Replacing rear liftgate 08 RX350 DIY
08-13-15, 09:10 AM
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Replacing rear liftgate 08 RX350 DIY
Last week we experienced a small yest costly mishap with our 08 RX350 when it was driven into the garage with the lift gate up. The rear glass shattered along with a decent size dent in the door surrounding the rear center emblem and a few scratches and scrapes. The garage door as well as opener also sustained some damage.
After a few tissues and words of encouragement to my wife.....I began to assess the plan to get it fixed. Deductible = $1000. Replacing just the glass alone was $840 plus the wiper unit needed replaced as it cracked. The tailgate will be nearly another $1000 in body/paint.
I found an 09 lift gate (matching color) in very good condition for $700. Although the removal of the door appears relatively simple there is this LOUD voice inside my head screaming that it will be anything but simple to hang the new door FLUSH.
Has anyone tackled this repair / replacement? If so, any words of advice / encouragement / discouragement? Also, the spare tail gate has the far right wiring harness lines correctly disconnected (two lines) but the center and the left side harness was simply cut. Anyone have a diagram for rear gate wiring harness layout?
Your feedback is appreciated as well as your words of sympathy and quiet shaking of heads.
After a few tissues and words of encouragement to my wife.....I began to assess the plan to get it fixed. Deductible = $1000. Replacing just the glass alone was $840 plus the wiper unit needed replaced as it cracked. The tailgate will be nearly another $1000 in body/paint.
I found an 09 lift gate (matching color) in very good condition for $700. Although the removal of the door appears relatively simple there is this LOUD voice inside my head screaming that it will be anything but simple to hang the new door FLUSH.
Has anyone tackled this repair / replacement? If so, any words of advice / encouragement / discouragement? Also, the spare tail gate has the far right wiring harness lines correctly disconnected (two lines) but the center and the left side harness was simply cut. Anyone have a diagram for rear gate wiring harness layout?
Your feedback is appreciated as well as your words of sympathy and quiet shaking of heads.
08-14-15, 04:37 AM
#2
I imagine that the wire harness color will be the same in your current RX as in the newer. I doubt Lexus, or anyone else that makes thousands of the same model, would risk having one car with one pin out and then, the following year iteration with another.
In case they are not the same, you can use a multi-meter (diode test) and figure out a lot of them. Depressing the button should short out two of the wires. If the annoying beep noise comes out of the door, then that should already have continuity. I don't know how big the bundle is so I am not sure how tedious this will become. I would use the bad door to see if any of the components have an issue with current flow going in reverse (the grounded side now being the one to get power).
Edit: I just went and looked at how it is mounted. It looks pretty easy. To get it flush, I would make sure that all bolts are in before I tightened any of them down. I would also do the outside (curb side and road side) bolts of the two primary hinges first. Then, make sure the motor arm bolts align. If they do, then do the inside hinge bolts and verify that the motor arm is still aligned. Then tighten everything down, mount the struts, and test the auto-door. If it detects resistance, it should pop back up. It looks like the power to the motor is inside the body and not the door, so you should not need to worry about making sure you wired it correctly.
Overall it looks like a job that will also require a ladder, a tall friend, a large pizza, and a case of beer. I would rate it a 2 / 5 for difficulty and probably a 4 / 5 for PITA.
Last edited by snydertalo; 08-14-15 at 06:15 AM.
08-16-15, 07:31 AM
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"Overall it looks like a job that will also require a ladder, a tall friend, a large pizza, and a case of beer. I would rate it a 2 / 5 for difficulty and probably a 4 / 5 for PITA"
That, my friend, was spot on!!! 1.5 hrs of work amongst 3 friends to remove and replace AND everything lined up AND worked the first time (even the spray nozzle for rear deck). I highly doubted the outcome before attempting the swap, thinking of countless attempts to get the alignment and fit just right BUT the fine engineers at Lexus designed and built the cars so that was all avoided. Kudos to Lexus!!
Then it was 2 hours of drinking a case of beer in lawn chairs inside the garage telling war stories and lies. Steaks on the grill today as further payment of time and friendship.
Appreciate your feedback and now consider myself a lift gate replacement pro....bring on your questions and problems.
That, my friend, was spot on!!! 1.5 hrs of work amongst 3 friends to remove and replace AND everything lined up AND worked the first time (even the spray nozzle for rear deck). I highly doubted the outcome before attempting the swap, thinking of countless attempts to get the alignment and fit just right BUT the fine engineers at Lexus designed and built the cars so that was all avoided. Kudos to Lexus!!
Then it was 2 hours of drinking a case of beer in lawn chairs inside the garage telling war stories and lies. Steaks on the grill today as further payment of time and friendship.
Appreciate your feedback and now consider myself a lift gate replacement pro....bring on your questions and problems.
08-17-15, 02:00 PM
#5
"Overall it looks like a job that will also require a ladder, a tall friend, a large pizza, and a case of beer. I would rate it a 2 / 5 for difficulty and probably a 4 / 5 for PITA"
That, my friend, was spot on!!! 1.5 hrs of work amongst 3 friends to remove and replace AND everything lined up AND worked the first time (even the spray nozzle for rear deck). I highly doubted the outcome before attempting the swap, thinking of countless attempts to get the alignment and fit just right BUT the fine engineers at Lexus designed and built the cars so that was all avoided. Kudos to Lexus!!
Then it was 2 hours of drinking a case of beer in lawn chairs inside the garage telling war stories and lies. Steaks on the grill today as further payment of time and friendship.
Appreciate your feedback and now consider myself a lift gate replacement pro....bring on your questions and problems.
That, my friend, was spot on!!! 1.5 hrs of work amongst 3 friends to remove and replace AND everything lined up AND worked the first time (even the spray nozzle for rear deck). I highly doubted the outcome before attempting the swap, thinking of countless attempts to get the alignment and fit just right BUT the fine engineers at Lexus designed and built the cars so that was all avoided. Kudos to Lexus!!
Then it was 2 hours of drinking a case of beer in lawn chairs inside the garage telling war stories and lies. Steaks on the grill today as further payment of time and friendship.
Appreciate your feedback and now consider myself a lift gate replacement pro....bring on your questions and problems.
The remedy to this problem is simple. I give up a garage space and she now back into the garage right stack in the middle taking up both spaces. We are both happy with this solution. She has more space to maneuver with 2 kids. And I don't have to worry about a third time. Bes of all, it saves me 2 minutes per day to check for dings on my Avalon (for those who has young kids you know what I am talking about and bad news for my regular ding/dent repair guy)
08 Avalon Touring (mine)
08 RX350 AWD (wife)
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