Moonroof cables on '91 ES250
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Driver School Candidate
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 5
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From: California
Moonroof cables on '91 ES250
I recently took my ES 250 in for some minor maintenance at an independent LEXUS repair shop located in Huntington Beach, CA. I mentioned to one of the owners that I had begun having a problem with the moonroof. Specifically, it was no longer opening or closing after I would depress the switch that controlled it. The motor still works and I can hear the cables go back and forth, yet the moonroof just sits there. Although I managed to close it by hand, the moonroof has not shut entirely in the back. Because of this I have been unable to wash the car for fear of getting water inside. 
He told me that the problem was a common one with LEXUS cars but that he could repair it. When I asked for an estimate, he came back with a quote of $433.00 to do the work. 
He justified the quote by saying that the repair was very labor intensive (the shop's labor charge is about $90 an hour). After picking myself up off the floor, I managed to decline the offer. Since then I have learned that this is normally considered a dealer-only repair and that even the parts are not available over-the-counter at one of the various parts chain stores. Does anyone have a(ny) suggestion(s) on how to proceed here?
He told me that the problem was a common one with LEXUS cars but that he could repair it. When I asked for an estimate, he came back with a quote of $433.00 to do the work. He justified the quote by saying that the repair was very labor intensive (the shop's labor charge is about $90 an hour). After picking myself up off the floor, I managed to decline the offer. Since then I have learned that this is normally considered a dealer-only repair and that even the parts are not available over-the-counter at one of the various parts chain stores. Does anyone have a(ny) suggestion(s) on how to proceed here?
Lexus Champion
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 3,350
Likes: 6
From: California
Originally Posted by owner#9
I recently took my ES 250 in for some minor maintenance at an independent LEXUS repair shop located in Huntington Beach, CA. I mentioned to one of the owners that I had begun having a problem with the moonroof. Specifically, it was no longer opening or closing after I would depress the switch that controlled it. The motor still works and I can hear the cables go back and forth, yet the moonroof just sits there. Although I managed to close it by hand, the moonroof has not shut entirely in the back. Because of this I have been unable to wash the car for fear of getting water inside. He told me that the problem was a common one with LEXUS cars but that he could repair it. When I asked for an estimate, he came back with a quote of $433.00 to do the work. He justified the quote by saying that the repair was very labor intensive (the shop's labor charge is about $90 an hour). After picking myself up off the floor, I managed to decline the offer. Since then I have learned that this is normally considered a dealer-only repair and that even the parts are not available over-the-counter at one of the various parts chain stores. Does anyone have a(ny) suggestion(s) on how to proceed here?
He told me that the problem was a common one with LEXUS cars but that he could repair it. When I asked for an estimate, he came back with a quote of $433.00 to do the work. He justified the quote by saying that the repair was very labor intensive (the shop's labor charge is about $90 an hour). After picking myself up off the floor, I managed to decline the offer. Since then I have learned that this is normally considered a dealer-only repair and that even the parts are not available over-the-counter at one of the various parts chain stores. Does anyone have a(ny) suggestion(s) on how to proceed here?
Thread Starter
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: California
Back to square one.
Thanks for the tip to visit the Technical Information Service website. What a great resource. Unfortunately, I did not find any section specifically dealing with "sunroof repair" in the repair manual for my car. Instead, I came across a roughly nine page PDF file entitled "Moon Roof Component" where I'm practically being asked to dismantle the car in order to fix my problem. For this non-mechanic, 
that is definitely a non-starter. 
So it would appear then that there was indeed something to what I was originally told about the repair being time-consuming (read: labor intensive). Unfortunately, that just brings me back to square one.
that is definitely a non-starter. So it would appear then that there was indeed something to what I was originally told about the repair being time-consuming (read: labor intensive). Unfortunately, that just brings me back to square one.
Last edited by owner#9; Jun 7, 2005 at 07:05 AM.
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