresh! If I can get them to come down enough to make me ignore the interior color I might jump on it. Worst case is I enjoy it for a summer or two and sell it to move onto something else.
Of all the roof problems, I think (aka just my opinion) package tray problems are the worst. It is pretty easy to replace a hinge (Which is what Lexus usually does when there is a switch or motor problem) But the package tray is really hard to access, made out of much less strong materiel (compared to a steel hinge) and is in a really confined space.
Give me a bad top motor over a bad package tray any day
First, thanks to everyone for responding with great advice, and apologies for being offline for a bit. I ultimately did not buy the 2004 black/black one with the potential top issue (Mar 24), nor did I follow up on asking about the Toyota/Lexus error code reader. In general I thought the dealer was good to deal with, so no strikes against them at all. The other one I mentioned I saw on Mar 25 (2002 silver/tan, or maybe it was beige?) was just not on the list as I really wanted the black interior.
The following weekend Mar 31 I planned to head down to Portland as there were three listed online during the week I was interested in seeing. Unfortunately only one was going to be available to see but I went anyway, and it turned out to be a disappointment. I did see a new listing on Friday evening for one in Tacoma so was going to see that one on the way back from Portland. It was a black/black 2002 with 150k miles, but only one owner w/ good Carfax/local Lexus dealer maintenance history. So after two test drives, a lot of stressing about buying a second car I didn't really need (I hate spending money, though I can easily afford it), some negotiating with the lot owner, he made me what I thought was a fair offer so I ended up cutting a check and driving it home that evening. Easter Sunday afternoon was spent detailing, washing and waxing. And with the banner weather we've had here in the NW the last few weeks I've barely driven it three times - dammit, just my luck! Oh well, good weather will be here soon enough...
The were only a few items I knew that needed attention. One was the upper compartment of the rear console needed the latch replaced (it was currently held closed by layers of electrical tape for a "force fit"), which I already have the parts in hand to repair myself. Access to the lower compartment is fine, and the keylock works.
The other is the GPS screen seems to have a possible short in it - when the car is turned on, the display shows the Lexus logo then goes dark. Some of the menus show onscreen, others do not. I can sometimes get the GPS to show the car symbol onscreen (the triangle) but no roads are shown. There is a disc in the player in the trunk (ejected and reinserted) but not sure if the DVD drive is bad, or the issue is the screen itself - or something else altogether. I plan to use my phone for GPS anyway but would like to get the factory GPS working again some day. When I tackle this, I'll search thru threads here for info/advice, and start a new thread if needed if I cannot find a solution.
I took it to my trusted mechanic for a thorough inspection a few days after I bought it, and they noted a few items to "keep an eye on" that I'll go ahead and just take care of now for peace of mind: valve cover gasket, upper control arms, 4-wheel alignment. The control arms/alignment don't surprise me as I could feel something slightly off at certain speeds. I expected some extra expenses for a 17yo car w/ 150k miles (thus was okay with the price paid), but I'll enjoy this for many years to come.
I've already ordered other accessories but have yet to put on or haven't arrived, via Ebay or Amazon: Seven missing OEM bolts for the wheel covers (ugly dinner plates), OEM twist-star wheel covers (see "ugly dinner plates" comment), OEM cargo net, and OEM spare tire. I also bought door edge guards to hide the couple of nicks by the previous owner (after I use some touch-up paint).
So I'm happy to be a fellow SC owner, and know that I will learn a ton from everyone here...thanks!
Apr 1st detail:
^^ No, that's not a dent on the rear bumper - just a reflection!
Apr 6th mountain drive:
Apr 6th mountain drive:
Last edited by mak99; Apr 16, 2018 at 07:53 PM.
Reason: spelling
It has been quite a while since I've been on the forum. Many unrelated issues caused my absence. Anyway, I had a problem with my roof not operating very smoothly shortly after I purchased the car. After lots of guesses and recommendations I finally took it the dealer. Here are comments from the Tech:
"102649 DIAG TIMER TOP DOES NOT CLOSE 1:00 VERIFIED CONDITION. FOUND CODE FOR LUGGAGE COMPARTMENT LOCK SWITCH. DISASSEMBLED COMPARTMENT AND REMOVED DEBRIS FROM CLOSING LINKS AT SWITCH. RETRACTABLE TOP NOW WORKING SMOOTHLY WITH WINDOWS CLOSING ON ROOF CLOSE."
Sounds good. That was all done on May 20, 2016. And, to the dealer's credit, the whole thing only cost me $139.95. Since that time I've experienced intermittent problems with the roof malfunctioning. It worked for about a month, then started having problems again. One time during a close the red light stayed on. I went to look in the truck for any obvious problems and found none. I slammed the trunk in frustration. Went I got back to the driver's seat, I tried the close switch once again, and it worked just fine! For the last two and one-half years I've used the trunk-slam repair method whenever the top has problems closing or opening. It doesn't happen too often. During that time, I've done quite a bit of work on other parts of the car. New shocks all around, rebuilt the CD player, replaced or rebuilt all the rear speakers and a few in the right door, got the navigation unit door working just fine, replaced weather stripping on the right door, resurfaced the windshield and fixed a few other things that were bothering me (like the tires that were replaced with Pilot Sport A/S 3+ Ultra High performance 245/40ZR18s). It looks and runs great now. The only problem is that I don't drive it much. Maybe 1 or 2 k a year, maybe. So, I am thinking of selling it and buying a golf cart or something. But before I do I'd really like get the roof working 100%. The "Slam Technique" is not a selling point. That was long winded way of asking if anyone knows of a way for me to get at those "Closing Links" so I may try cleaning them up a tad. The dealership that originally "fixed" the problem has been resold and I really don't like the new owners. Any ideas are appreciated.
It has been quite a while since I've been on the forum. Many unrelated issues caused my absence. Anyway, I had a problem with my roof not operating very smoothly shortly after I purchased the car. After lots of guesses and recommendations I finally took it the dealer. Here are comments from the Tech:
"102649 DIAG TIMER TOP DOES NOT CLOSE 1:00 VERIFIED CONDITION. FOUND CODE FOR LUGGAGE COMPARTMENT LOCK SWITCH. DISASSEMBLED COMPARTMENT AND REMOVED DEBRIS FROM CLOSING LINKS AT SWITCH. RETRACTABLE TOP NOW WORKING SMOOTHLY WITH WINDOWS CLOSING ON ROOF CLOSE."
Sounds good. That was all done on May 20, 2016. And, to the dealer's credit, the whole thing only cost me $139.95. Since that time I've experienced intermittent problems with the roof malfunctioning. It worked for about a month, then started having problems again. One time during a close the red light stayed on. I went to look in the truck for any obvious problems and found none. I slammed the trunk in frustration. Went I got back to the driver's seat, I tried the close switch once again, and it worked just fine! For the last two and one-half years I've used the trunk-slam repair method whenever the top has problems closing or opening. It doesn't happen too often. During that time, I've done quite a bit of work on other parts of the car. New shocks all around, rebuilt the CD player, replaced or rebuilt all the rear speakers and a few in the right door, got the navigation unit door working just fine, replaced weather stripping on the right door, resurfaced the windshield and fixed a few other things that were bothering me (like the tires that were replaced with Pilot Sport A/S 3+ Ultra High performance 245/40ZR18s). It looks and runs great now. The only problem is that I don't drive it much. Maybe 1 or 2 k a year, maybe. So, I am thinking of selling it and buying a golf cart or something. But before I do I'd really like get the roof working 100%. The "Slam Technique" is not a selling point. That was long winded way of asking if anyone knows of a way for me to get at those "Closing Links" so I may try cleaning them up a tad. The dealership that originally "fixed" the problem has been resold and I really don't like the new owners. Any ideas are appreciated.
i cannot help with the roof until it happens to me and I have to repair my roof. My 2002 is making a not so normal noise when I open the roof now...it’s just a matter of time. Just curious, instead of slamming the trunk, have you just tried to open and close it or do you need to jar the back end to make it work?
Found it interesting you want to purchase a golf cart...my wife and I had a golf cart until we purchased two convertibles and then the Cart sat in the garage...I sold it and don’t think we will ever own another one.
Sounds like an intermittent switch/sensor at the luggage lock. It also sounds like the previous dealer owners only did a diagnostic and cleaning for $140 and didn’t really “fix” the intermittent problem.
Sounds like an intermittent switch/sensor at the luggage lock. It also sounds like the previous dealer owners only did a diagnostic and cleaning for $140 and didn’t really “fix” the intermittent problem.
Thea was what I was thinking also. I had trouble for a while with the luggage cover, trunk cover, whatever it is called. It would get bumped by my spare tire cover after it likely got bumped by me leaning into the trunk. Usually all I had to do was to open the trunk, reset the luggage cover and be on my way. Just make sure that it is sitting properly in the slot enough to trip the switches there.
Agreed. Cleaning the closing links is not really a repair. I'd just like to know how to get at them so I can just check it out. Maybe something else is interfering with proper operation.
I can try the normal close option, and maybe I have. Not sure. Although I go into the trunk very often as I store stuff in there, techstream, window shade, tools and other stuff, I don't really keep a close tracking of frequency of problems right after a "normal" close. Maybe a trial run where the trunk is opened and closed normally before each top operation? We'll see. As to the golf cart, well I live in a retirement community where they are very popular. I have a two car garage, and three cars. I look at buying one as surrender. HOA will not allow more than one car parked in the driveway.
Follow this link https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc-...enna-woes.html go to post #3 for a PDF on how to get the trunk “garnish” apart. Chances are you’ll only need to deal with the steps that cover the latch and limit switches on the rear wall of the trunk area. They are several pages apart in the PDF. It look daunting but it’s simple if you have a pry tool.
(I hate spending money, though I can easily afford it), some negotiating with the lot owner, he made me what I thought was a fair offer so I ended up cutting a check and driving it home that evening. Easter Sunday afternoon was spent detailing, washing and waxing. And with the banner weather we've had here in the NW the last few weeks I've barely driven it three times - dammit, just my luck! Oh well, good weather will be here soon enough...
