thunter

I have a 98 GS300 with 117,000 mi. Just noticed today I have the exact same problem? My AC is draining fine, but

when I lifted my floormat on the drivers side, I found it was soaking wet.

Used a wet vac, then pulled up the carpet and found standing water and the 2" padding was soaked. Dryed the floorboard

with a towel and ran a box fan for about an hour.

Next, ran the car in the garage with the AC on. After about 15 min, noticed water coming from behind/under the black rubber mat in the corner by the gas pedal.

That was great, considering I just got in back today from having the ball joints replaced.

I've loved my Lexus, but not impressed by these two failures.

I recently discovered the driver's side floor was very wet in my 98 GS 300 with 108K miles.

I first had this problem 5 years ago after the evaporator core was replaced to fix an a/c problem (a very extensive and costly repair). The a/c radiator assembly was also damaged in the course of that repair and had to be replaced. Water under the carpets (both sides) shortly thereafter was due to the AC drain not being properly reseated into the external tube during that repair/replacement.

Now I have water under the driver's side carpet again. All the drains have been checked and are clear. The mechanic says the translucent AC drain is clear and does drain when the car runs. Leaning up under the dash, he thinks the leak is a slow drip he saw which appears to come from the heater box joint. The approximate $1600 cost of tearing out the dash to get to the heater box to fix the joint is excessive given the value of the car.

My questions -- is this a common problem? It seems an unusual coincidence to have both these issues with the heater box/evap core. I don't see many postings on the topic. Did the prior replacement of the evaporator core require splitting open the heater box? Is it likely or possible that the heater box joint/seal could have been damaged during the replacement of the evaporator core? What is the nature of the material sealing the heater box joint in this particular model? The mechanic tried sticking some butyl tape on the small part of the joint he could reach (without removing the dash) but that didn't stop the leak.

What should I do? Are there any other possible causes or fixes for this problem? Has anyone else had this experience?

I had the same problem on my 2000 GS300. Took it several times to the Lexus dealership and at first they could not find the problem as the car would not leak while in their garage. once they finally found the problem they wanted over 2K for the repair. Apparently the seal will wear out and the only thing they can do is replace the entire unit.

I finally took it to another mechanic (who only works on Lexus and other imports) and had them pull it out and re-seal it. It cost me $600 for the entire job. It's now been 3 years since they fixed it and it is still working perfectly.

Good luck!

If your Lexus LX-470 is now doing the 'bouncy-bouncy' and riding like it ain't got any give to the suspension--you got flat accumulators! You gotta be sitting down when you hear what the Dealer wants to fix it.

I can now offer NEW replacement accumulators for $350 each.

I had a quality manufacturer make them to my specifications( improved over OEM.) Simple to install in your driveway (1 hr/all 4)--and they can be recharged when eventually needed for $100 each.

I can also take your old ones and modify and recharge them for $175 each. If they are leaking and won't hold the charge, either my new ones :D or the Stealers.

'TexasOil'

Kebowers47@gmail.com

B and B Suspension

832-651-7576

I have a 2001 LX470 and I'm glad I found this forum. I was getting the bouncy ride and the height control would raise or lower by itself when running and parked. The Lexus dealer told me my front accumulators were bad and it would be about $1800 for replace them. I paid them the $64 for the repair evaluation, then order 2 new ones from Keith Bowers (above) for $718 total. I ordered them from his site at http://yhst-76231485467161.stores.yahoo.net/buylx470ac.html.

I bought me a couple of floor jacks, jack stands and wrenches in the installing instructions on his site. I ordered on Friday night and got them on Wednesday, so fast service and I called Keith a couple of times with questions, which he glady answered.

I bought 2 Husky floor jacks (3 ton) at Home Depot $39 each and a pair of Husky 3 ton double locking jack stands for $20. Keith said he thought I could do the front without jacking up the back and that worked OK. Both the jack and stands extend higher than the ones I saw at Lowes, good for SUVs.

Lucky for me the local specialty tools store and a 1 1/2" "Service Wrench" by Wright, so I did not have to do any grinding. I found a one foot piece of pipe to put over the short handle for leverage. A great tip from Keith was to rap the accumulator with a 2lb hammer as you are applying torque to loosen it. I think that made a big difference in getting them off.

In addition to Keith's installation instructions, I had a couple of old drip pans which were handy when more fluid leaked as I took off the accumulator. The first one I took off too fast and had a squirt/splash of fluid. The second one I turned until I started to get some leaking, then waited a couple of minutes and was fine when it came off.

Don't forget to wear eye protection just in case.

All is now well.

Gary W. (thunter a alias)