Harsh ride -- went to Midas today
01-28-06, 07:23 AM
#16
Lead Lap
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by chuckb
by the way e-please don't let Midas touch your GS, they are mostly unskilled rip off artists.
01-28-06, 07:26 AM
#17
Lead Lap
Thread Starter
By the way, I just realized that my math was off. The total quote from Midas was $900, but $375 for parts plus $625 for labor equals $1,000. The parts were $375, but the labor was $525. Take off $99 for an alignment (which I probably need now anyway because of the curb I smashed into last night 
), subtract tax and shop supplies, and I believe the total labor was around $375-$400 (plus $100 for an alignment).
Henry, do you think the total labor should be $250 including an alignment or would you tack on an extra $100 for an alignment?
), subtract tax and shop supplies, and I believe the total labor was around $375-$400 (plus $100 for an alignment).Henry, do you think the total labor should be $250 including an alignment or would you tack on an extra $100 for an alignment?
Last edited by e-man; 01-28-06 at 07:30 AM.
01-28-06, 08:27 AM
#18
Lexus Fanatic
Originally Posted by e-man
Henry, do you think the total labor should be $250 including an alignment or would you tack on an extra $100 for an alignment?
01-28-06, 08:33 AM
#19
Lead Lap
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by chuckb
henry is used to paying california shop rates. they can get 4 coil overs put in for $150 by someone who has actually worked on a GS before
01-28-06, 09:55 AM
#21
Originally Posted by chuckb
hey Jerry, aren't oem shocks made by KYB? do you think the oems have softer valving than the aftermarket KYBs?
sorry to hear about your bumper e-at least it was already scratched there
by the way e-please don't let Midas touch your GS, they are mostly unskilled rip off artists.
sorry to hear about your bumper e-at least it was already scratched there
by the way e-please don't let Midas touch your GS, they are mostly unskilled rip off artists.
Hey e - time for a TTE lip?
Jerry
01-28-06, 10:55 AM
#22
Lead Lap
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by engin_ear
Chuck-man, I know that the L-Tuned are rebadged KYBs, but I've never seen anything on who makes the stocks. Consequently, don't know for sure about the valving, but it does seem that way. What I do know for sure is that, once the stock shocks start to go, they seem fine at low speeds, but really lose control on the highway.
Hey e - time for a TTE lip?
Jerry
Hey e - time for a TTE lip?
Jerry
Originally Posted by engin_ear
Hey e - time for a TTE lip?
Jerry
Jerry
01-28-06, 10:59 AM
#23
Lead Lap
Thread Starter
UPDATE -- just got second opinion
I wanted to make sure that I didn't screw anything up after hitting that curb last night, so I took the car over to another Midas (this one by my house) to have the suspension rechecked. Same opinion here. Everything looks very good and solid. No play in the ball joints, bushings look healthy, etc. Although they didn't see the shocks leaking and the car passed the bounce test, they stlll recommended that I replace the shocks. Interestingly, they said that they wouldn't work on the car. They said that the ride stiffness is controlled electronically by the ECU (again, this is news to me), and that because of the electronics, they wouldn't touch it. I don't think they are right on this point, but it's irrelevant because I won't bring it there anyway.
01-28-06, 11:56 AM
#24
Lexus Fanatic
Originally Posted by e-man
They said that the ride stiffness is controlled electronically by the ECU (again, this is news to me), and that because of the electronics, they wouldn't touch it. I don't think they are right on this point, but it's irrelevant because I won't bring it there anyway.
01-28-06, 08:32 PM
#25
I was gonna say...
Midas is OK (sometimes) for routine stuff that they've seen before and requires no thinking. (Like I had them bolt on my Blitz exhaust - just bolts, no torches, welding, etc.) The problem with them comes on a non-routine job when they get to a point where they actually have to think - then they invariably make the wrong decision, and you just sit there scratching your head. To them there's no difference between a Lex and a Saturn, it's all just a paycheck.
But...then you said...
"They said that the ride stiffness is controlled electronically by the ECU (again, this is news to me), and that because of the electronics, they wouldn't touch it."
Well this puts them in the stupid-before-they-even-start-working-on-the-car league.
Many upscale cars have electronically controlled suspensions these days, but we ain't one of 'em.
Midas is OK (sometimes) for routine stuff that they've seen before and requires no thinking. (Like I had them bolt on my Blitz exhaust - just bolts, no torches, welding, etc.) The problem with them comes on a non-routine job when they get to a point where they actually have to think - then they invariably make the wrong decision, and you just sit there scratching your head. To them there's no difference between a Lex and a Saturn, it's all just a paycheck.
But...then you said...
"They said that the ride stiffness is controlled electronically by the ECU (again, this is news to me), and that because of the electronics, they wouldn't touch it."
Well this puts them in the stupid-before-they-even-start-working-on-the-car league.
Many upscale cars have electronically controlled suspensions these days, but we ain't one of 'em.
01-28-06, 08:37 PM
#27
Lead Lap
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by engin_ear
We gotta get the e-man to make his first mechanical mod, so he can start blowing paychecks like the rest of us sickos.
"Hello, my name is e-man, and I'm a stockaholic."
The afflication is also known as modaphobia.
01-28-06, 09:09 PM
#28
Lexus Fanatic
Originally Posted by engin_ear
We gotta get the e-man to make his first mechanical mod, so he can start blowing paychecks like the rest of us sickos.
Jerry-just give up. put it this way, switching to 01 tails is too far from stock for e
you know I'm just messin with you e
01-28-06, 09:33 PM
#30
Lexus Test Driver
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: il
Posts: 1,015
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by e-man
Hey guys. Lately I've been noticing that my ride has been deteriorating over the last few months. It's fine over smooth surfaces (obviously), but my car seems to shake, shimmy and shudder horribly over uneven surfaces (especially on the highway). I'm currently running stock 16s for the winter, and something just doesn't seem right. I've been considering replacing the ball joints, LCA bushings, shocks, tires, you name it. Anyway, I went over to Lexus today at lunch to get it checked out. The head tech who works on my car was out sick, so I left.
I happened to pass a Midas on the way back to the office, and, as most of you probably know, Midas offers free suspension inspections. No appointment needed. I just drove right up and they took me right away. The guy put the car up on the lift, and 5 minutes later called me over to the service bay to have a look. Long story short, he pointed out every suspension component he checked (ball joints, control arm bushings, shocks, springs, etc.) and told me that everything appeared to be in great shape (particularly for a 7 year old car with 76,000 miles). It wasn't the answer I expected to hear -- after all, I figured he would try to sell me something. He then told me that although the shocks look fine (no leaking or cracks), there's a good chance that they're shot. He said that Lexus recommends shocks be replaced every 30k miles (has anyone else heard this?), and that by 75,000 miles, if they're not completely shot, they're certainly worn out to the point where they aren't even close to performing like they did when they were new.
Anyway, they provided me a quote to replace the shocks with Lexus shocks. The total for parts and labor comes to $900 ($375 parts, $625 labor). Ouch.
Any thoughts?
e
I happened to pass a Midas on the way back to the office, and, as most of you probably know, Midas offers free suspension inspections. No appointment needed. I just drove right up and they took me right away. The guy put the car up on the lift, and 5 minutes later called me over to the service bay to have a look. Long story short, he pointed out every suspension component he checked (ball joints, control arm bushings, shocks, springs, etc.) and told me that everything appeared to be in great shape (particularly for a 7 year old car with 76,000 miles). It wasn't the answer I expected to hear -- after all, I figured he would try to sell me something. He then told me that although the shocks look fine (no leaking or cracks), there's a good chance that they're shot. He said that Lexus recommends shocks be replaced every 30k miles (has anyone else heard this?), and that by 75,000 miles, if they're not completely shot, they're certainly worn out to the point where they aren't even close to performing like they did when they were new.
Anyway, they provided me a quote to replace the shocks with Lexus shocks. The total for parts and labor comes to $900 ($375 parts, $625 labor). Ouch.
Any thoughts?
e