Hello fellow owners,
Okay, here is the situation; last week on monday i took my 99'RX 300 in for service because
the engine was making a sputtering sound during idle and also for some rear braking noise.
The service writer told me they will have to run a diagnostics to figure out the problem.
Cost = $150. After the diagnostics, he told me the problem with the sputtering engine sound
is the catalytic converter and the braking noise was due to hard aftermarket brakes. He recommended
i get the cats done and the brakes were optional since it wasn't a malfunction, just noise.
Cats = $795. The car was fixed wednesday, and i picked it up thursday. I started the car at the dealership
and the sputtering was gone, the freeway drive home was very smooth. I arrived home and parked
my car in the garage. The next morning, i when i started my car, i noticed a strong shaking or rattling
noise during the start. I sounded as though someting was loose. The noise only occured during
the start. I called to make another appointment with Lexus of Riverside for monday. On monday
i took my car in. The service writer told me he would have to run a diagnostics to figure out the
problem. Cost = $90 (not sure why it was $150 before) If the problem came up to be something they did, they would fix it and waive the $90 diagnostics fee. If it was a new problem, i was have to pay the $90. Seems fair, so i gave them the okay.
After the diagnostics, he told me that it was a new problem. The shaking or rattling sound
i heard in my garage was not something loose, but was due to the "idle speed control valve". He said that carbon deposites had built up over time and cause the "idle speed control valve to stick. Cost = $535.
Here's my problem with this story. When i came in, i had a complaint about an engine sputtering noise.
I'm not a mechanic, but when i hear engine sputtering, i think about fuel and exhaust. I'm not
expecting them to do the service for free, my problem here is that i believe they should have caught
the problem with the "idle speed control valve" during the first $150 diagnostic. The service
writer told me that there was no way for them to find the first problem because the "idle speed
control valve" is in a totally different section than CAT. This really didnt make sense to me.
I told him that the first time i was here i complained about engine sputtering during idle, now
i'm back again complaining about engine shaking during start. I feel that my initial complaint
was similar enough for them to have found both problems. If they weren't able to find both during
the first diagnostics, i really question their expertise. Keep in mind, all i'm asking the dealership for is
to waive the $90 diagnostics fee.
I would appreciate any opinions or suggestions on what i should do. Thanks for taking the time
to read my long story. LOC rocks ^^.
