milellie11

iTrader: (5)

Hello,

I started a thread a few weeks ago concerning my 02 GS430 being hit by an unidentified motorist on the passenger side. Geico repaired the damage to my car by replacing the right fender and performing some work on the passenger of my car because they said that something had been damaged under the fender. Well, i picked up my car from them 3 weeks. A couple of days ago, my VSC VSC Off ABS lights came and stayed on and it has been back and forth like that ever since. Also, my brake pedal has feeling funny for the past week at times, that feeling that when you try to stop over ice it feels as if it is shaking a little bit.

I searched on this forum and read that those lights may mean some sort of sensor or cable is going bad. Could the body shop have screwed this up when they worked on my car? I have 82,000 miles on my vehicle and this has never happened before. Also, about 6 months ago, i got new front rotors and pads and rear pads.


Please help, any input is greatly appreciated. I'm thinking about calling Geico and letting them know the issue so maybe they'll cover the expense.


Thanks.

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

Its possible that the ABS sensor has been damanged (ripped if tugged on too much). Seems like they had to disconnect some parts of the suspension to do the fender work. You can find a used one for maybe $100? Installation is easy. If you have a multimeter, you can check to see if the sensor is working. I posted the info on how to check the sensor somewhere in this forum. Note that if ANY one of the 4 sensor goes out, your ABS/VSC/etc light will trigger. But it's more likely that your front passenger sensor is broken.

As for the vibration, do you feel pulses? I'm going to rule out the rotors because you just replaced them (doesn't hurt to have them resurfaced though). Check for wheel bearing damage. Other than that, vibration could be coming from anywhere.

milellie11

iTrader: (5)

Okay, well this morning i dropped off my car at the Lexus dealership. The tech did a diagnosis and said that it is a bad front right wheel sensor. This is the exact place where i was hit and the body shop replaced my sensor. The tech said he does not see any damage with the sensor, rather it is a short in it. Geico said they will only cover the expenses if it was related to the accident. But the Lexus tech cannot say for sure that that was the case or that the body shop did something when they replaced my fender. To me, this is crap because this is not just some simple coincidence!! Anyway, i have a loaner and they only diagnosed the car today because they had to order the sensor and should work on it tomorrow. The total bill will come up to $600!!! Is this gouging, or is that the regular price to replace one front right wheel sensor? He said the part came to $299 and the rest is labor. Anyway, the Geico rep said that tomorrow she has to talk with the dealership personally to get the details to see if they will cover it or not.

Any input anyone has will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

xxxoDWGoxx

if the body shop replaced the sensor that the insurance company paid to replace it is now the body shops responsibility to correct the problem I would assume.

I am an adjuster as well, and if it makes sense to me and i dont suspect any funny biz i go ahead and pay for it, 600 is a small price to pay for a happy customer to the insurance companies

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

How can they tell its a short? If the wire has been tugged on, the internal wiring will snap. Just because there are no external damages, doesn't mean that it's not related to the accident or the repair shop messing it up. The outer part of the wiring is rubber while the inside is just pure wire. If you pull on it, the rubber jacket can stretch. The inside wiring? Not so much. I've repaired my sensor before and from looking at it, you wouldn't know it was damaged.

MSRP on the sensor is $230, but many dealers will sell the part for ~$170. If it comes down to you having to repair it out of your own pocket, buy the sensor (of course not from that particular dealer), and install it yourself. If they quoted you $600 total, in which $300 was parts, then $300 in labor is a scam. It's so easy I could teach my pet monkey to install it. I'm confident you'll be able to fix it yourself if insurance ends up not covering the mishap.

milellie11

iTrader: (5)

xxxoDWGoxx, the insurance company/body shop did not work on my brake sensor. They replaced my front fender and a part underneath the fender because an unidentified driver bashed it in. The ABS VSC Off lights came on 3 weeks after the repairs and thats why i took it to the dealer today and had it diagnosed to the brake sensor on the exact same side where i was hit and where they had replaced the fender.

Its good to know that you're an adjuster. From my experience with this past accident, Geico doesn't seem to care much about making their customers happy

milellie11

iTrader: (5)

Everytime i go to Lexus of Annapolis, i feel like they are trying to take advantage of me!! Something minor always seem to end up at like a $600 bill! Would you happen to have some pics of the sensor? I need to explain to the insurance company most likely that there is no way to determine outside damage of the sensor just by looking at it. I got a feeling that they are going to relinquish any responsibility

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

Here is a picture from Rockauto.com



As you can see, it's just a plug. There are 2 bolts that holds the sensor into the knuckle/hub, and then the other end just connects into a socket. It's that simple.

xxxoDWGoxx

depending on the adjuster, it shouldnt be a problem having this repair covered by your insurance company...you dont have to prove that it was cause by the accident and they cant prove that it wasnt...its very possible that it could have been caused....call your adjuster, explain the delicacy of this part and how that it could be a intermittent short in the wiring now causing the light to come on...provide printed evidence of this..make his job easy and he will help you out!!!

just make it so if he does authorize payment of this that he has something to show "his" boss as to why he paid for it..most adjusters dont know **** about cars or how to fix them...its computer software, they know what they are taught and thats it....


also remember, the adjuster you most likely are dealing with is a staff adjuster...he makes the same no matter what..around 40-50k,,,,there most of the time newer adjusters,,,,,cat adjusters make 3 times that...he may be scared to pull the trigger on a 600 payout


they will pay if you stay on them!!!

milellie11

iTrader: (5)

GSteg and xxxoDWGoxx,

Thanks for your help and advice. Both of you were absolutely correct and your input allowed me to have some leverage over the insurance company and dealership. After the Geico adjuster called the dealership to get the invoice and description of the problem, she called me back and stated that they would not cover the cost of the repairs because there was no way to prove that it correlated to the accident. She said that the actual sensor is behind the wheel and no where near the fender. I told her that this is not some coincidence. I've had my GS for 4 years, no problems at all with the ABS or sensors, then 3 weeks ago my passenger fender is bashed in, the body shop replaces it and the fender liner underneath and 2 weeks later my wheel speed sensor located on the same side goes bad? I even told her that i spoke to a guy at the body shop who said that it is likely a wheel sensor can go bad on the same side due to the impact of an accident. I wasn't buying that, so i called her manager and explained my situation calmly. He said that he would call the dealership and other parties involved to get more information.

To make a long story short, i emailed the adjuster and i said that i spoke to a Lexus adviser at another dealership and also an independent mechanic who said that 9 times out of 10 that sensor is damaged because of the accident. Even though the sensor is behind the wheel, the wire from the sensor runs behind alongside the fender and if this is pinched or tugged hard enough during an accident, it can cause failure.

She called me back thanking me for the explanation and said that she understood better. They are covering the costs.

Once again guys, thanks again for saving me some time, aggravation and money.

Another satisfied CL forum member.

Spyder78

iTrader: (7)

Nice glad that they are covering the sensor