I am researching this for my friend...

he was told by the service rep that His RX330 has a AC Evaporator leak
and was given an estimate of 2500 for repairs Now I know that the dash needs to come out to do this job and even if labor was 100 per hr plus parts
I cant belive that it would cost that much

are there any techs out there that can tell me if he is getting ripped off
and maybe explain whats involved with doing this job time wise.
any and all help will be useful

Thanks

Chris

 

I wouldnt doubt it. I've taken a few dashes apart and it takes a while. Im sure the Lex has tons more features and sensors that needs to be plugged/unplugged. If ya want to save some money Id say get the manuals do it yourself and make it a weekend project. As far as charging back the A/C you will need a machine to do so.

 

The Dash is not fun on any car, but Lexus may be worse becasue of the amount of sound deadening. Anyway, Evap's should not leak so you may want to contact Lexus and see if they'll do it for free or a reduced amont. I think they will! A poor solder joint caused the original leak. I had a Hyundai once that was out of warrenty, Hyundai fixed it for free.

 

Of course this is possible, but have it confirmed by a dedicated AC shop. That's a lot of money to spend if the problem might lie somewhere else. The local Chrysler dealer said my wife's van needed a new compressor that with installation (including pump-out and refill) would cost nearly $3000 too. We had it done at a local Texaco station for $125. The "bad compressor" turned out to be a cracked fitting that was replaced and the gas recharged. Five years later you can still hang meat in that van in midsummer. I'd say it's fixed.