Rock Damage

[joe913]

While on the lift today, I noticed an opening about two feet by six inches on the lower part (center) of the front bumper of my 2001 RX300. This opening probably allows air for cooling the A/C condenser coil but the coil is getting beaten up. Is there a solution to prevent rocks from hitting the coil without taking away from the looks? I thought of painting a piece of screen black and somehow attaching it inside the bumper but I think it would restrict the flow of air. Any ideas? Thanks.

[code58]

While on the lift today, I noticed an opening about two feet by six inches on the lower part (center) of the front bumper of my 2001 RX300. This opening probably allows air for cooling the A/C condenser coil but the coil is getting beaten up. Is there a solution to prevent rocks from hitting the coil without taking away from the looks? I thought of painting a piece of screen black and somehow attaching it inside the bumper but I think it would restrict the flow of air. Any ideas? Thanks.

Joe- Better to restrict the airflow a little than have to replace an expensive A/C condenser. The cars for the last 10 or probably 15 years are VERY thin material (on most ALL cars) and very much subject to road debris damage. I remember a poster who said he had a hole in his A/C condenser on his NEW RX, from road debris, and neither Lexus (rightly so) nor his insurance co. would cover it, and he had 800 mi. on the car! I would go with a fine screen like window screen (anything larger hole would let too much through). I seriously doubt you will notice any difference in the interior cooling. Both my DIL's RX and my wife's Camry have quite a lot of fine road debris "rash" on the lower condenser from the garbage picked up by the air generated by other cars, and they are both in So. Cal. and have never been on anything but paved roads, mostly So. Cal. freeways. Every car I have owned in Cal. (45 years) ends up with a lot of sand deposited around the engine, all from the freeway! There is a LOT of stuff that is heavier than sand too. Have had several chips from decent sized rocks. Put the screen on the lower opening and save yourself a condenser!

:D

[jgr7]

There is a thread I think by mandyfig with detailed instructions and pictures on how to put a screen on.

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-second-...on-air-dam.html

[artbuc]

There is a thread I think by mandyfig with detailed instructions and pictures on how to put a screen on.

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-second-...on-air-dam.html

I'll be doing this real soon!!!

Just checked out my new condenser today during an oil change. It is already beat up. It has one impact crater with ground zero exactly mid-way between two channels. How this condenser isn't leaking is beyond me. I mean, it looks like someone did this on purpose with the objective of doing as much damage as possible without actually causing a refrigerant leak. You gotta be kiddin' me :o

[code58]

There is a thread I think by mandyfig with detailed instructions and pictures on how to put a screen on.

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-second-...on-air-dam.html

I'll be doing this real soon!!!

Just checked out my new condenser today during an oil change. It is already beat up. It has one impact crater with ground zero exactly mid-way between two channels. How this condenser isn't leaking is beyond me. I mean, it looks like someone did this on purpose with the objective of doing as much damage as possible without actually causing a refrigerant leak. You gotta be kiddin' me :o

Art- I can't help but laughing but I'm definitely not laughing at you. I just couldn't believe after replacing the condenser that you wouldn't have been the one writing that write-up rather than mandyfig. What did your old one look like? These condensers take a beating from the road debris that's disgusting. I'm sure it sells a lot of condensers for someone, if not Lexus. I remember reading a post from a guy within the last year that I believe had about 800 mi. on his NEW RX and lost a condenser to road debris and neither Lexus or his insurance would pay for it! OUCH

Watch for any signs of oil where it was hit. The metal is really thin in all of them any more. They use to be thick enough that they'd be bowed like a banana from collision and we'd lay 'em down and use a board and a 3 lb. hammer on 'em, whale they daylights out of 'em to straighten 'em and never have a leak! As an aside, my wife's Grandma wrecked her '61 Buick in about '64. The condenser wasn't damaged very bad and so I was gonna straighten it. Took it off, AND IT WAS MADE OF STEEL!!! If I hadn't done it, I would never have believed it and it was original (car had never been wrecked before). Never had seen 1 before or since. Still scratchin' my head over that. It was painted black and you couldn't tell til you took it off and it weighed about 2 1/2 times what an aluminum would have.

[joe913]

All done! Thanks for the link. The gutter screen fit perfectly and works beautifully. Took me about an hour (after painting it flat black) and I am a novice. I encourage all Lexus owners with an opening in the bumper to perform this mod before a rock takes out the condenser coil. I spent less than $20.