By not working, what are you witnessing? Do you hear the beep in the car after pressing a FOB button? If not, it still sounds like a bad battery or possibly a button going bad in your FOB.

 

Don’t expect you can remote control the SC from the distance more than 10 feet. It does not work like a modern cars. If you can't remotely open or close doors within one or two feet then I say you’re have problem with either your key fob or the SC. Most likely, your key fob. Sometime, the new battery isn’t new, you can only be sure with the VOM. If the battery voltage is under 3V, throw it into the trash bin.

 

Nawww. It only happens when the drivers side door is pointed directly at the sun and on a hot SoCal day. Like 80+ LOL. I'm sure the temp inside the door gets toasty. But my new motor is here. It's almost a non issue it happens so rarely. But I was just wondering and it is a possible sign of failure. We'll get it taken care of. Thanks.

Paul

 

Be aware of the following installation issue when replacing the door actuator. I had to correct a horrible rattle during music playback after dealership didn't quite get the actuator install correct.

====== quote from my note to dealership


Problem: Loud door buzzing, especially with particular music passages, after replacement of lock actuator.

This problem was induced during replacement of the passenger side door actuator.

Customer has diagnosed and solved the problem. Sharing information back to Lexus because source of rattle is likely to occur on other vehicles if same service procedure is applied.

The rattle turns out NOT to be the usual issues with the thin plastic vapor barrier that so readily becomes a noise source. Instead, mounting of the door actuator was not quite correct.

All fasteners were securely tightened, but it turns out one screw that was used is too long for the replacement actuator. The new actuator may slightly differ from the original and
no longer accept the original length mounting screw.

If another lock actuator is being installed in an SC430, please have the techs be aware of the following. The affected screw will feel properly torqued but not actually secure the forward tang of the actuator. The loose tang is then free to rattle against the metal door frame. This can also be elicited by striking the metal door frame near the actuator or even tapping the plastic actuator housing with a finger.

Image of the problem & fix is below





Screw that should secure forward plastic tang of lock actuator was too long. The plastic tang’s round portion that accepts the screw is closed on the outside. An overly long screw bottoms out in the tang before it can tighten against the metal door frame. Consequently, the lock actuator tang rattles loudly against metal door frame.

Solved by running screw through a rubber grommet before putting screw into mounting hole. This effectively shorten the threaded portion of the screw and added a non-rattling cushion. Also, added thin rubber sheet between tang and other side of door frame. Plastic tang of lock actuator is thus secured firmly, vibration isolated, and no longer creates buzzing rattle.




Took me about three hours to find and solve this problem. I wasted much time damping the vapor barrier. Only after finishing damping the vapor barrier did I find the true
cause of the new, buzzing rattle. It was a direct result of the door actuator replacement procedure.

Hopefully, this note will help save someone some time and post service annoyance.

 

My key fob functions out to about 70 feet. Can get another 20 feet more range, if I face at car and position key right in front of my mouth. That uses your skull as reflector to gain a bit more range. Yes, that trick actually works.

 

So I'm guessing that the receiver in the car still beeps when you press the FOB buttons, right? If that is the case, you need to change the motor in the door unlock actuator. There's a DIY thread about that in the forum, both BGW & I wrote it up. Yes, it is a PITA but still quite doable. As BGW mentioned, the motors are quite cheap. I think that I picked up 2 for about $7 when I did mine.

 

Yep. Remote beeps, easily 30-40 foot range. New motor arrived a couple days ago also. Now I'm just waiting on my 6X9 speaker surrounds so I can do all of it in one weekend. I have to admit to some concerns about removing the door panel though. The wood trim already has a fine crack from possibly someone else removing it before. I have heard you must be careful during this step. Window up or down? Removing the tweeter from the door, details like that. But I know all the info I need is on the forum Some really good stuff in just this thread alone. 😁

Paul

 

In the link that BGW provided above is a pictorial DIY by BGW and then on post #29, the DIY is written out. Should tell you most of what you need.

 

Guys,
I was wrong about the effectiveness of the SC key fob. I decided to replace the key fob with new fresh battery and conducted the experiment. Here what I found out:
The outside temperature here in Huntington Beach was 75F, the range of the key fob to the front of the SC was 140 feet (I actually measured it). If I held the key close to my ear, it’s 147 feet. To the rear of the SC, the range was 137 feet, 142 feet if I held the key close to the ear. To the driver side and the passenger side, the range was both 125 feet with few feet extra if I held the key close to the ear. This experiment was conducted on the clear street. I wonder if it made any different if I was in the crowded parking lot.

I have not experienced the failure of the key fob due the heat. If the temperature here get to 90+, I will try again. My apologies for given wrong information earlier. Guest it was my battery.

 

The range boost is greatest with key in front of mouth with face towards car.

 

Do you think the increased difference is really due to the bone structure in your head (Which is why you would want to be a Bone Head in this instance) or due to the fact that your head is Higher than your pocket, thus increasing the height of the transmitter and increasing the range (Which is why they put radio transmitters on mountains and not in valleys)

 

The oral cavity as a dish reflector. I don’t get the same range boost just holding it up nor at a different position other than just in front of teeth.

 

LMAO!!! Got that everybody, your head is a reflector! (Even though its true 😉 ) You guys are bored. Go find something to do. I have to admit being amused by this thread though. Its been pretty quite lately. Some really good info and some scientific discussion about how you can use your face to unlock your car from even farther away than 30 feet. I salute you dedicated Moderators! 🤗

Paul

 

You are probably right, DD. I think the same as the fact that you are holding the transmitter higher you normally would. I was shock when I saw the taillight flashed from 140 feet away. Amazing.

 

Using the head as a reflector is data that has been around for years. So yes, this is for real. I ran into this info back on a job in the 90s. It's a long story and not really worth going into here. The ones I heard it from were phone company service folks.