LexusPia

My wife's '94 ES300 with only 50,000+ miles has developed a problem with the air conditioning (AC) the last 8 months where it works intermittently. Typically it won't work when the engine is warm. After enough time to cool off, the AC works fine. Has anyone out there experienced the same problem? The local Lexus dealer says the whole AC system is shot and requires complete replacement with a refurbished unit for $2000! They wouldn't even cover the parts despite the fact that it was serviced by them from day one and this type of failure was unusual. Of the 30 years I have owned cars, I have never heard of an entire AC system going bad particularly on a "quality" automobile like Lexus with such low miles. One local auto repair shop that specializes in AC systems told me on the phone that they had never heard of complete AC system failure either and they were surprised Lexus didn't try to take care of the problem as a good will gesture. They were guessing the problem was due to a thermal switch malfunction. Any ideas? Your inputs will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

j2tha0e

i had exactly the same problem with my 95 es300. i took it to my machanic and he did a little research. it turns out that our generation es300 was recalled because of an a/c part being faulty. the recall was a while ago, so it dosen't apply anymore.
i'm at work right now, so i can't look back at my records to see what had to be replaced, but i will reply again. it was a little metal part that opens and closes one of the a/c tubes. it was a bit pricy to fix, but it's no where near $2k. i had to put out about $530 to repair mine, and i think it's worth it. i felt so bad driving around with all my windows open.

THERE'S HOPE FOR YOUR A/C!

j2tha0e

alright....i've found my invoice and the part that was faulty was a Block Valve part # 88515-20100. the total for my repair that consisted of the valve, dryer, r-134, and labor was $511.81.
hope my info helped.

LexusPia

j2thaOe, thanks so much for the info. Really appreciate it. Since the Lexus dealer tried to screw me last time with that $2000 repair estimate, I'll just take it to a local shop to get it fixed. Just curious, how come you had to pay that $511.81 repair when it was recalled by the factory? I don't believe there's a time limit on a recall like that. When did you get yours fixed? I assume that problem has not resurfaced since the repair?

j2tha0e

my machanic said something about 6 years old, either my car was too old or the recall was too old. i dunno. actually the parts were pretty affordable at $204, the labor was the thing that killed it.
try and see if that recall would still apply to you. maybe my machanic just wanted to get a job. i actually don't mind, since the repair last year, my a/c has been blowing like it was new. i just have to get rid of that old shoe smell.

LexusPia

Well, we finally got our AC fixed on our '94 ES by a local shop and j2thaOe was right on (thanks for your help). They had to replace the AC receiver-dehydrator (#8847120050 $52.99) and AC evaporator expansion valve (#8851520100 $68.95). The total repair came to $328.26 which included $192 for labor whereas our local Lexus dealer (Lexus of Peoria) was trying to rip us off for $2000! Lesson learned--avoid your Lexus dealer if your car is out of warranty unless you have money to burn.

EGainer

If you have money to burn, send it to me. I'll get a video screen with it.

j2tha0e

thats great that i helped. it was 99 degrees in modesto yesterday and you just don't know how happy i was that i fixed my a/c.
so did you find out anything about the recall for the a/c?

hey EGainer, did your car run into this problem?

EGainer

no, mine's a 94 and I have yet to have yet to come accross an AC problem except for that one time the light was out. [knock on wood] it's been cooking here too, i try to keep the windows down a lot, because with my aggressive driving, i lose power with the air on, and i burn way more gas. and i like people hearing my music sometimes. it draws crowds of kids in neighborhoods. i pass by so many people who do a little dance while they hear the music. if they realized how stupid they looked. lol.

LexusPia

I called two Lexus dealers plus the customer service and none of them could tell me whether there was a recall on AC problem for '94 or '95. It would be nice to see all Lexus recalls listed in this site. I'm just glad I got it fixed since my wife didn't like driving my GS. Since you save me a big bundle, I owe you one!

Sooner

it was on 92 -93

Gekko

I had the exact same problem it would be cold for like 20 minutes and then all of a sudden blow hot air and then next day cold again. I took it to Dealer A and they "thought" it was freon - they charged me like $75 and I STILL had the same problem. Frustrated I called Dealer B and I explained my problem. I have a 95 ES300 and Dealer B said it was a common problem for ES of my era and that there was a defect in these A/C EXPANSION VALVES. Anyway, they replaced the EXPANSION VALVE for $325 parts & labor TOTAL and now my A/C works like a CHARM! I had it fixed back in early May and I've been COOL ever since. By the way I have 109K+ on my 1995 and this was the ONLY defect I ever had. It still runs like a TOP!

LexusPia

So far Lexus has refused to admit there's a problem with the AC and said this was just an isolated case. So far I'm aware of at least 20 ES owners who have experienced the same. This type of response from Lexus is not a surprise to me. Remember the oil sludge problem? They first denied there was a problem and later they blamed that on owners not changing the oil and finally after tremendous complaints from the public, they admitted it and issued a conditional recall.

Sooner

this will never be a recall

EGainer

guess what fellas, my es is now doing this. i am making an appointment for this saturday, because sometimes it blows cold air, other times it does not....