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Just bought a 99 SC300...one owner car 119K miles...Angora beige metallic with tan interior....did not love it at first but it is growing on me. It needs both bumpers resprayed to look mint. The interior is like new; seriously the leather is better than most 2 year old cars I have seen. The same goes for the engine; looks nothing like the age/miles.
I went ahead and applied for a salvage title on my 98. I really do not want to spend tons of money to get a used ECU, program keys, etc. The 98 SC3 ECU is a one year only part number so to find one with the key for sale is almost asking the impossible. I read on various forums of how people dried out their ECUs, cleaned with electrical spray cleaner, or even put them in dry rice to absorb the moisture. I will give this trickery the try just to see if I can get away with a cheap fix. So far I gutted the inside and disinfected it. The car smells wonderful now.
Just bought a 99 SC300...one owner car 119K miles...Angora beige metallic with tan interior....did not love it at first but it is growing on me. It needs both bumpers resprayed to look mint. The interior is like new; seriously the leather is better than most 2 year old cars I have seen. The same goes for the engine; looks nothing like the age/miles.
I went ahead and applied for a salvage title on my 98. I really do not want to spend tons of money to get a used ECU, program keys, etc. The 98 SC3 ECU is a one year only part number so to find one with the key for sale is almost asking the impossible. I read on various forums of how people dried out their ECUs, cleaned with electrical spray cleaner, or even put them in dry rice to absorb the moisture. I will give this trickery the try just to see if I can get away with a cheap fix. So far I gutted the inside and disinfected it. The car smells wonderful now.
Congrats on the new car.
I didn't know the 98 ecu was specific to only the 98. I wonder what is different from the 99-00. If you're able to locate a 98 ECU without the keys there are services out there that can wipe the ecu and program new keys. It'll require you to have 3 keys programmed though (2 masters + 1 valet).
I didn't know the 98 ecu was specific to only the 98. I wonder what is different from the 99-00. If you're able to locate a 98 ECU without the keys there are services out there that can wipe the ecu and program new keys. It'll require you to have 3 keys programmed though (2 masters + 1 valet).
Can used keys be programmed to an ECU from another car?
I have the entire set of 3 keys from my 98. I have seen this service online ranging from $200-300. What is a fair price? I don't want to dump tons of money into this because the damage to the electrical system is unknown. I could have a fully working ECU but bad connections/corrosion in the wiring that makes the car inoperable. It would then be a good candidate for a full green top 2JZ GTE swap with used harness and all. That runs about $6K in my area with parts and labor. The whole car is now going to be worth $1K with the salvage title so the swap kind of becomes a hard sell.
I am willing to put in about $500 to get it fully running then if I know it is good to go I would go as high as $1,000 for presentable seats to put in it.
Can used keys be programmed to an ECU from another car?
I have the entire set of 3 keys from my 98. I have seen this service online ranging from $200-300. What is a fair price? I don't want to dump tons of money into this because the damage to the electrical system is unknown. I could have a fully working ECU but bad connections/corrosion in the wiring that makes the car inoperable. It would then be a good candidate for a full green top 2JZ GTE swap with used harness and all. That runs about $6K in my area with parts and labor. The whole car is now going to be worth $1K with the salvage title so the swap kind of becomes a hard sell.
I am willing to put in about $500 to get it fully running then if I know it is good to go I would go as high as $1,000 for presentable seats to put in it.
I've never done it personally, but from what I've seen $2-300 is the usual going rate. From my research I don't see why a used key can't be used. The car isn't able to distinguish if the key is new or used. It reads the signal at the ignition and checks the ecu for a matching signal to allow the car to start. Asking one of the companies that provides the service would be your best bet.
Try reaching out to Carlos at Lexus Autotek. He recently moved to TX. He parts out SCs, so he might be able to help you find all the parts you need.
Can used keys be programmed to an ECU from another car?
Yes, used keys can be programmed to another ECU. I bought a used master key from a different Lexus that had the same FCC ID as my original master key. Took the electronic fob out of that key and put in a new uncut key, had it cut and programmed the key myself.
Yes, used keys can be programmed to another ECU. I bought a used master key from a different Lexus that had the same FCC ID as my original master key. Took the electronic fob out of that key and put in a new uncut key, had it cut and programmed the key myself.
Thanks for the info.
Any other computers in the car that require programming?
The ABS and SRS computers will also need replacement but the interchange on them is better.
