brendam24

Can anyone shine some light on what I was just told by my dealer on my RX330 please. I took it in for an oil change and upon taking a look at my car they are telling me the following:

Power Steering Rack needs to be changed because it's leaking, now they are charging me $1934 to do this. Also that my break lights have an open circuit and it's $300 to get that fixed. I dont have $2000+ to go pay the dealer how long can I wait before I get this fixed can I keep driving my RX like this as long as I keep the fluid level good? On the break light circuit issue is this something that can be DIY?

I bought my RX330 from a toyota dealer about 11months ago it's a 2004 and it only had 53k on it when i bought it.

mandyfig

You are out of warranty sorry, your best bet is to get a second opinion from a Toyota shop or dealer. Good luck.

kiwi

the rack is fine to drive on as long as the fluid level is good, keep an eye on it and you will be fine.

as for the brake lights, make sure you have them. if you slam on your brakes and someone rear ends you, it might be partially/all your fault. especially at night

brendam24

as far as the break lights circuit goes the lady at the dealer said it was a switch that needed to be replaced. Now I just came across a recall regarding a brake light switch does anyone know if this might be the same switch she may be talking about? She said it was an open circuit and the swtich had to be replaced....

Now the power steering rack is this a part I can only find at the dealer or would it be ok if I bought one else where? I saw a few websites online that sell the part but am not sure if this will be ok to purchase or should I only buy it at the dealer.

salimshah

With a non functioning brake light you will fail inspection as well as get a ticket. It is a safety issue.

If you assume the astronaut position you should be able to spot the switch around the brake.

Salim

brendam24

Is this switch only sold thru Lexus or can I just go to a local parts store and buy it?

salimshah

Have you priced it by calling your local Lexus dealership? Get the part number and you can search.

You can check after market , but personally I would buy one from the CL sponsors like Sewell (sp?). Switch is switch, but how it is mounted as well as connector makes it some what unique.

Salim

kiwi

switch dealer only, possibly try a junk yard.

rack, its all about money, if the dealer item is 2000 like you said, and an aftermarket one is 6-800 (which they usually are) then i would throw in an aftermarket. or once again try a junk yard.

brendam24

The switch they say has an open circut is the stop lamp switch, is this the same as the break lamp switch? I found a part from partsgeek.com but I am unsure is this is the same thing. The switch at Lexus is costing me $80 + labor $220. Is the switch hard to replace if my husband does this at home?

brendam24

The rack I actually found a foreign car parts store that can sell me one for $250 if i take mine back to them or pay $450 without taking mine back in. Do any of you guys think this is a bad option on my end if I do buy the aftermarket?

Kendig

stop lamp switch and brake lamp switch are different names for the same item. Someone who is reasonably handy with tools can likely do the job without difficulty.

Steering rack replacement is a different story, as it is not only more difficult, but also requires wheel alignment as the final step. If you can find a good price for a used or rebuilt rack, you still need to find a competent shop to do the replacement.

My first question would be whether or not there is any sign of fluid dripping on the ground under the rack. If so, replace sooner rather than later. If not, get a second opinion as to the situation. (I once had a Chrysler dealer tell my wife her steering rack had to be replaced to pass inspection. My Corvette dealer looked at it, said it was fine, and 10 years later it was still fine).

brendam24

I checked yesterday and today and nothing leaks down to the ground but the water from where I ahve turned on the a/c.

I looked at partsgeek.com and they have one brake light switch as well as the stop light switch for different prices. aside from the price theonly difference is that one says "for Japan made models" which switch should I get?

here is the link I am unsure as to which one to buy

http://www.partsgeek.com/catalog/200...ht_switch.html

jer

I took my RX in for a 'complimentary' diagnostic testing and it came up with an issue concerning the stop switch. She mentioned the brake stop switch so I think this is the same issue as above. Every now and then all the lights on my dash go on, but if I turn off the vehicle & restart the go away. I was told that eventually when this switch stops functioning completely that I will not be able to get the vehicle out of park(is this true?). It is is an '04, but less tha 50k on it. Couple of questions, is this something that was recalled or has a TSB that I am not being told about? Also, I was quoted a price of 184.xx to replace, is this reasonable? Thanks in advance for your responses.

brendam24

I dont know what will happen when it goes out but my lights i have noticed anyhting wrong with it...they quoted me $80 for the part and $200 something for labor...so if they are telling you $184 i would say its good compared to me...but if your handy i read you can do it yourself as well...

shoebopper

If you look at the first letter in your VIN (it should be a "J" or a "2"), you'll know if it is a Japan or North American model. J is for Japan, 2 is North America. I always look at my insurance card rather than running out to the vehicle...

If I got the part number right, the stop lamp switch assembly is 84340-0E020 and it runs about $45 from some of the on-line OEM parts shops (Toyota).