PaVarrieur

My 1999 RX 300 Has developed a noise emminating from the Air conditioner compressor. Air off, and the pulling is making a grinding noise. Air on and compressor is making a whine. Has anyone else experienced this problem?

LexRX

Sorry, I haven't come across it. Where from Georgia are you from?

GRAYM

My '00 air conditioner has just started doing that. I think that it may need to be recharged since it never was. It goes to the shop next week.

c4791p

My 2001 IS300 is not yet four years old and without warning developed the exact same symptoms. Answer from the Lexus dealer who had been servicing it completely on schedule since the day we've owned it, needs new compressor to the tune of $1900 plus tax.

Regretfully, because my wife uses this for her real estate work and we'd taken a couple of driving vacations, my milage sits at 59,000 and the dealer is basically saying "Too bad, so sad."

Who the hell ever heard of an air conditioner compressor dying after less than four years of life. Especially one on a Lexus.

We were contemplating buying the car out of its lease at the end of July, but not any more. Having fears that Toyota A/C is just another symptom of cost cutting at Toyota as are the seals that they use to join the automatic transmission to their front wheel drive setups on the ES300 and all the regular toyota line, which start to leak and cost 1800 to repair.

PaVarrieur

I posted this problem with my air conditioner quite some time ago, but I will fill you in on the details. The dealer quoted $1800.00 to me as well to replace the compressor. I found them available on the internet for $380.00. I took the car to an independent a/c shop and had them evacuate the system. I replaced the compressor myself, returned to the A/C shop, had them recharge the system, and was good to go. This was amost two years ago and no problems. Total cost $530,00. When the transmission needed service, the dealer told me it would be $600.00 for a fluid drain and filter replacement. Once again I found the parts (filter and Trans pan Gasket, "o" rings etc. available on the internet. You must use synthetic trans fluid which is expensive, but my total cost when doing it myself as $50.00.

Paul Varrieur

1999 Lexus RX 300
1990 BMW 525i
1987 BMW 325i
1974 Mercedes Benz 280c
1972 Chevrolet El Camino
1999 BMW K1200RS (motorcycle)

joako

If anything, call any Toyota dealer and ask them what the cost is to replace the compressor on the same year Toyota Camry would be, you'll be surprised how much cheaper it is.

c4791p

Just to let you know it pays to make noise. Took 10 days, but Lexus is eating the cost of the A/C Compressor and my share is dealer cost price for the receiver/dryer, a/c clutch, installation and miscellenaeous shop stuff plux tax on my portion. The service folks estimate that gets me out the door at $850-860 versus the $1900 plus tax first quoted.

I expect my continued use of the same Lexus dealer year after year for all service and maintenance helped my argument.

Chuck

PaVarrieur

Why are they replacing the receiver / dryer if the problem is the compressor? Also, i do not believe you can replace the compressor without the clutch on this model compressor.

Paul Varrieur

c4791p

The receiver dryer is always a question of whether it should be changed, but the only way I get anything out of this is for the Lexus dealer to do the work, and they won't unless the receiver dryer is changed out. And as to the other question, the compressor and clutch I too always thought came assembled together, however they are sold as separate part numbers, and a part number for a combined compressor w/cluch factory installed can't be found.

Chuck

Lil4X

AC compressors usually fail prematurely as the result of some other problem. Have your system pressure checked at least yearly (more often in an infernal climate). Loss of refrigerant is accompanied by loss of lubricating oil, and disaster awaits. I put 3 compressors in a '82 Olds Cutlass in less than two years. Failed follower bearing (factory, out of warranty); failed shaft seal, causing main bearing failure, and a second main bearing failure, cause unknown - these were the mechanic’s diagnoses. I finally sold the car with less than 32K on it, permanently solving the problem. After nearly $3200 worth of AC trouble, the transmission started losing gears. The day I traded it, I pulled on the dealer's lot with a 1-speed. Fortunately that thief didn't test drive it. That was my last American car.

Most shops will want to change the dryer (about $75) anytime they open the system to the atmosphere. Back when I did my own service, I simply plugged the lines to keep moisture out while I replaced a major part. Don't know if that's effective, but it worked for me. Nowadays many systems combine the dryer with the receiver - to squeeze the system into a smaller space. Maybe, but it seems to be more profitable for the mechanic, too.

Congratulations on your "negotiated" price! Cutting the cost by half should make you feel a little better...

PaVarrieur

Again
I believe that "Dealers" charge for the clutch seperately, but I did find one on line that came with the clutch for a lot less money. I also agree that plugging the system should be fine for the receiver / dryer. Hard to think contaminants can invade a system protected as such. But they are in the buisiness of selling parts (at inflated dealer prices) as well as as much labor as they can "justify". I recently did a complete brake job on this same vehicle. Quoted price from Lexus dealer, $600.00 per axle, or $1200.00. Bought all the parts from NAPA, Pads, Rotors. Fluid, (remember, this is just a glorified Camry) and it only cost $300.00.

Paul Varrieur

SilverSprt

[QUOTE=PaVarrieur;924111]... When the transmission needed service, the dealer told me it would be $600.00 for a fluid drain and filter replacement. Once again I found the parts (filter and Trans pan Gasket, "o" rings etc. available on the internet. You must use synthetic trans fluid which is expensive, but my total cost when doing it myself as $50.00...QUOTE]

Anyone who requires $600 bucks for a fluid drain and filter replacement should be jailed! That's absolutely ridiculous!! This isn't rocket science...

thomas1

I would suspect if the airconditioner was working fine, the replacement of just the clutch was all that was necessary. I had a Dodge Caravan that had the clutch replaced a couple of times. (crappy clutches.) Then it went for another 80k miles without a problem... Some dealerslips are just rapeing the consummer.

Carver

Back from the dead threads creep me out. It's a bunch of different people saying the exact same thing that is being said today, like all those intervening years don't mean a thing, like there's a billion alternate universes all whining about their Lexii, same song, different yodelers, makes you wonder, eh Sparky?

jonle

The A/C on my '99 RX300 died today at 153K mi. I was traveling on the freeway and A/C was blowing cold fora while, then just warm air came out, temperature was set on cold. When I stopped the car, put it in Park then turn off/on the A/C switch, first i hear a strange whining noise of the compressor engaging then it dissapeared. Now when i press the the A/C on, I don't hear the clutch engaging nor the whining noise nor the RPM increase on the Tach.
At this point I'm not sure if the the A/C clutch went or the compressor did.
A few questions:
Can the compressor be re-built?
Can the clutch be re-built/replaced incase the compressor is ok?
Is there a good source for a new compressor?

Thanks,
Jon