A8l w12 ceja 6.3
Thread Starter
Lexus Champion
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 17,926
Likes: 1,702
From: Ohio
I had fun working DIY on my car for the last 3 years cuz it's been so long since I've done anything DIY on my cars.
I'm talking NOTHING DIY, not even oil changes, was getting that done at quick lube places too.
Add, exception,I did fix a couple electrical issues on my old CL500 but Im kinda set up for electrical repairs so those were easy.
Striker, Im guessing the Audi is a keeper by seeing how much work you've put into it.
Do you like it more than your LS460 and your last LS430?
Car sure looks good and interior rocks.
I'm talking NOTHING DIY, not even oil changes, was getting that done at quick lube places too.
Add, exception,I did fix a couple electrical issues on my old CL500 but Im kinda set up for electrical repairs so those were easy.
Striker, Im guessing the Audi is a keeper by seeing how much work you've put into it.
Do you like it more than your LS460 and your last LS430?
Car sure looks good and interior rocks.
This car totally outclasses anything Lexus has ever made, it's not fair to compare it to the 430 or 460 lol! Easily the best car I've ever owned in every way
Thread Starter
Lexus Champion
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 17,926
Likes: 1,702
From: Ohio
Everything is done now but I do have something broken, the passenger side transmission active mount is torn nearly entirely though lol!
This sucks, there goes $1000 for the pair.....
Also really sucks since I'm just going to do all 5 now since one has died.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 19,487
Likes: 3,672
From: California
Since you are doing it yourself, the cost won't be too bad. It was $1400 to do all the mounts in the Camry (3.3L V6), which included labor. I probably have to do the same in our Sienna soon...you can feel engine vibration when going full throttle
Thread Starter
Lexus Champion
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 17,926
Likes: 1,702
From: Ohio
I'm not charging enough money....I just did a RX (harder) for $850 parts included lol!
My mounts are $1000 in parts for the two engine units and the pair of active trans mounts, the trans tail mount is somehow still perfect. I don't think it is subject to much/any stress really, it's probably mostly the trans side mounts that get the beating based on the layout. The moment of failure was hilarious though, I was working on the exhaust pipes and the mount just "dropped" as I was zoning out operating a tool. Just blank staring at the mount and it failed in real time lol!
If it makes you feel any better about the Camry though the dealer price for the trans service, diffs, t-case, and TVD was $1300+300+300+450+300 and I know front brakes are $4500 with parts included on all of them. Utterly insane IMO, but makes sense with a 200k car and all.....there is no way I would own anything like this if I couldn't just fix whatever I needed!
Lexus Champion
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 19,487
Likes: 3,672
From: California
Holy $#!% $1400!?!?? For the Camry!
I'm not charging enough money....I just did a RX (harder) for $850 parts included lol!
My mounts are $1000 in parts for the two engine units and the pair of active trans mounts, the trans tail mount is somehow still perfect. I don't think it is subject to much/any stress really, it's probably mostly the trans side mounts that get the beating based on the layout. The moment of failure was hilarious though, I was working on the exhaust pipes and the mount just "dropped" as I was zoning out operating a tool. Just blank staring at the mount and it failed in real time lol!
If it makes you feel any better about the Camry though the dealer price for the trans service, diffs, t-case, and TVD was $1300+300+300+450+300 and I know front brakes are $4500 with parts included on all of them. Utterly insane IMO, but makes sense with a 200k car and all.....there is no way I would own anything like this if I couldn't just fix whatever I needed!
I'm not charging enough money....I just did a RX (harder) for $850 parts included lol!
My mounts are $1000 in parts for the two engine units and the pair of active trans mounts, the trans tail mount is somehow still perfect. I don't think it is subject to much/any stress really, it's probably mostly the trans side mounts that get the beating based on the layout. The moment of failure was hilarious though, I was working on the exhaust pipes and the mount just "dropped" as I was zoning out operating a tool. Just blank staring at the mount and it failed in real time lol!
If it makes you feel any better about the Camry though the dealer price for the trans service, diffs, t-case, and TVD was $1300+300+300+450+300 and I know front brakes are $4500 with parts included on all of them. Utterly insane IMO, but makes sense with a 200k car and all.....there is no way I would own anything like this if I couldn't just fix whatever I needed!
Most of the cost was labor for the mounts, I believe 3 altogether. Stuff is just more expensive here in the Bay area. He probably pays twice the rent on his shop than you do. Also the cost of labor is more expensive...he told me he pays his mechanic almost $40 an hour
Lexus Champion
Joined: Apr 2019
Posts: 11,126
Likes: 1,560
From: FL
The days of finding a good mechanic for a good price may be long gone.
The good ones are not cheap and the cheaper ones seem to only want to do bread and butter easy jobs like suspension and brakes.
Have a real issue and they will bounce you from shop to shop because unless it has a code to read, forget it. Lol
Yeah, they charge a lot and only seem to want the easy jobs. Lol
Those engine mounts on a Toyota is GRAVY money, cha ching. Lol
The good ones are not cheap and the cheaper ones seem to only want to do bread and butter easy jobs like suspension and brakes.
Have a real issue and they will bounce you from shop to shop because unless it has a code to read, forget it. Lol
Yeah, they charge a lot and only seem to want the easy jobs. Lol
Those engine mounts on a Toyota is GRAVY money, cha ching. Lol
Lexus Champion
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 19,487
Likes: 3,672
From: California
The days of finding a good mechanic for a good price may be long gone.
The good ones are not cheap and the cheaper ones seem to only want to do bread and butter easy jobs like suspension and brakes.
Have a real issue and they will bounce you from shop to shop because unless it has a code to read, forget it. Lol
Yeah, they charge a lot and only seem to want the easy jobs. Lol
Those engine mounts on a Toyota is GRAVY money, cha ching. Lol
The good ones are not cheap and the cheaper ones seem to only want to do bread and butter easy jobs like suspension and brakes.
Have a real issue and they will bounce you from shop to shop because unless it has a code to read, forget it. Lol
Yeah, they charge a lot and only seem to want the easy jobs. Lol
Those engine mounts on a Toyota is GRAVY money, cha ching. Lol
Lexus Champion
Joined: Apr 2019
Posts: 11,126
Likes: 1,560
From: FL
The mechanic I use, I've been using since 2009. Most honest mechanic I've ever met. He won't even charge me if I bring my car in and it turns out to be something that came loose. Once my brakes were squeaking pretty bad, he took them apart and found that the last guy who did brakes used heavy duty brakes that make a lot of noise. There was about 6 months left on them, so he put everything back together and refused to charge me for the labor! He could have just put in new brakes and I would have never known. I trust him to the point where I tell him if he finds an issue (other than the one he is working on), just fix it and bill me.
And, I'm sure he appreciates your repeat business too.
The biggest compliment you can do for someone who does honest service is a referral to others.
I appreciate my regular customers and they send me so much referral business.
Honestly, my regular customers and their referals IS my bread and butter.
So much harder to earn someone's business than to just treat them right and they return again.
Now that's a WIN WIN!
Shazam! Rite On!
PS-I would say Striker is quite a few notches above the average tech ability out there after seeing his work.
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Lexus Champion
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 19,487
Likes: 3,672
From: California
That's awesome Amirza!
And, I'm sure he appreciates your repeat business too.
The biggest compliment you can do for someone who does honest service is a referral to others.
I appreciate my regular customers and they send me so much referral business.
Honestly, my regular customers and their referals IS my bread and butter.
So much harder to earn someone's business than to just treat them right and they return again.
Now that's a WIN WIN!
Shazam! Rite On!
PS-I would say Striker is quite a few notches above the average tech ability out there after seeing his work.
And, I'm sure he appreciates your repeat business too.
The biggest compliment you can do for someone who does honest service is a referral to others.
I appreciate my regular customers and they send me so much referral business.
Honestly, my regular customers and their referals IS my bread and butter.
So much harder to earn someone's business than to just treat them right and they return again.
Now that's a WIN WIN!
Shazam! Rite On!
PS-I would say Striker is quite a few notches above the average tech ability out there after seeing his work.
CL Community Team
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 9,314
Likes: 585
From: IL
The mechanic I use, I've been using since 2009. Most honest mechanic I've ever met. He won't even charge me if I bring my car in and it turns out to be something that came loose. Once my brakes were squeaking pretty bad, he took them apart and found that the last guy who did brakes used heavy duty brakes that make a lot of noise. There was about 6 months left on them, so he put everything back together and refused to charge me for the labor! He could have just put in new brakes and I would have never known. I trust him to the point where I tell him if he finds an issue (other than the one he is working on), just fix it and bill me.
Now that my E90 is going to my son, it's good to know he has a trustworthy place to take it for work that exceeds his or my ability or desire to do.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 68,096
Likes: 3,870
From: Maryland
Lexus Champion
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 19,487
Likes: 3,672
From: California
I have one of these and it's such a great situation to be in. A few years ago I had him replace my trans pan and all the internal seals as preventative maintenance, which was already a relatively expensive service (just under $800). But I told him to go ahead and replace the solenoids while he was in there if anything looked funky. He actually called mid-job to let me know that not only was the mechatronic unit in great shape, but the seals weren't hardened to the point they were problematic, and I could put the service off for another 20k miles or so without issue. I had him finish the job.
Now that my E90 is going to my son, it's good to know he has a trustworthy place to take it for work that exceeds his or my ability or desire to do.
Now that my E90 is going to my son, it's good to know he has a trustworthy place to take it for work that exceeds his or my ability or desire to do.
Thread Starter
Lexus Champion
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 17,926
Likes: 1,702
From: Ohio
The dealership is even worse, they would be a few hundred dollars more. I never took my cars to the dealership unless it was warranty related. As far as trans service, he did ours for $150.
Most of the cost was labor for the mounts, I believe 3 altogether. Stuff is just more expensive here in the Bay area. He probably pays twice the rent on his shop than you do. Also the cost of labor is more expensive...he told me he pays his mechanic almost $40 an hour
Most of the cost was labor for the mounts, I believe 3 altogether. Stuff is just more expensive here in the Bay area. He probably pays twice the rent on his shop than you do. Also the cost of labor is more expensive...he told me he pays his mechanic almost $40 an hour
Still. Damn that's expensive!
Thread Starter
Lexus Champion
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 17,926
Likes: 1,702
From: Ohio
Yeah I probably could charge more by my overhead is so low I would feel odd doing so, I simply don't need to charge more. I may do a small increase though since oddly enough people appear to want to pay more?
Glad to hear your guy has done well for you though! That's really rare these days
Last edited by Striker223; Jun 19, 2023 at 03:49 PM.