My RX300's air conditioning system has been leaking refrigerant after 3-4 weeks of minimal use. Took it to a shop and was told that the evaporator core needs to be replaced along with the expansion valve. Looking at the Youtube videos, this is not a DIY job for me.
Their estimated costs were:
Labor: $850
Evaporator Core: $113.45
Expansion Valve: $38.76
I called the local Toyota dealer and their estimates were:
Labor: $1,092.00
Parts: $963.14
I checked at RockAuto and even their OEM parts were about $200 total. I recognize that dealership parts are more expensive but the huge difference is astonishing. Any thoughts?

 

You can get OE manufactured parts which would not come in Toyota/Lexus boxes. [I think denso makes them].

If you are going to get it done, I would suggest that let the technician select the parts as (s)he has to provide the warranty. Some warranty backed work, may require changing more than just the evaporator.

In case you provide a part and it fails then it is standard practice in auto industry is to pay the mechanic for doing any rework.

Salim

 

OEM parts from the dealer are usually much higher.
So it was cooling and then it stopped. Did you have it charged just prior to using it this season? Did they use dye to detect the leak? Just curious as to how they came up with the diagnosis.

 

OMG I watched this video on YouTube and I never ever want to do this job. But I also wouldn't want to spend $2000 to fix my 22 year old car

 

Unbelievable! Our A/C konked out last Memorial Day weekend. It happened the first day of our trip out to San Antonio. Talk about HOT!!! By the third day I thought I was going to throw up sitting in traffic somewhere between Austin and SA. Had a guy quote me $1500 in SA, but my wife mentioned that if something went wrong with the repair, how would we get warranty work done when we got back home. Best advise ever! When we got home our local Toyota shop fixed it. What a mess that was. The A/C compressor is what went south and it took out the expansion valve and condenser! I believe it stopped them up with debris. I think if I would have turned the A/C off when it started squealing it wouldn't have taken those out. I actually did turn it off when it first started squealing because it was raining and it had done that before when it was wet outside. The next day while I was loading the car up at the hotel, I turned the A/C back on to cool things down in the car. I noticed it sounded different, but it was cooling. Maybe five minutes after we pulled on the road it lost cooling! Toyota fixed everything, we picked it up, and my wife drove it home. When we pulled in the drive she left it running and motioned for me. She said, 'It worked fine until we pulled onto our street". Took it back and they had to replace the expansion valve AGAIN I've thought a lot about that over the past year, and after seeing this video, I think I'll send the guys in the shop some pizza this week. I have had zero issues with the repair. No rattles in the dash, everything works, which is a miracle when you see everything that has to be disconnected.

 

This video is great for many reasons. It shows how to remove so many different things, i.e. the radio, glove box, console, shifter, steering column, etc. etc.

 

I saw this a while back and saved it to my favorites: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...ash-apart.html

 

Thank you. I will not be providing the parts, just looked these up to get an idea. I'll ask them to use Denso parts.

 

Quick take on ‘OEM’ parts.

Just because Denso/Aisin makes the OEM part for Toyota/Lexus doesn’t mean that the same part made by Denso/Aisin and sold aftermarket meets the same specs as Toyota demands. You can buy an Aisin water pump, but it may still be lower quality than Aisin sells to Lexus to sell to you.

My preference is for parts directly from Toyota/Lexus except where there are no moving parts - eg the radiator, heater core, a/c core.

PS - I would try this job because 1) I’m a masochist and 2) I love seeing how to take parts off, and 3) As an engineer/consultant my base rate is $150/hr so if I think I can complete the job at about that rate I go for it.

 

It was charged last fall and was cooling. We didn't need to use AC during winter but when we turned it on this spring, it cooled briefly and then it was all hot air. Had it recharged and noticed some oily stains underneath in the garage. It stopped cooling within a few days.
I assume they did use dye. I suspect compressor oil draining from the condensate drain made source of the leak obvious.

That's what I'm wondering. We have a newer (2015) NX as our main car.
We bought it new back then and have not had any significant expenditure in all the years, keeping it going with regular maintenance. Recently we had the valve cover gaskets and the spark plugs replaced for $700. I supposed soon we will need to replace the timing belt & water pump.
I can get this car with 97K miles to be cooling and usable for around $1,500. I may be able to sell it for about $3K without this repair but can't buy a similar replacement anywhere near $5K.

 

She has 97K on it? She’s a baby! Market value is low but if the bones are good she’ll go another 100K at least. Heck, depending on where you are I’d buy it from you.

So just to clarify - you charged it w freon last fall, and it petered out again this spring, and you are still deciding on whether to do the repairs (evap core / valve)? Or have you replaced those and are still blowing hot air?

First thing I would do just to check is to make sure the compressor is kicking on. Run the car w’o A/C. Pop the hood and keep an eye on the compressor. There is a plate that is stationary when the a/c is off, but starts spinning when the ac is on and the system pressure is low and needs compression. Have someone push the ac button and see if the plate starts moving. I can take some picks/videos to clarify location if needed. If the plate spins it’s likely the system is dry / leaking.

If the compressor is working, you can limp along by adding cans of freon as needed. Any autozone or walmart has them.

If you want to confirm leakage yourself, you can buy a kit (pic)



w a pair of glasses and a light that flouresces the dye they should have injected. If there are no signs of the dye, either it’s not leaking or they didn’t add dye. You can also get freon cans pre-loaded with dye. Charge it w a can loaded with dye, run the system, and check for leaks.

 

It's verified that it is leaking and at a fast pace (a big leak). The compressor works because it cools very well when recharged.
I'm trying to decide whether it is worth spending $1,000+ to replace the evaporator. I'm sure another similar bill will be due soon to replace the timing belt and related parts. After all it is 22 year old car with poor gas mileage and not many safety features (backup camera etc) common in newer vehicles. Maybe it is time to part with this very reliable truck that has been in our family all that time.

 

So many great posts I like this thread.
Just like to add that if I had to pull the dash to replace the evap core I would definately throw in a new heater core too.
No way I would want to pull the dash again and it's just a matter of time anyway.

 

You know, I fear this maintenance issue over all others, even the tranny.

 

The question becomes - do you want the devil you know, or the devil you don’t know? Every time I buy a car (I always buy used) I figure at least $1K to fox whatever caused the seller to sell.

A busted A/C core at least is not a main piece that indicates a coming domino of problems. And as suggested, you can replace the heater core at the same time. If she’s reliable I know what I would do.