91L3xus Posted October 10, 2005 Share Posted October 10, 2005 Well I finally had enough time today to bring in the '91 to an independent shop, to get some tune up work done. I planned to: Install new spark plugs New distributor cap/rotor New PCV valve New Brembo cross drilled front rotors New Brembo solid rear rotors Achebono front and rear pads Most of that had been done by the time I got a call from the shop. However...I had been informed that 1. Brake, transmission, coolant and power steering fluids were all very very very dirty- the mechanic questioned wether this car had ever gotten any fluids changed. <_< 2. Rejected the Denso spark plugs I brough to have installed, only to replace them with $7 NGK double platium plugs, because next time I get them changed, it'll cost me $200 (labor for the engine work <_< ) ****ing rear bank plugs... 3. No fuel filter installed (WTF.) There goes my birthday money, hopefully since it was my dad's decision to get this car, he'll pay for it. Looking at $1000+ total for parts and labor...when the car is worth a little over $2,000... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SW03ES Posted October 10, 2005 Share Posted October 10, 2005 Good God, hope it works out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91L3xus Posted October 12, 2005 Author Share Posted October 12, 2005 Update: Distributor cap I provided broke... I had a $15 part, they say their part is $35. The only part that's worked so far is the PCV valve, which I'm too much of a dumbass to install it myself. New set of spark plug wires will cost me $191.00. Took 45 minutes to remove only one of the rear bank spark plugs, so labor is what is !Removed! me over so far. About $240 worth of fluids, every fluid, with the exception of the oil has to be changed. Plugs were not $7 apiece, they were $13. er. Rear rotors beginning to warp, so out the door with those (can't afford new brakes all around anymore <_< ). $100 for rotors. New fuel filter for $50(?). Upper plenium caked with carbon build up. Cat converter rusted on the outside, not bad but will need changing soon (quoted me $300-400 for just a new one, no labor) I found one on eBay for $100+-. Am I getting majorly screwed here? The total tab has come up to $1200, at that rate, my car should run brand new. One thing that really got me was the mechanic noting "It's a worthy car to put this much money into, you know what I'm sayin'?" Hah. Probably would've gotten a better price at the dealer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toysrme Posted October 12, 2005 Share Posted October 12, 2005 mmmm Ya. I'm sure Lexues doesn't see many 2vz-fe's anymore, but it's the same deal with them as it is everything else. If the Toyota SST doesn't immediately get to the plugs easy enough, you take the intake manifold off. My *BLEEP*ing MOM could take about 45 min to get the upper intake manifold off by HERSELF. That wouldn' fly with me. You got screwed on the plug wires. All the v6 plug wires I've seen from Toyota cost like $90-110. Call a Toyota dealer & ask them what a set of '91 v6 Camry wires cost. (I'll call mine if I get a chance tomorrow on what the parts cost) $240 for fluids. That's pushing it. I guess if labor's included in that it's OK. $90 for the transmission flush, then They could probably straggle around for an hour changing the P/S & differential fluids & brake fluid. Plugs, ya. I been telling people abut the $10-15 plugs! Fuel filter shoulda cost like $15-20. At the rate their going, I'm pretty sure the D cap got broken. They don't clean the upper intake, don't you dare pay for it!!! They shoot throttlebody/carb cleaner down it. That doesn't do anything. If you want it cleaned it takes a wire brush, pressure washer, or a rotary tool. Rust on the body of the converter has nothing to do with how it preforms. Hey! Here's mine sawzalled in half & welded back together! "It's a worthy car to put this much money into, you know what I'm sayin'?" I'm not downing anything here, 'cause a bunch of yall, my friends, have sunk an assload of money into 250's. My !Removed! would have sold the !Removed! in the paper & bought a Miata & an old volvo/saab to drive by this point. If I get the time, I'll call the local Toyota dealer & see what all of that would cost from then. $1200 for maintenance. I'd be livid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91L3xus Posted October 12, 2005 Author Share Posted October 12, 2005 Thanks for the feedback Toys. Believe me, I would LOVE to get rid of this car. But my dad isn't having it. Maybe this will knock some sense into him, dropping a buck twenty on a car worth little over $2,000. You have no idea how nice it would be to get back behind the wheel of my 850R, or even a mid 90's 850 T-5. I <3 turbos. :( I'll let my dad know how much I'm getting jipped on these parts, thanks for the heads up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toysrme Posted October 12, 2005 Share Posted October 12, 2005 No problem. It's not like I'm sinking money into mine. Just isntead of paying tons of money, I'm spending time. Here comes the JDM 3vz-fe pretty soon tho... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArmyofOne Posted October 12, 2005 Share Posted October 12, 2005 No problem. It's not like I'm sinking money into mine. Just isntead of paying tons of money, I'm spending time. Here comes the JDM 3vz-fe pretty soon tho... ← Dude, you are so getting ripped. you should have Pm'ed me, not only am i nearly the only resident expert on these ES250's (they have alot of quirks that camrys dont have), but i have the connections that could save you an ASSLOAD of money. give me a call sometime. My name is Josh and my # is 803-556-1710. leave me a message if i dont respond, with a phone # and i will get back to you ASAP. oh and thirdly...what in the hell is with brembo cross drilled rotors? they arent needed, this car isnt fast enough or designed in the right way to warrant those expensive rotors, so unless you plan to AutoX, Brembo Ventilated OE replacements would have worked. DONT LET THEM FLUSH THE TRANSMISSION. in fact, dont let them do anything to it. drop the pan and do it yourself. pull the drain plug out and run about 10-12 quarts of ATF through it and let it dump out. then refill with prescribed amount of new ATF. This is the ONLY way to save that trans if the fluid has never been changed or has been burnt. DO NOT powerflush it. or it will die. get the car away from these guys, quickly. and a cat converter being out? please, you would know it if it was. Is the coolant thats int here currently green? if so, thats WRONG, ti needs to be red. otherwise there si a risk of headgasket issues and inadequate waterpump lublrication/gelling or boiling of the coolant. thats not the one you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mburnickas Posted October 12, 2005 Share Posted October 12, 2005 Well I finally had enough time today to bring in the '91 to an independent shop, to get some tune up work done. I planned to: Install new spark plugs New distributor cap/rotor New PCV valve New Brembo cross drilled front rotors New Brembo solid rear rotors Achebono front and rear pads ← You should be able to do these yourself for about $300 to 400 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91L3xus Posted October 12, 2005 Author Share Posted October 12, 2005 Thanks all for the responses. Just picked up the car from the mechanic today, total: $1,288.60 :cries: Almost $700 was for the labor. Yes, I know. Ripped completely off. But this has obviously been a learning experience for me, now knowing that I can do some of this stuff myself, without being charged an obscene amount for labor. The car looks fine and runs well for me, except for the fact that my brakes still squeek like a SOB, which they charged me $72 just to take off the wheels, drive it around for 10 miles and check. Nothing other than that. All fluids were replaced, and the coolant is blue; before, I had just added in Prestone, since I had no coolant. Brake fluid is nice and clean, he saved some of the old fluid for me, and it looked like straight up mud. Power steering fluid is a nice clear red now. NGK spark plug wires were $191.00 (uugh), but are a nice blue that matches my air filter. Heh. They had to buy a $35 distributor cap from Lexus, since 2vz-fe's are apparently very picky when it comes to caps? Also, my winshield washer fluid went from a full tank of orange Rain-X solution to a greyish solution. Any way to drain the washer fluid tank? Army, thanks for the #. Once I get thorugh the next busy weeks at school and home, I'll try to give you a call and talk about the ES. As for the brakes, definately need to hold off on those. Although I would freaking love to get rid of the "squeek squeek squeek..." when applying the brakes, and the "kthump kthump kthump..." that I get right before the car comes to a stop. Any other input is greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArmyofOne Posted October 13, 2005 Share Posted October 13, 2005 Thanks all for the responses.Just picked up the car from the mechanic today, total: $1,288.60 :cries: Almost $700 was for the labor. Yes, I know. Ripped completely off. But this has obviously been a learning experience for me, now knowing that I can do some of this stuff myself, without being charged an obscene amount for labor. The car looks fine and runs well for me, except for the fact that my brakes still squeek like a SOB, which they charged me $72 just to take off the wheels, drive it around for 10 miles and check. Nothing other than that. All fluids were replaced, and the coolant is blue; before, I had just added in Prestone, since I had no coolant. Brake fluid is nice and clean, he saved some of the old fluid for me, and it looked like straight up mud. Power steering fluid is a nice clear red now. NGK spark plug wires were $191.00 (uugh), but are a nice blue that matches my air filter. Heh. They had to buy a $35 distributor cap from Lexus, since 2vz-fe's are apparently very picky when it comes to caps? Also, my winshield washer fluid went from a full tank of orange Rain-X solution to a greyish solution. Any way to drain the washer fluid tank? Army, thanks for the #. Once I get thorugh the next busy weeks at school and home, I'll try to give you a call and talk about the ES. As for the brakes, definately need to hold off on those. Although I would freaking love to get rid of the "squeek squeek squeek..." when applying the brakes, and the "kthump kthump kthump..." that I get right before the car comes to a stop. Any other input is greatly appreciated. ← you get a clunk or thup on stopping? please elaborate! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91L3xus Posted October 13, 2005 Author Share Posted October 13, 2005 Well, when coming to a stop, I tend to apply my brakes a little harder than at first. When I'm almost completely stopped, I get a combination of a squishy-like sound and what I can best describe as a metallic grunt. And after going to the mechanic, my "squeeksqueeksqueek" seems to have become more presistent as I gently apply my brakes. Any remedies for either of these problems? I can feel the rears grabbing in one specific spot more than the rest, my rear rotors are obviously out of round, and that's where I'm getting the metallic grunts from too. I get the squeeking from the front brakes. Oh, and maybe some of you have been waiting to see this... well here it is. The bill. Bumbumbum... :chairshot: :whistles: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mburnickas Posted October 13, 2005 Share Posted October 13, 2005 Well, when coming to a stop, I tend to apply my brakes a little harder than at first. When I'm almost completely stopped, I get a combination of a squishy-like sound and what I can best describe as a metallic grunt. And after going to the mechanic, my "squeeksqueeksqueek" seems to have become more presistent as I gently apply my brakes. Any remedies for either of these problems? I can feel the rears grabbing in one specific spot more than the rest, my rear rotors are obviously out of round, and that's where I'm getting the metallic grunts from too. I get the squeeking from the front brakes.Oh, and maybe some of you have been waiting to see this... well here it is. The bill. Bumbumbum...:chairshot: :whistles: ← Hurts to look at it. I have not put that much money in my ES since I got it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sovietlexus Posted October 13, 2005 Share Posted October 13, 2005 oh man, why didn't u goto a word of mouth mechanic?....u seriously should consider getting a tank of gas and burning their shop down....nono just kiding lol.....seriously never leave your car at a mechanic, you have to babysit them.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toysrme Posted October 13, 2005 Share Posted October 13, 2005 sovietlexus it's his first car, he doesn't have a mechanic. I just hope dad paid for the repair bill so next time he'll listen to us LoL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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