SRK Posted June 30, 2004 Posted June 30, 2004 After five weeks, the LS is finally repaired. You may recall my last post about having the AC upgraded as part of the repair. The bodywork was flawless, new hood, lights, grill, rad support, fans etc....and the car looks like new. Perfect paint, alignment of all panels. Great. Then I find that all three engine mounts were sheared off. New mounts go in, and the car seems quite good, but the Lexus tech here in town thinks it has a vibration. He advises aligning the driveshaft to spec. This requires removing the exhaust system, and using a plumb-bob protractor (a Lexus device) to set the angles. These angles are in the service manual, and are quite exact. Well, he aligned the shaft according to spec - it was out, probably because of the new mounts - and sure enough, the car is spectacular! I thought it was smooth when I bought it - it is now even better. Absolutely vibration free. He is an award winning tech, and now I know why. Excellent mechanic. I had a 2004 ES330 as a loaner for the last few days the LS was being worked on. Nice car, but really just another nice Japanese car. Didn't handle well, strange transmission shift program, and far noisier than the LS. I like my 92 LS better in all honesty, and of course its rear wheel drive. I don't like front drivers at all. The seats were very nice in the ES though, and the adjustable pedals were a hoot. But visibility, looks, and drivetrain didn't make it for me. I am taking the LS for a good drive this weekend, to re-connect with what I think is the best car in the world. It makes me smile. Oh by the way, the final cost of repairs was nearly $12,000 Canadian, which is a lot, considering I paid just a little more than that for the car a year ago. The insurance company wasn't sure that a Lexus could cost that much...... And the AC works fine - not quite as cold as before with the R12, but more than enough to make you chilly in a few minutes.
monarch Posted June 30, 2004 Posted June 30, 2004 I'll always stay with R12 refrigerant because adding R12 refrigerant to a '90-'92 LS400 is this simple: http://www.saber.net/~monarch/acrecharge.jpg And the cooling performance of R12 is truly frigid: http://www.saber.net/~monarch/accold.jpg
jzz30 Posted June 30, 2004 Posted June 30, 2004 cool! but 12000 canadian doesnt sound good even if its canadian ;) out in the islands we pay in clams and shells but it sounds like you had the whole car body worked and painted so the price seems right. but that drive shaft angle thing makes me want to do it too. i looked at that on the manual but didnt think it would make that big a difference. so maybe the next time my cars at the dealer(which i will try to avoid ) i will do it. great news and enjoy the ride!
Grandpa Posted June 30, 2004 Posted June 30, 2004 how much is that in U.S. dollars any1? and where did u get the freeon 12 bottle at and how much did it cost you?
SRK Posted June 30, 2004 Author Posted June 30, 2004 R12 is illegal in Canada - any that is recovered must be turned in for disposal, and if you are caught dispensing it, well it won't go good for you. Big fines, possible jail. Every ounce of 134a is tracked as well. A registered repair shop did the AC work, because if you are not licensed you can't buy 134a, let alone the illegal R12. Yep, about $9000 US, and the actual extent of repairs was just the front end. Colour was blended onto the tops of the fenders and fronts of the doors, and then all of those panels re-cleared. Great looking job. No frame, suspension or engine damage at all. The radiator wasn't hit, although the AC condensor was. The car was driveable. These LS's are obviously quite tough. Just expensive. Part of the expense was that no used parts were available for the repair, and there are no jobber parts, so every single part was brand new Lexus. That made me feel better.
monarch Posted June 30, 2004 Posted June 30, 2004 R12 is illegal in Canada SRK, are the ozone friendly (but flammable) hydrocarbon refrigerants (butane type blends) like Maxifrig legal for sale and use in Canada?
SRK Posted June 30, 2004 Author Posted June 30, 2004 I have never heard of anyone using them, so I don't think they are available here. I will check with my suppliers. I do know that there is a huge market in converting older system to 134, and that seems to be the only solution. I'll check anyways.
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