I have a 1995 SC400, I bought in 2003 with 59,000 miles on it. This dude is explaining one by one, EVERY issue I’ve experienced or am currently experiencing 😂 PS: I’m at 169,000 miles now, but it still looks like brand new inside and out. Beautiful car.
Appreciate the video friend. I have an 93 SC400 that I know will need TLC and it probably has hidden quirks I'm not looking forward to finding/figuring out. You've definitely fast-tracked my project and I'm thankful for the guys helping to keep these cars alive. Subbed!
Best thing to do with these cars is a quick tune up and then best the shit out of it. The 1 UZ loved being abused. Honestly . The car ran so mediocre until I started thrashing it.
I bought my first SC in 2000. It was a fabulous car. I did have a problem with the Power Steering pump, but I drove the car with out incident until i wrecked it. I bought my next SC in 2019 and I am still driving it. I have never had to replace anything on this car. It had 79K on it and it has 120K on it now. The SC is a fun car to drive and it is super reliable.
As a SC owner myself for 18yrs (my favorite car) , you hit it right on the money!!!!! Your next vid should be a do/ don't do this to your SC video lol.
@@DingDongDrift when you pointed to your air vent in dash, The other day, I pushed one of those now stupid to me cellphone holders into the vent and the whole sh!t cracked and vent I went into the hole. 😭😢
My car had basically every single problem you listed. Had no idea you had 10 years experience on these. I'm super late to the game (2nd owner) but after two years I've had to do several of the fixes you've listed here. Really wish I had this video a couple years ago before I bought my 93 SC @ 220k mi. The old man I bought it off of did the water pump and transmission overhaul but missed bascially everything on this video. Also; the Nakamichi stereo sounded terrible and the speakers were all blown 100%. These really are old shit buckets
Yep i dealt with all these problems in my previous SC as well. These cars are pretty much clappers at this point unless they have been meticulously maintained.
My 98' SC400 has 102K... and the leaky power steering and broken passenger door clip problem. You've just convinced me to get rid of it before any of the other common problems start to show up. Thank you!
Excellent video. Very thorough and perfectly edited. Great information for current SC400 owners as well as someone that liked them back in the 1990s and is just curious if they would make a good "extra" car. One of the best "All the common problems" videos on all of RUclips.
Thank you for one of the best, if not the very best video like this, that explains so much, in such a no nonsense way. Very well done. I am looking at a 91 SC400, with 98,000 K's on it. It may not have all of these problems just now, but nice to be aware of what is likely to come and some of the precautions that can be taken. Cheers, from Oz.
It's a 30 year old car. Even Toyota/Lexus couldn't engineer every problem out. But if we know what the current concerns are. We can accept them and have a wonderful car. I can't think of anyone that would say this isn't a good looking car.
spot on man! I got my dads Cali 92 SC400 so there isnt alot of rust on it but at 218K my driver door latch is tough to get closed and latched, pretty much have to slam it and its near impossible to get out as its behind the equally impossible to remove door track. Driver door window: I lost the lower rear guide pin and the window cocked and ripped the rubber drive puck in the power regulator. You dont have to remove the window, just tape it up and the regulator will unbolt and come out the hole. Valve cover gaskets: both leaked heavily before they were professionally replaced (Dad just paid to have it done) but I dont have any of the other leaks you mention. Power Steering: The line/hose that runs across the lower rad leaks. Must replace. Starter: Even with a new battery, half the time it will kick right over, the other it will really labor like the battery is low but will always start it, I think the brushes or the contactor are shot. IAC motor: Mine had the bearings almost seized in it. 2 skateboard type sealed bearings inside the motor itself caused an 1800 rpm idle until I took the IAC out and realized it wasnt moving. Lubed the bearings up and it idles at 650 now. They were ROUGH! Interior: Door cards falling apart! Evert time I remove them, I break more of the plastic out at the bolt holes. Every one of the holes now has a beer can pull tab as a washer to hold the panel on. Window trim where your arm would rest, they are ALL broken midway and most of those bolt holes are broken too. A/C display blacked out, I soldered in a new one but could never get the backlights to work again? Needle lights are out, grab every set of needles you can find from the SC dashes at your pick-a-part and find the ones that work. IIRC the tach needle polarity changed from the 92 to the 94 years as all the ones I found didnt work until I reversed the polarity (weird). Suspension: keep it lubed! front end gets squeaky. I did the rear bushings on a LS400 and it was pretty easy and really helped the squirrilly back end. But all these things still make these cars pretty much bullet proof and they run great.
My es300 still is mint but it was garage kept from original owner who was old man and it only had 48k miles. All the suspension, seats rubber mounts and molding are in unbelievable pristine condition
I have a 97 SC400 150Kmi paid 5300. It's a fairly straight up car. But I have spent 7k+ on rebuilding the suspension and parts for motor. The only issue right now is the PS leaking. Suspension - P2M upper & Lowers, Links, rear tie rods, etc., PBM coil overs, new hubs & bearings, new brakes - powerstop carbon pads & new rotors, rebuilt the calipers. Engine - New PS pump and hoses (need to watch your video on the hose thing tho), new timing belt & water pump kit, valve cover gaskets, new drive belt & idler kit. New wires, caps, rotors, plugs. I like the idea of doing away with the hydraulic fan although mine doesn't leak (yet). Still wrenching - started like 3-4 weeks ago.
Got a 92 400 I've owned for 20yrs got it w some cluster gauge lights out, replaced my door hinge. Thats about it, none of what you mentioned except for the LCA's of course battery's, tires, struts, the normal stuff. Windows still go up and down all light bulbs still light. California car no rust 300,000 miles. On Club Lexus (the Purple Bullet)
Im looking at one with 270k, cant tell if its a good decision at this point lol its pretty clean tho like "highway cruiser" type but when you inform urself of potential bads you find it. Would love your input, thanks!
@codezalo5773 his is a unicorn...I've owned sc400's for 10+ done alot to them almost everything he listed in the video i have had to fix....most you find are going to be beat unless you find it from a older owner non modified and well maintained
I use to own 1992 SC300 and now the 1998 SC400. I noticed, all the problem was all repaired in my 1998 as I never have problem with it since I have the car. Yes, the starter is hard to change. Make sure to have at least one extra fuel injector as spare just in case you craked it when you pull the injector rail. Renew all the injector seal whenever you change the starter, it can start leaking with old seal ones you move it. I remember having a lot of problem icluding electrical problem or the odometer with 1992 SC300, with 1998 SC400 all those problem are gone and I heard from 1997 to last year 2000 are problem free. I’m still driving my SC400 until now and planning to upgrade the suspension to Tein and will renew the starter also.
I've started addressing some of this stuff with mine. Got parts raring to go. But I'm here right now to build a list of why the car won't stay on for more than a second, lol. I love old luxury, but man do they have their problems!
Just got my 1992 For 2200 180k everything is mint the guy actually bought it from Lexus while working there got tons of service records, plus it’s been old man driven for awhile , 0 rust (although I do live in Texas) So far loving it! the PS pump is extremely loud until warmed up lol and my needles are about at half mass but the temp gauge doesn’t light up at all it’s got really nice apparently rare wheels, I’m pretty amazed at the build quality of these cars ! I had a 98 Avalon that had 290k the car was falling apart and shitty but would start every day! Kinda sold on Toyotas, But overall kinda bummed out on the aftermarket support for these cars thanks for the SC4 Content maybe down the road supercharger tutorial 👀👀
Congrats on the clean SC! Keep up on the maintenance and you'll put another 200k on it easy. Supercharger will definitely not happen, i don't like them lol
Idk you man but you seem like a good guy. I appreciate the information in the sc I have a 400 project and you have been helping me through out my journey. I'm going to start making videos on mine I'll make sure to give you your credits. Thanks again.
I have made write ups on how to fix the door catching on the fender issue and how to rebuild the fuel pump ECU for those interested Just look up "How to REBUILD your fuel pump ECU (Not the bypass but fix the part itself)" and " Door catching on fender? how to fix the hinge with mostly off the shelf parts." on club Lexus.
My friend brought his 98 sc400 to my house yesterday because the radio wasn't working. The 20 amp radio fuse was blown, I replaced it and it melted completely within seconds. I tried another one, it did the same thing. I said "well, I guess you're not gonna have a radio". I hear this is very common with the Nakamichi sound system.
Cool! Great info. We have a 95 pearl white, fully loaded. We are the 2nd owner it was purchased initially new in 95 for 51k he was a doctor. This SC is cherry as it gets. With 49700 actual miles. Only thing the trunk will fall, other than that it's a beautiful piece. Thank you the Videos.😊
@@DingDongDrift Indeed. I was able to extract those two starter bolts, thanks to an 18 inch long, double-articulated, swivel-headed ratchet. Without it, the job would have been impossible. I did it WITHOUT touching the water bridge, and without undoing the bundle of wires attached to it, which saved me a lot of mess.
Excellent video! I don't remember where I found it, but there are posts or videos on how you can make a small aluminum plate that can fit underneath the power steering pump so that any power steering fluid drips will be diverted away from the alternator.
One word to describe an sc, OVERHEAT. if there’s one thing mine is good at, it’s that. Power steering pressure messes with cooling, the quirky hydro fan needs to be treated like a newborn and have a combo of everything working or it won’t turn your fan. These radiators love to pinhole leak at the neck connecting to the tank, and hose your engine down with steam. The thermostat housing also loves to crack or split etc. i still love it but it’s a hefty one to get reliable.
There is a tiny solenoid valve (maybe two, can't remember) behind the drivers front wheel well attached to the power steering rack. When removed there is a tiny screen in it which blocks. This causes undue pressure which blows the hoses or pump. Clean the screens, no problem, no worries.
What up Norman Reedus' little brother.... I see you over there with that TRD oil cap ;) Dont know if you have ever taken those front fenders off but 2 things 1) The little clips on the spacers there crack up and then you have to manually line them up from that point on when you put the fender back on 2) The fenders hold so much dirt that on the last car I bought I found a literal plant growing IN the mud at the bottom of the fender. I live in the south so no snow but PLENTY of mud to sit there and cause that corner to rust
I have own my 95 for about 8 years and yes some of these items need repaired or fixed, door and window issues yes, I flush my power steering fluid every few months to make sure it stays fresh when every I hear the steering make any noise when I turn the wheel (if the power st. pump goes out it will spill on the altnator and starter making a big repair bill) That being said my sc has been one of the best most reliable car's ever!!! and at 150k miles it feels like a new car. I do one upgrade yearly last year it was tires and spark plugs and wires this year will be the timing belt, next year new struts. Don't be fooled it is a awesome car and the only reason I have not gotten a c5. (P.s No I do not drive it in the winter time)
I live in mchenry IL and I’m watching this over and over trying to remember all of this 😅😅 def want to goto a car meet when I can! Mine is stock af almost reaching 105,000 miles I’m def going to watch your videos to change the my 92 SC400 1UZ-FE to not have to worry about these issues 😅 I’ll send a video response to this video and show you the condition of mine
Great video... If you had the original side mirrors you could have also included that...the mechanism that holds mirror spring breaks causing the mirrors to move around.
I have a weird idle where the car goes up and down in the revs and i have no idea what it is. I tried playing with the throttle wire but it didnt help, either idled to high or did the up and down idle.
I bought my SC for 4500 in great condition, and I have been daily-ing on all the nice days and reserving the ES for bad weather duty…. I can’t say I have been disappointed, I actually enjoy it a lot, I have spent a little over 1600 so far to get it where I want it for now but I am going to get a head start on these issues so they don’t surprise me But I did not buy a 1500 clapper, I came across a nice one
These were my dream cars when I was a poor college student. I preferred the SC over the Supra because the supra attracted too much attention. I finally bought a 1-owner SC300 with 50k miles. Love the car but the engine does heat up. Sold it after 25K miles for the same price I bought it.
I was told you can swap the 1UZ out with a Vortec V8 from Chevy truck and get a plug in play wiring harness but I’m trying to find a video of someone that done that or is doing that
I had a few of thes problems mine has now been parked for a while.. I need to get back on her.. I may need to go look at a few of your videos. Good stuff.
I had most of these problems fixed so far so good, had a rebuilt ecu, replaced fuel pump and fuel pump ecu, air control valve failed replaced it, lower control arm failed, when ball joint slipped out, now my next project is the ps pump which failed slight oil leak at the real cam plug, other than that no major issues, I also have an Ls400 Im getting straight
My sc is having idle problem I start it and it runs fine but when it warms up idle starts lowering and Boggs and wants to turn off , it started after I fixed the starter I need help guys ;(
Does anyone ever have an issue with the car completely turning off after giving it a little power?? Like after drifting it or skirting off the car turns off
Hey Ding Dong i have a 1996 sc400 lexus sometimes when i try to accelerate it won't accelerate like a dead spot i have to press the accelerator really hard or stomp it hard to accelerate faster i did the fuel pump bypass new fuel filter car runs and idle fine. Do you think this could be my Tps sensor.
I have the same issue with my 93 LS400 right now leaking PS fluid on my alternator I think. The car interior lights flicker, and the ACV valve that mounts to the bottom of the PS pump is more than likely junk, I filled it with AFT when I realized that I had no fluid and I noticed zero difference, lmao. Sourcing a new reliable PS pump, not the cheapest. Not sure what brands are good off e-bay, etc. I'm looking at an SC400 that might need this done too, but I don't know yet. My LS is an Arizona only car, and this SC I found 2hrs away from me is a Cali car.
usually they will need new crank seals, crank shaft position sensors, power steering, lower control arms, and the starter for some. mine also needed a new fuel pump ecu and had clogged primary cats at around 130,000 miles . can be pretty expensive but they do run nice after that haha
I have a 1995 Lexus sc400. It has been sitting for 4 years. So I drained the old gas and put 5 gallons of fresh new gas. My car is having a hard time starting. It cranks and cranks before it turns over. Sometimes it takes several tries. It started and ran perfectly fine for 30 minutes or so at normal operating temp. Shortly after, the temp gauge started to rise slightly and the car just shut off. Hard to start again, would crank but not start. do you know what it could be?
good stuff, ty! car looks so good!! the colors grown on me for sure, but pleeease put a magic drift poly lip on front if your going to keep running that bumper ;)
Was waiting for the door hinge, mine is bad and have to carefully open/close it, you can just adjust the fender to fix it? I've replaced the hinge but the same issue
You can adjust the fender a very small amount, sometimes it's enough to fix it. There's someone in Australia that fixes these hinges and adds a grease fitting so you can maintain them a little.
I have an issue when I step on the throttle all the way when I’m going 50mph the car used to downshift to the lowest gear possible but now when I’m going 50 and step on it, it only downshifts one gear so it feel slower but when I use the gears it still accelerates fast
There's a switch below the pedal on the firewall, that's the kick down switch to drop 2 gears. If that doesn't work or maybe floor mat covers it that could be causing your issue.
I wanna delete all the unnecessary components like you've done! Imma look threw all your vidz in hopes you have some to help me complete it! Thanks for the great info!!
@@DingDongDrift I'll be looking at all of em lol. My sc in great condition for Ontario CA weather. Been garage kept for the 20+ years Definitely in that same Chicago rust belt you speak of. Anyway, thanks man! So hard to find correct information on these beauty's
@@DingDongDrift Thank you! Ive been having issues with mine and prices for a new one are crazy. Figured itd just be better to just get a block off plate instead
The power steering pump, my God. The bypass thing , I replaced it with a oil drain bolt and Teflon tape because it would leak into the intake and the. Looks like a 2 stroke from start up. The steering didn't feel very different but just a little but very unnoticeable. Supposedly it makes steering better but what ever
I mustve been lucky. 3 yr soarer owner i havent had any of the first 4 problems listed. Ecu, however, big thing. Major thing. And fuel pump ecu. Personally, i havent had a problem with the fuel pump ecu, but everyone i know has the problem along with the main ecu. Big things the soarers are notorious for 100%. Just recently had to do crank and cam seals and oil pan reseal. Yea, they leak from these places. The emv/climate control, yup they go out. Easy to replace tho, or get fixed. Yup doord are fckn heavy, the door cards break. Havent had wheel well wiring fck up on me, but all my mates have them problems. Good video if u looking at soarers/sc400s. These problems are what u would expect. But they are fckin reliable tho. Just minor things being an old car
Hey bro, been searching the forums but can’t find much. I have a 95 400. Whenever I cold start the trans will slip for 5 mins or so until it warms up. Any ideas?
I have an 96 custom SC400 3,050 lbs and runs mid 4 second 0-60...lots of fun! I'm very interested in the COP ignition set-up you're running! Are you running a standalone ECU? Personally, I luv the CD009 set-up, but my car has an upgraded auto/shift kit with gated shifter, so with reasonably low miles, I'm not drifting and no plans to go manual w/respect to standalone. I wish I knew how to keep the factory ECU for automatic transmission and fuel only, while using the FORD EDIS 8 Ignition system... any thoughts? Incidentally, my car lately, will only start, then stalls out. I've been unable to repair and, since I've deleted everything emissions related and no cats, I'm not going to take it to a local mechanic, so he can bill me for hours of troubleshooting! It seems to be, that the ECU is cutting fuel off? When I just barely crack the throttle, then it cuts off(severe lean condition)...can spray starter fluid into TB and manually keep it running. I'd definitely like to bypass or delete the MAF...any advice or help? Anyway, the factory ECU has been repaired 2 times(leaky capacitors) and I've recently sent it back to SIA Electronics, because it's not communicating with the OBD2 port. PS luv the yellow! 👍
Update on my 96 SC400; Since I'm not required to have emmisions/inspection, I'm in the process of installing the Microsquirt AMP'D DIY standalone ECU and will be piggybacking the trans to the factory ECU. Also installed the 2UZFE COP system. Microsquirt AMP'D allows for full engine control via laptop and illiminates the high cost associated with most aftermarket ECU systems. Of course you need to have the ability to understand basic engine requirements(understanding) and reading of wiring diagrams. You'll need the OEM colored ECU wiring schematic. This will require me building my own dedicated engine wiring harness. Benefits: removal of rpm limiter, speed limiter, 2 step launch control, MAF delete, AICV delete, timing control, NOS activation, fuel control (wideband) and more! PS factory ECU is holding the 1 UZFE back..it's a mild OEM economy tune and can't be hacked. If you're looking to build power with add-ons, such as headers, intake, your gains will be limited by the factory ECU. My .02
Yoo what have u done to run mid 4seconds . I have a clean one and would like to swap to manual & thought about supercharging bc it’s my daily and Need reliability . Thoughts ?!
So, I can't promise anyone the same results on 0-60, as my car is custom and I'm @ 368 feet elevation. Here's the primary upgrades: Transgo performance shift kit w/2000 SC300 gated shifter (shifter is key to consistent manual control)! * 500 lbs weight reduction w/detachable hood for additional 50 lbs/hood pins required. * Welded 3:92 diff * Titan solid subframe bushings * Supra TT rear solid swaybar *Poly bushings throughout, i.e., upper/lower control arms. * Cut coils; 1 front and 1.5 rear. (stiffer/lowered to 49.5" height). * Sunroof delete * Solid PS bracket/bushings and delete. *A/C delete " ABS delete * EGR/AICV delete *2000 LS 400 brake upgrade w/SS lines. * Battery relocation (trunk/passengers side) Note: all of these suspension upgrades impact how well the car consistently launches..very planted! Engine: *upgraded air intake..to cold air at fog light entrance. * Ported upper/lower intake plenum (gasket matched). * Ported heads @ intake(gasket matched) * Electric fan * Hydro fan delete *2000 GS 400 ported exhaust manifolds. " Primary/secondary/resonator delete with 2.25" true dual exhaust w/H pipe and no mufflers. * Coolant bypass/TRAC delete@ T.B. * Water meth injection@ wide open throttle. Note: these are the primary upgrades, which allowed me to run mid to consistent high 4's The key is power to weight! My SC weighs 3,050# w/o hood; add great gearing (3:92) w/ solid manual shift control and an estimated 300 HP/310 TQ AND YOU end up with a solid performer! I've done much research and have a background in primarily drag racing, however I've also had great appreciation for excellent canyon carvers (well balanced/handling) sports cars. Take a look at the C5-C6 Corvette.. granted stock for stock they're superior, however look at these vettes as proven performers and then look at what potential the SC400 shares, i.e., front mid engine, equal wheel base. So address the SC's weak areas.. weight, brakes, suspension, track width, etc.. and you now have a competitive, high speed, excellent handling a stable car! All depends on your goal...retain luxury or compromise for performance? I've retained many of the luxury features, but my goal is SPORTS CAR performance over the heavy luxury goals of LEXUS. The SC has a very stiff chassis(well engineered! Hope this helps 👍 PS I'm currently deleting the factory ECU and building a custom engine harness for the DIY Megasquirt/Microsquirt AMP'd. This will further improve my performance by offering tuning capability and overcoming the conservative economy tune by Lexus. Examples: 2 step launch control, RPM cutout, MAP vs MAF, COP, Fuel and timing control. Unfortunately, this system isn't legal, if you live in an area requiring emmisions. As for adding Super charger, the early 1 UZ can take boost 10-12+. However, I'm not wishing to create more front engine weight and having the 96/second Gen 1 UZ w/microsquirt AMP'd, I'll be able to add NOS activation/control and safely add 75-100 additional HP, which places me In a highly competitive class with modern performance cars, while retaining reliability and without adding additional weight and clutter to the engine compartment..My .02
I'm looking at one that has random multiple misfires, it's a 1998 SC400 and the guy's replaced al the sparkplugs, checked the coil packs and the injectors. Any idea what else it might be?
eyeballing this 1992 model for $6,400 with 89,938 miles on itand they re did all the brakes recently and the ECU/Speedo and RPM needles/EGR/Coil packs/spark plugs/Fuel filter/Fuel pressure regulator/MAF/Cam sensor/Crankshaft sensors and more he says...Should I go look at it and buy it?
If you had the plans of maybe getting a SC and CD009 swapping it and wanted to modify it would you get a 300 to boost or would you get a 400? If you get a SC400 how much power is possible? Obviously the 300 can be boosted easily but what could be done to the V8? Maybe an aluminum L33 5.3 with worked heads, cam, intake and etc?
The genesis of the 1UZ was the CART IRL Indy V8 Toyota bult in the 90s. The engine is solid, has six bolt mains and will take boost. Surf for it as I've come across a few posts on it.
aftermarket for 2j is far better, na-t, forge internals are easier to get ahold of...ran 1uz on 9psi for years until 2 rods went wifi 2 months ago had skinnier rod 1uz 500hp is the limit...cheaper to get power from 2jz.. boosting both on stock motors is about the same numbers wise.
Ding Dong u said u know these cars i have a question for you i have a 1996 sc400 lexus been running fine the i had a crank no start condition change crank sensors, camshaft sensor, new spark plugs new igniters change the two coil pack new fuel pump new fuel filter got ecu check and done new temp sensor for radiator clean maf sensor switch idle air control valve still no start i smell gas when trying to start car could my exhaust system be clogged or do i have a leaky valve car was running great i do have a check engine light but ob2 doesn't work neither under the hood man can u give me a possibility of what might be wrong.
@@DingDongDrift ecu check and repair by Rentless Motorsports Texas. the Guy name is Josh he does great work on 1uz ecu. i didn't mention but i change the efi fuse but didn't tap it would that cause it to smell like gas when im trying to crank it. Sorry for the late responds didn't know u answer back.
It smells like gas because there's no spark but the injectors are still firing. You're not getting 12v to the MREL pin on the EFI relay which disables ignition. usually this is a side effect of a bad ECU, my car had the same exact problem. You need another ECU. Stop trying to replace every part. Sometimes this is also caused by a bad ground somewhere.
@@DingDongDrift i had my ecu repair also exchange it out with a ecu from a friend sc400 same year as mines still same result i'll try pressing down on the efi relay to see if that's works. where is the locations of the grounds. i know there are severals grounds on this car.
Tapping not pressing down. Have someone crank the engine while you lightly tap on the relay. There's a ground behind the engine on the firewall, one on the driver frame rail by the battery, and a few others i don't remember exactly where they are.
A better solution than direct wiring the fuel pump would be to use the ECU's voltage output to run a relay. Even if it's a bit low it will still operate the relay.
I have a 06 gs430 having hard downshifting from 2nd to 1st gear...club lexus forums recommend a ECU needing to be flashed and reprogrammed...have you heard of this issues...3uz...if so where would you recommend to send off for ECU...
Hey! I recently bought an SC400 that has been sitting for two years, I've got it started and everything running good, the only problem is.. is that when I floor it and it goes up to 3000k (pretty slowly too btw) it drops down to around 2k and keeps climbing back up just to fall again.. it makes a braaaaa braaa braaa sound because the revs just climb up and fall down. the car passes 3k revs in neutral when revving but since i cant put more than 50% acceleration it either shifts before it drops or it flies to 3k then does the dropping thing.. any ideas??
wish me luck. found a 98 sc400 original owner garage kept for 15 years. owner claims ps and alternator went out. it has 60k miles grandma driven. They want $1000... body and interior are pristine.
93 sc400 local with 250k for $1200 obo. They said they went to drive it and had no gears just all neutral. This usually means death of a trans but I hear the drivetrain is usually bulletproof. Owners says it wasn't beat or abused but don't they all. Any ideas? Is it Worth throwing them a $600 offer to take on this project. I enjoy import cars and have owned cicvis, Subarus, a Celica, and a dodge stealth. I've always known the sc's as luxury supras and seeing one pop local as me excited.
I have a 1995 SC400, I bought in 2003 with 59,000 miles on it.
This dude is explaining one by one, EVERY issue I’ve experienced or am currently experiencing 😂
PS: I’m at 169,000 miles now, but it still looks like brand new inside and out. Beautiful car.
Do u have ig?
Don't forget comfy
Thank you for the heads up.
Appreciate the video friend. I have an 93 SC400 that I know will need TLC and it probably has hidden quirks I'm not looking forward to finding/figuring out. You've definitely fast-tracked my project and I'm thankful for the guys helping to keep these cars alive. Subbed!
Thanks for watching!
Bro he pointed out everything ! Literally
What is your end goal with this project?
Best thing to do with these cars is a quick tune up and then best the shit out of it. The 1 UZ loved being abused. Honestly . The car ran so mediocre until I started thrashing it.
Yea not a great daily i agree, i used to daily one and it was pretty terrible
I bought my first SC in 2000. It was a fabulous car. I did have a problem with the Power Steering pump, but I drove the car with out incident until i wrecked it. I bought my next SC in 2019 and I am still driving it. I have never had to replace anything on this car. It had 79K on it and it has 120K on it now. The SC is a fun car to drive and it is super reliable.
As a SC owner myself for 18yrs (my favorite car) , you hit it right on the money!!!!!
Your next vid should be a do/ don't do this to your SC video lol.
I love these cars, still can't explain why lol. Nah i don't wanna be an authority for what people should or shouldn't do to their clappers lol.
@@DingDongDrift yeah the hate will rush in. 😅
Lol no doubt
@@DingDongDrift when you pointed to your air vent in dash, The other day, I pushed one of those now stupid to me cellphone holders into the vent and the whole sh!t cracked and vent I went into the hole. 😭😢
Hahahaha noooo you're not supposed to touch them!
My car had basically every single problem you listed. Had no idea you had 10 years experience on these. I'm super late to the game (2nd owner) but after two years I've had to do several of the fixes you've listed here. Really wish I had this video a couple years ago before I bought my 93 SC @ 220k mi. The old man I bought it off of did the water pump and transmission overhaul but missed bascially everything on this video. Also; the Nakamichi stereo sounded terrible and the speakers were all blown 100%. These really are old shit buckets
Yep i dealt with all these problems in my previous SC as well. These cars are pretty much clappers at this point unless they have been meticulously maintained.
Depends on who you buy it from or how many Kms they had before you. You don’t know
When it how often stuff was changed.
Do you visit a mechanic or fix it yourself?
@@sicarius.m1 fix it myself with friends. Only ever had the valve cover gaskets done at a shop early into my ownership
Wow that’s a lot of miles. Do you still have your SC?
My 98' SC400 has 102K... and the leaky power steering and broken passenger door clip problem. You've just convinced me to get rid of it before any of the other common problems start to show up. Thank you!
Excellent video. Very thorough and perfectly edited. Great information for current SC400 owners as well as someone that liked them back in the 1990s and is just curious if they would make a good "extra" car. One of the best "All the common problems" videos on all of RUclips.
Thank you!
im considering on buying one and this gives me a really good idea of what to expect from it
I'm not buying one after seeing this video
I just got a 92 sc400 yesterday. Enjoying it so far.
Just wait lol
Any problem 10 months later?
Thank you for one of the best, if not the very best video like this, that explains so much, in such a no nonsense way. Very well done. I am looking at a 91 SC400, with 98,000 K's on it. It may not have all of these problems just now, but nice to be aware of what is likely to come and some of the precautions that can be taken. Cheers, from Oz.
Did you pick it up? Sounds like a good deal
It's a 30 year old car.
Even Toyota/Lexus couldn't engineer every problem out. But if we know what the current concerns are. We can accept them and have a wonderful car.
I can't think of anyone that would say this isn't a good looking car.
James pumphrey thinks it's not a good looking car lol
@@DingDongDrift Good point.
We appreciate you and your input of His opinion.
Thank you. (:
I've definitely had my trunk fall on my head lol
Dude so many times lol
Yesssir
Lmao this JUST happened to me a few weeks ago. Still haven't gotten around to ordering the new strut
Mine too. I caught the corner and bled like crazy.
These is hilarious I got a bored from a pallet to hold mine it only took one hit every one think they got it until I let go
spot on man! I got my dads Cali 92 SC400 so there isnt alot of rust on it but at 218K my driver door latch is tough to get closed and latched, pretty much have to slam it and its near impossible to get out as its behind the equally impossible to remove door track. Driver door window: I lost the lower rear guide pin and the window cocked and ripped the rubber drive puck in the power regulator. You dont have to remove the window, just tape it up and the regulator will unbolt and come out the hole. Valve cover gaskets: both leaked heavily before they were professionally replaced (Dad just paid to have it done) but I dont have any of the other leaks you mention. Power Steering: The line/hose that runs across the lower rad leaks. Must replace. Starter: Even with a new battery, half the time it will kick right over, the other it will really labor like the battery is low but will always start it, I think the brushes or the contactor are shot. IAC motor: Mine had the bearings almost seized in it. 2 skateboard type sealed bearings inside the motor itself caused an 1800 rpm idle until I took the IAC out and realized it wasnt moving. Lubed the bearings up and it idles at 650 now. They were ROUGH! Interior: Door cards falling apart! Evert time I remove them, I break more of the plastic out at the bolt holes. Every one of the holes now has a beer can pull tab as a washer to hold the panel on. Window trim where your arm would rest, they are ALL broken midway and most of those bolt holes are broken too. A/C display blacked out, I soldered in a new one but could never get the backlights to work again? Needle lights are out, grab every set of needles you can find from the SC dashes at your pick-a-part and find the ones that work. IIRC the tach needle polarity changed from the 92 to the 94 years as all the ones I found didnt work until I reversed the polarity (weird). Suspension: keep it lubed! front end gets squeaky. I did the rear bushings on a LS400 and it was pretty easy and really helped the squirrilly back end. But all these things still make these cars pretty much bullet proof and they run great.
My es300 still is mint but it was garage kept from original owner who was old man and it only had 48k miles. All the suspension, seats rubber mounts and molding are in unbelievable pristine condition
Hows the transmission holding up? Im waiting on getting mine back from the shop. Onto trans #4
I have a 97 SC400 150Kmi paid 5300. It's a fairly straight up car. But I have spent 7k+ on rebuilding the suspension and parts for motor. The only issue right now is the PS leaking.
Suspension - P2M upper & Lowers, Links, rear tie rods, etc., PBM coil overs, new hubs & bearings, new brakes - powerstop carbon pads & new rotors, rebuilt the calipers.
Engine - New PS pump and hoses (need to watch your video on the hose thing tho), new timing belt & water pump kit, valve cover gaskets, new drive belt & idler kit. New wires, caps, rotors, plugs. I like the idea of doing away with the hydraulic fan although mine doesn't leak (yet).
Still wrenching - started like 3-4 weeks ago.
Driftmotion braided ss power steering hose
Got a 92 400 I've owned for 20yrs got it w some cluster gauge lights out, replaced my door hinge. Thats about it, none of what you mentioned except for the LCA's of course battery's, tires, struts, the normal stuff. Windows still go up and down all light bulbs still light. California car no rust 300,000 miles. On Club Lexus (the Purple Bullet)
Im looking at one with 270k, cant tell if its a good decision at this point lol its pretty clean tho like "highway cruiser" type but when you inform urself of potential bads you find it. Would love your input, thanks!
@codezalo5773 his is a unicorn...I've owned sc400's for 10+ done alot to them almost everything he listed in the video i have had to fix....most you find are going to be beat unless you find it from a older owner non modified and well maintained
I use to own 1992 SC300 and now the 1998 SC400. I noticed, all the problem was all repaired in my 1998 as I never have problem with it since I have the car. Yes, the starter is hard to change. Make sure to have at least one extra fuel injector as spare just in case you craked it when you pull the injector rail. Renew all the injector seal whenever you change the starter, it can start leaking with old seal ones you move it. I remember having a lot of problem icluding electrical problem or the odometer with 1992 SC300, with 1998 SC400 all those problem are gone and I heard from 1997 to last year 2000 are problem free. I’m still driving my SC400 until now and planning to upgrade the suspension to Tein and will renew the starter also.
I've started addressing some of this stuff with mine. Got parts raring to go. But I'm here right now to build a list of why the car won't stay on for more than a second, lol. I love old luxury, but man do they have their problems!
Just got my 1992 For 2200 180k everything is mint the guy actually bought it from Lexus while working there got tons of service records, plus it’s been old man driven for awhile , 0 rust (although I do live in Texas) So far loving it! the PS pump is extremely loud until warmed up lol and my needles are about at half mass but the temp gauge doesn’t light up at all it’s got really nice apparently rare wheels, I’m pretty amazed at the build quality of these cars ! I had a 98 Avalon that had 290k the car was falling apart and shitty but would start every day! Kinda sold on Toyotas,
But overall kinda bummed out on the aftermarket support for these cars thanks for the SC4 Content maybe down the road supercharger tutorial 👀👀
Congrats on the clean SC! Keep up on the maintenance and you'll put another 200k on it easy. Supercharger will definitely not happen, i don't like them lol
First time viewer because of my interest in SCs but that outro is wild. Subscribed!
Idk you man but you seem like a good guy. I appreciate the information in the sc I have a 400 project and you have been helping me through out my journey. I'm going to start making videos on mine I'll make sure to give you your credits.
Thanks again.
Thanks for the kind words, means a lot
What cold air intake is that 🤔🧐
@@damiancarson7816 i made it myself
Killa vid bro! Great stuff!
Dude, you did a great job!!
Thank you!
I have made write ups on how to fix the door catching on the fender issue and how to rebuild the fuel pump ECU for those interested
Just look up "How to REBUILD your fuel pump ECU (Not the bypass but fix the part itself)" and " Door catching on fender? how to fix the hinge with mostly off the shelf parts." on club Lexus.
i really liked the video, you opened my eyes for a lot of stuff to check out, thanks
My friend brought his 98 sc400 to my house yesterday because the radio wasn't working. The 20 amp radio fuse was blown, I replaced it and it melted completely within seconds. I tried another one, it did the same thing. I said "well, I guess you're not gonna have a radio". I hear this is very common with the Nakamichi sound system.
Cool! Great info. We have a 95 pearl white, fully loaded. We are the 2nd owner it was purchased initially new in 95 for 51k he was a doctor. This SC is cherry as it gets. With 49700 actual miles. Only thing the trunk will fall, other than that it's a beautiful piece.
Thank you the Videos.😊
I drive a 1992 SC400, and I want to keep it forever. Thanks for all the heads up.
No problem, keep up the maintenance and you definitely will drive it forever
@@DingDongDrift I changed my starter a year and a half ago. Holy crap, it took me nearly 70 hours! (Yes, I am slow, because I was learning as I went.)
It's pretty tough just because of the rear water neck and harness. Those bolts are terrible to get to
@@DingDongDrift Indeed. I was able to extract those two starter bolts, thanks to an 18 inch long, double-articulated, swivel-headed ratchet. Without it, the job would have been impossible. I did it WITHOUT touching the water bridge, and without undoing the bundle of wires attached to it, which saved me a lot of mess.
Did you still go from the top?
Excellent video! I don't remember where I found it, but there are posts or videos on how you can make a small aluminum plate that can fit underneath the power steering pump so that any power steering fluid drips will be diverted away from the alternator.
One word to describe an sc, OVERHEAT. if there’s one thing mine is good at, it’s that. Power steering pressure messes with cooling, the quirky hydro fan needs to be treated like a newborn and have a combo of everything working or it won’t turn your fan. These radiators love to pinhole leak at the neck connecting to the tank, and hose your engine down with steam. The thermostat housing also loves to crack or split etc. i still love it but it’s a hefty one to get reliable.
175k on mine and not a single cooling issue.
Yea yours is definitely a one off, never heard of overheating issues.
You got a blown head. Leaky rad.
They eat the rad that's why
Uz cooling tends to be amazing from what ive seen. Maybe you got a bigger issue youre looking at
There is a tiny solenoid valve (maybe two, can't remember) behind the drivers front wheel well attached to the power steering rack. When removed there is a tiny screen in it which blocks. This causes undue pressure which blows the hoses or pump. Clean the screens, no problem, no worries.
What up Norman Reedus' little brother.... I see you over there with that TRD oil cap ;)
Dont know if you have ever taken those front fenders off but 2 things
1) The little clips on the spacers there crack up and then you have to manually line them up from that point on when you put the fender back on
2) The fenders hold so much dirt that on the last car I bought I found a literal plant growing IN the mud at the bottom of the fender.
I live in the south so no snow but PLENTY of mud to sit there and cause that corner to rust
I have own my 95 for about 8 years and yes some of these items need repaired or fixed, door and window issues yes, I flush my power steering fluid every few months to make sure it stays fresh when every I hear the steering make any noise when I turn the wheel (if the power st. pump goes out it will spill on the altnator and starter making a big repair bill) That being said my sc has been one of the best most reliable car's ever!!! and at 150k miles it feels like a new car. I do one upgrade yearly last year it was tires and spark plugs and wires this year will be the timing belt, next year new struts. Don't be fooled it is a awesome car and the only reason I have not gotten a c5. (P.s No I do not drive it in the winter time)
I live in mchenry IL and I’m watching this over and over trying to remember all of this 😅😅 def want to goto a car meet when I can! Mine is stock af almost reaching 105,000 miles I’m def going to watch your videos to change the my 92 SC400 1UZ-FE to not have to worry about these issues 😅 I’ll send a video response to this video and show you the condition of mine
Video responses haven't existed in almost 10 years lol
Great video... If you had the original side mirrors you could have also included that...the mechanism that holds mirror spring breaks causing the mirrors to move around.
Actually i haven't had that happen to either of my cars, but thanks for letting me know
I have a weird idle where the car goes up and down in the revs and i have no idea what it is. I tried playing with the throttle wire but it didnt help, either idled to high or did the up and down idle.
Try cleaning air idle control
Yep, what he said ^ clean the idle air valve
Excellent video!!... I had a black 93 SC400 back in 2006 which had some of these issues especially regarding the leaky powersteering etc. Lol 😆
I bought my SC for 4500 in great condition, and I have been daily-ing on all the nice days and reserving the ES for bad weather duty….
I can’t say I have been disappointed, I actually enjoy it a lot, I have spent a little over 1600 so far to get it where I want it for now but I am going to get a head start on these issues so they don’t surprise me
But I did not buy a 1500 clapper, I came across a nice one
Definitely maintain it before it becomes a clapper lol
Great video. I've always wanted one of these cars. Still thinking about it.
I’ve had an SC for 10 years… where have you been all my life 😂🙏🏼
I've had SCs for 9 years so...
so far had the power steering issue and leaking fuel tank seal 😬
These were my dream cars when I was a poor college student. I preferred the SC over the Supra because the supra attracted too much attention. I finally bought a 1-owner SC300 with 50k miles. Love the car but the engine does heat up. Sold it after 25K miles for the same price I bought it.
I was told you can swap the 1UZ out with a Vortec V8 from Chevy truck and get a plug in play wiring harness but I’m trying to find a video of someone that done that or is doing that
@@LukeDuke01. Why would you swap a worse motor?
Amazing video bro everything you need to know when buying this car
Thank you
I had a few of thes problems mine has now been parked for a while..
I need to get back on her.. I may need to go look at a few of your videos.
Good stuff.
I had most of these problems fixed so far so good, had a rebuilt ecu, replaced fuel pump and fuel pump ecu, air control valve failed replaced it, lower control arm failed, when ball joint slipped out, now my next project is the ps pump which failed slight oil leak at the real cam plug, other than that no major issues, I also have an Ls400 Im getting straight
Sc400 and ls400 too ? Bro our type is rare 🤟💯💯
My sc is having idle problem I start it and it runs fine but when it warms up idle starts lowering and Boggs and wants to turn off , it started after I fixed the starter I need help guys ;(
I have problem with low voltage (no battery icons)??
Does anyone ever have an issue with the car completely turning off after giving it a little power?? Like after drifting it or skirting off the car turns off
All these old gasket leaks ! Without replacing them, could they be re-torqued to extend their working life ?
Thank you for doing this video.....learned a lot!
It's a pleasure agent powers
Nice I bought a 1999 sc400 a couple years back black on black gold emblems from an old lady garage kept got gonna turbo swap trans
I need help/guide on simplifying the engine bay
Hey Ding Dong i have a 1996 sc400 lexus sometimes when i try to accelerate it won't accelerate like a dead spot i have to press the accelerator really hard or stomp it hard to accelerate faster i did the fuel pump bypass new fuel filter car runs and idle fine. Do you think this could be my Tps sensor.
my night time running lights for my tail lights don’t work, what could it be? 99 400
Brake Lamp Failure Module
Hi jist bought my first project, 92 sc400 for 650. Crank but no start Can smell fuel. Its got no cats. Basically header dump. Any leads ?
I have the same issue with my 93 LS400 right now leaking PS fluid on my alternator I think. The car interior lights flicker, and the ACV valve that mounts to the bottom of the PS pump is more than likely junk, I filled it with AFT when I realized that I had no fluid and I noticed zero difference, lmao.
Sourcing a new reliable PS pump, not the cheapest. Not sure what brands are good off e-bay, etc. I'm looking at an SC400 that might need this done too, but I don't know yet. My LS is an Arizona only car, and this SC I found 2hrs away from me is a Cali car.
5:36 if broken how do I replace
Have to remove the entire mechanism and reweld it
usually they will need new crank seals, crank shaft position sensors, power steering, lower control arms, and the starter for some. mine also needed a new fuel pump ecu and had clogged primary cats at around 130,000 miles . can be pretty expensive but they do run nice after that haha
Yea it's a bit of a list for most cars lol
That's it?😅 my sc300 is a Hazmat area ⚠️☣☢
Did you do the fuel pump ECU yourself?
@@75lord no i actually had my guy just bypass it completely. works great
I have a 1995 Lexus sc400. It has been sitting for 4 years. So I drained the old gas and put 5 gallons of fresh new gas. My car is having a hard time starting. It cranks and cranks before it turns over. Sometimes it takes several tries. It started and ran perfectly fine for 30 minutes or so at normal operating temp. Shortly after, the temp gauge started to rise slightly and the car just shut off. Hard to start again, would crank but not start. do you know what it could be?
Position crank sensor happened to my 4runner. The overheating might be a separate issue. Good luck...
What about my engine tick 😩😩
Are these problems on the 1998+ models
Great video 👍😁
Thank you man!
I am officially proclaiming this the SC400 Bible.
So much truth has never been spit.
Lol preach it
I got a SC400 96 do you want to buy from me it needs a little bit of work
good stuff, ty! car looks so good!! the colors grown on me for sure, but pleeease put a magic drift poly lip on front if your going to keep running that bumper ;)
I have no idea what that lip is, but I'm making a new bumper soon
Sick sc400 m8 crazy how much you did since I saw your last video
Quite a lot has changed! When's the last time you watched?
@@DingDongDrift since before the paint job, been busy working on my own gold 96'
Dang that's a while!
My question is do these cars have 2 variant engines? Like b8 and 2jz
Yes
Was waiting for the door hinge, mine is bad and have to carefully open/close it, you can just adjust the fender to fix it? I've replaced the hinge but the same issue
You can adjust the fender a very small amount, sometimes it's enough to fix it. There's someone in Australia that fixes these hinges and adds a grease fitting so you can maintain them a little.
@@DingDongDrift wish they made rebuild kits for them
Yea would be cool
Nice video man. If I had more time and money I think I'd get one as my second vehicle.
I have an issue when I step on the throttle all the way when I’m going 50mph the car used to downshift to the lowest gear possible but now when I’m going 50 and step on it, it only downshifts one gear so it feel slower but when I use the gears it still accelerates fast
Overdrive on?
There's a switch below the pedal on the firewall, that's the kick down switch to drop 2 gears. If that doesn't work or maybe floor mat covers it that could be causing your issue.
I wanna delete all the unnecessary components like you've done!
Imma look threw all your vidz in hopes you have some to help me complete it!
Thanks for the great info!!
I think my pdm video or my weigh-in video do a good job of explaining everything that I've removed
@@DingDongDrift I'll be looking at all of em lol.
My sc in great condition for Ontario CA weather. Been garage kept for the 20+ years
Definitely in that same Chicago rust belt you speak of.
Anyway, thanks man! So hard to find correct information on these beauty's
Got a 1992 sc300 need to replace trunk strutt
When you remove the idle air control valve where do you re route the hoses to? Or do you plug each one up completely?
Just plug everything
@@DingDongDrift Thank you! Ive been having issues with mine and prices for a new one are crazy. Figured itd just be better to just get a block off plate instead
@@rickey2gs733 it won't work without a standalone ecu
50k miles on mine so far and only issue I've ran into is the power steering pump leaking onto alternator, flca bushings, and rear subframe bushings..
How the hell you only have 50k miles?
150k? 😲
The power steering pump, my God. The bypass thing , I replaced it with a oil drain bolt and Teflon tape because it would leak into the intake and the. Looks like a 2 stroke from start up. The steering didn't feel very different but just a little but very unnoticeable. Supposedly it makes steering better but what ever
I've had damn near had everything you said happen but I'm not letting it go..My Boo Thang!😉
I told you i know what I'm talking about lol
I still want a 1uz but now I'm just a little intimidated about it
What mirrors???
I mustve been lucky. 3 yr soarer owner i havent had any of the first 4 problems listed. Ecu, however, big thing. Major thing. And fuel pump ecu. Personally, i havent had a problem with the fuel pump ecu, but everyone i know has the problem along with the main ecu. Big things the soarers are notorious for 100%. Just recently had to do crank and cam seals and oil pan reseal. Yea, they leak from these places. The emv/climate control, yup they go out. Easy to replace tho, or get fixed. Yup doord are fckn heavy, the door cards break. Havent had wheel well wiring fck up on me, but all my mates have them problems. Good video if u looking at soarers/sc400s. These problems are what u would expect. But they are fckin reliable tho. Just minor things being an old car
Hey bro, been searching the forums but can’t find much. I have a 95 400. Whenever I cold start the trans will slip for 5 mins or so until it warms up. Any ideas?
Check the fluid level
Is it still worth it though
I have an 96 custom SC400 3,050 lbs and runs mid 4 second 0-60...lots of fun! I'm very interested in the COP ignition set-up you're running! Are you running a standalone ECU? Personally, I luv the CD009 set-up, but my car has an upgraded auto/shift kit with gated shifter, so with reasonably low miles, I'm not drifting and no plans to go manual w/respect to standalone. I wish I knew how to keep the factory ECU for automatic transmission and fuel only, while using the FORD EDIS 8 Ignition system... any thoughts? Incidentally, my car lately, will only start, then stalls out. I've been unable to repair and, since I've deleted everything emissions related and no cats, I'm not going to take it to a local mechanic, so he can bill me for hours of troubleshooting! It seems to be, that the ECU is cutting fuel off? When I just barely crack the throttle, then it cuts off(severe lean condition)...can spray starter fluid into TB and manually keep it running. I'd definitely like to bypass or delete the MAF...any advice or help? Anyway, the factory ECU has been repaired 2 times(leaky capacitors) and I've recently sent it back to SIA Electronics, because it's not communicating with the OBD2 port. PS luv the yellow! 👍
Update on my 96 SC400; Since I'm not required to have emmisions/inspection, I'm in the process of installing the Microsquirt AMP'D DIY standalone ECU and will be piggybacking the trans to the factory ECU. Also installed the 2UZFE COP system. Microsquirt AMP'D allows for full engine control via laptop and illiminates the high cost associated with most aftermarket ECU systems. Of course you need to have the ability to understand basic engine requirements(understanding) and reading of wiring diagrams. You'll need the OEM colored ECU wiring schematic. This will require me building my own dedicated engine wiring harness. Benefits: removal of rpm limiter, speed limiter, 2 step launch control, MAF delete, AICV delete, timing control, NOS activation, fuel control (wideband) and more!
PS factory ECU is holding the 1 UZFE back..it's a mild OEM economy tune and can't be hacked. If you're looking to build power with add-ons, such as headers, intake, your gains will be limited by the factory ECU. My .02
Yoo what have u done to run mid 4seconds .
I have a clean one and would like to swap to manual & thought about supercharging bc it’s my daily and Need reliability . Thoughts ?!
So, I can't promise anyone the same results on 0-60, as my car is custom and I'm @ 368 feet elevation.
Here's the primary upgrades:
Transgo performance shift kit w/2000 SC300 gated shifter (shifter is key to consistent manual control)!
* 500 lbs weight reduction w/detachable hood for additional 50 lbs/hood pins required.
* Welded 3:92 diff
* Titan solid subframe bushings
* Supra TT rear solid swaybar
*Poly bushings throughout, i.e., upper/lower control arms.
* Cut coils; 1 front and 1.5 rear.
(stiffer/lowered to 49.5" height).
* Sunroof delete
* Solid PS bracket/bushings and delete.
*A/C delete
" ABS delete
* EGR/AICV delete
*2000 LS 400 brake upgrade w/SS lines.
* Battery relocation (trunk/passengers side)
Note: all of these suspension upgrades impact how well the car consistently launches..very planted!
Engine:
*upgraded air intake..to cold air at fog light entrance.
* Ported upper/lower intake plenum (gasket matched).
* Ported heads @ intake(gasket matched)
* Electric fan
* Hydro fan delete
*2000 GS 400 ported exhaust manifolds.
" Primary/secondary/resonator delete with 2.25" true dual exhaust w/H pipe and no mufflers.
* Coolant bypass/TRAC delete@ T.B.
* Water meth injection@ wide open throttle.
Note: these are the primary upgrades, which allowed me to run mid to consistent high 4's
The key is power to weight! My SC weighs 3,050# w/o hood; add great gearing (3:92) w/ solid manual shift control and an estimated 300 HP/310 TQ
AND YOU end up with a solid performer!
I've done much research and have a background in primarily drag racing, however I've also had great appreciation for excellent canyon carvers (well balanced/handling) sports cars.
Take a look at the C5-C6 Corvette.. granted stock for stock they're superior, however look at these vettes as proven performers and then look at what potential the SC400 shares, i.e., front mid engine, equal wheel base.
So address the SC's weak areas.. weight, brakes, suspension, track width, etc.. and you now have a competitive, high speed, excellent handling a stable car!
All depends on your goal...retain luxury or compromise for performance? I've retained many of the luxury features, but my goal is SPORTS CAR performance over the heavy luxury goals of LEXUS.
The SC has a very stiff chassis(well engineered!
Hope this helps 👍
PS I'm currently deleting the factory ECU and building a custom engine harness for the DIY Megasquirt/Microsquirt AMP'd. This will further improve my performance by offering tuning capability and overcoming the conservative economy tune by Lexus.
Examples: 2 step launch control, RPM cutout, MAP vs MAF, COP, Fuel and timing control.
Unfortunately, this system isn't legal, if you live in an area requiring emmisions.
As for adding Super charger, the early 1 UZ can take boost 10-12+. However, I'm not wishing to create more front engine weight and having the 96/second Gen 1 UZ w/microsquirt AMP'd, I'll be able to add NOS activation/control and safely add 75-100 additional HP, which places me In a highly competitive class with modern performance cars, while retaining reliability and without adding additional weight and clutter to the engine compartment..My .02
I'm looking at one that has random multiple misfires, it's a 1998 SC400 and the guy's replaced al the sparkplugs, checked the coil packs and the injectors. Any idea what else it might be?
ECU
@@DingDongDrift blown caps?
Possibly, could also be running rich or lean, both can cause misfires. Hard to tell from just words.
@@DingDongDrift you're absolutely right that it's hard to diagnose with just words. What things should I look at if it's a rich or lean fuel issue?
O2 sensors, ignition problems, fuel pump, injectors, fuel filter, ECU
Thank you for making this video. So much stupid crap gets put out there and takes attention away from meaningful content; like this
Im thinking about getting a 1992 sc400 99k miles. Should i get it? How should it be properly maintained?
What should i look out for when buying one.
Thinking about getting 1, do y’all recommend it or not ?? So far it’s been my fav car but not sure wether to get it or not
eyeballing this 1992 model for $6,400 with 89,938 miles on itand they re did all the brakes recently and the ECU/Speedo and RPM needles/EGR/Coil packs/spark plugs/Fuel filter/Fuel pressure regulator/MAF/Cam sensor/Crankshaft sensors and more he says...Should I go look at it and buy it?
Yea i still want one. Not as a daily but def as my project car
Smart choice
If you had the plans of maybe getting a SC and CD009 swapping it and wanted to modify it would you get a 300 to boost or would you get a 400? If you get a SC400 how much power is possible? Obviously the 300 can be boosted easily but what could be done to the V8? Maybe an aluminum L33 5.3 with worked heads, cam, intake and etc?
You can boost a stock 1uz the same exact amount as a stock 2jz
The genesis of the 1UZ was the CART IRL Indy V8 Toyota bult in the 90s. The engine is solid, has six bolt mains and will take boost. Surf for it as I've come across a few posts on it.
aftermarket for 2j is far better, na-t, forge internals are easier to get ahold of...ran 1uz on 9psi for years until 2 rods went wifi 2 months ago had skinnier rod 1uz 500hp is the limit...cheaper to get power from 2jz.. boosting both on stock motors is about the same numbers wise.
Ding Dong u said u know these cars i have a question for you i have a 1996 sc400 lexus been running fine the i had a crank no start condition change crank sensors, camshaft sensor, new spark plugs new igniters change the two coil pack new fuel pump new fuel filter got ecu check and done new temp sensor for radiator clean maf sensor switch idle air control valve still no start i smell gas when trying to start car could my exhaust system be clogged or do i have a leaky valve car was running great i do have a check engine light but ob2 doesn't work neither under the hood man can u give me a possibility of what might be wrong.
You had your ecu checked? By who? Try tapping the EFI relay while the key is turned to ON and see if it starts.
@@DingDongDrift ecu check and repair by Rentless Motorsports Texas. the Guy name is Josh he does great work on 1uz ecu. i didn't mention but i change the efi fuse but didn't tap it would that cause it to smell like gas when im trying to crank it. Sorry for the late responds didn't know u answer back.
It smells like gas because there's no spark but the injectors are still firing. You're not getting 12v to the MREL pin on the EFI relay which disables ignition. usually this is a side effect of a bad ECU, my car had the same exact problem. You need another ECU. Stop trying to replace every part. Sometimes this is also caused by a bad ground somewhere.
@@DingDongDrift i had my ecu repair also exchange it out with a ecu from a friend sc400 same year as mines still same result i'll try pressing down on the efi relay to see if that's works. where is the locations of the grounds. i know there are severals grounds on this car.
Tapping not pressing down. Have someone crank the engine while you lightly tap on the relay. There's a ground behind the engine on the firewall, one on the driver frame rail by the battery, and a few others i don't remember exactly where they are.
A better solution than direct wiring the fuel pump would be to use the ECU's voltage output to run a relay. Even if it's a bit low it will still operate the relay.
I have a 06 gs430 having hard downshifting from 2nd to 1st gear...club lexus forums recommend a ECU needing to be flashed and reprogrammed...have you heard of this issues...3uz...if so where would you recommend to send off for ECU...
i know nothing about GS430s
This is great, can you do videos like this for other cars?
If i had the cars and knew all their problems lol
Would you recommend these cars to people who are willing to work on them?
Yes
$1500 more like 5-7k here in MN
Literally gave me PTSD😭😂
lmao every SC owner knows and has lived through the pain.
Hey! I recently bought an SC400 that has been sitting for two years, I've got it started and everything running good, the only problem is.. is that when I floor it and it goes up to 3000k (pretty slowly too btw) it drops down to around 2k and keeps climbing back up just to fall again.. it makes a braaaaa braaa braaa sound because the revs just climb up and fall down. the car passes 3k revs in neutral when revving but since i cant put more than 50% acceleration it either shifts before it drops or it flies to 3k then does the dropping thing.. any ideas??
Is yours throwing a P0715 Code?
@@robotviewer1396 dont remember, sold the car the problem was impossible to fix. just dont like sc's. dont get one.
wish me luck. found a 98 sc400 original owner garage kept for 15 years. owner claims ps and alternator went out. it has 60k miles grandma driven. They want $1000... body and interior are pristine.
Holy shit buy it then sell it to me for $1500
@@DingDongDriftthat comment alone makes me feel like i hit the lottery 🤣. I Guess i found a gem. I have to finalize paperwork and pick it up.
93 sc400 local with 250k for $1200 obo. They said they went to drive it and had no gears just all neutral. This usually means death of a trans but I hear the drivetrain is usually bulletproof. Owners says it wasn't beat or abused but don't they all. Any ideas? Is it Worth throwing them a $600 offer to take on this project. I enjoy import cars and have owned cicvis, Subarus, a Celica, and a dodge stealth. I've always known the sc's as luxury supras and seeing one pop local as me excited.