douglasinct

Had my 2005 xB in to the dealership (not Scion/Toyota), where I bought it at the end of March, for them to diagnose the lack of A/C in my car.

They said that:
- there were two parts under the dash that need replacement
(A/C Evaporator, Expansion Valve)
- the work entails removing the dash to get to the parts
- the estimated cost for the work is about $1,200

QUESTIONS:
- Is this for real?
- Should I take it over to the Scion dealership for a "second opinion"?
- How tough is it to take out the dash and do the work myself?[/list]
- Do I have any recourse against the selling dealership?
ARGH!

snowromance

what are these 2 parts they are referring to?

douglasinct

Hang on, and I'll get the sheet from my car and update the original post.
.
.
.
.
DONE!

Sciond

hey there is a TSB on this you might be warrantied

BayAreaScion

whoa,whoa,whoa! The evaporator would only be bad if it had a leak, I could possibly see an expansion valve go bad, but you can usually adjust them. Adjusting them requires gauges being hooked up to the ports under the hood and using a thermometer. Long story short. I think there diagnosis is BS. Liscensed HVAC guy here. Find an honest shop. Just had Toyota evac my system and recharge for the same reason. Just doesnt feel as cold this summer?

x_boxy

1200 dollars?? holy shiot... that alot of money. yea i would take your xb somewhere else for a second opinion if i were u

Black_Sheep_xB

this (Acura) dealer tech states.. too high!! but.. about right for the dealer.. go private for better deal

douglasinct

Actually, there has been ZERO cooling with the AC button depressed since I bought the car at the end of March.

I am planning on going over the Scion Dealer first thing on Tuesday morning and see what they have to say and can do.

Will report back after that.

bikemike

I am in the business and I am sorry to say this is not BS (ask any Dodge truck owner) the evap (cooling unit in the dash) can leak and when it does you have to dig it out and replace it. It is a good idea to replace the TX (expansion) valve while you are in there. The system needs to be vaced and refilled and maybe and new filter/dryer as well.

1K+ sounds about right.

Scorpius01

The expansion valve is located on the evaporator, located in the dash like all evaporators for all car makes.


I would always get a second opinion. An evaporator can get plugged but unlikely (unlessthe system was damaged in an accident), sounds like parts are just being thrown (at your expense) at the car.
Take it to a Toyota/Scion dealer for an accurate diagnosis.

BayAreaScion

EXACTLY SCORPIUS!

douglasinct

UPDATE: Tuesday - 5/27

Visited Scion Dealer this morning:
1) No joy on a TSB
2) No joy on being in warranty
3) Scheduled diagnostic appointment (~ $165) for this Thursday.

BayAreaScion

Quite high for a diagnostic. $99 out here in the Bay...Good Luck!

Sciond

hmm I had mine repaired under TSB for not blowing cold enough and I have an 05

Sciond

here
http://tijil.org/Scion_TSBs/ac00704r.pdf

douglasinct

Still in limbo land.

The Used Car Manager is not returning my calls even with my drop-in visits to prompt him.

Now, it's time for a letter to the owner of the dearlership - with a copy to the state Attorney General (for effect).

This is a key mechanical system that should be covered by the 60 day Warranty... or so one would think.

MadMike550

my 05's ac blew warm last year..I brought it in got they charged us 80 bucks to diagnose.. they gave it a recharge and put some dye in it

had the box running there for a day and 1/2 they used over 1/4 tank of fuel
to look for leaks

to this day there arent any and it blows cold

I keep wondering though..what happened to the refrigerant in the first place???

jwaj2002

bought mine in 05(its an 06) took it in that following may (was well into the high 90's) because it was blowing out hotter with the a/c on and the thermostat in the blue, they looked at it, had it 9 hours and called me and said "its fine, nothing wrong" gave it back and its working, I think they forgot to install the a/c fuse when I picked it up on the purchase date

douglasinct

Well, today I came home at lunch time to find a voice message from the General Manager of the Dealership in question, saying that they would like to fix the AC next week. :D

PRAISE GOD!

Here is the letter I sent - with key names omitted.

Douglas in CT
999 Anystreet Rd., Anytown, CT
Tel: 203-123-4567


Mr. ABC
ABC of Milford
Milford, CT 06460

Subject: Request for Action

June 12, 2008

Sir:
I am writing to you to formally request that ABC of Milford repair, at no cost to me, the Air Conditioning system in the 2005 Toyota Scion xB (VIN ##########) that I purchased from your dealership on Monday, March 31, 2008.

HISTORY
During second week of owning the car, Milford experienced the first hot spell of the season where the temperature rose into the 70’s. It was at that time that I discovered that the Air Conditioning system would only blow hot air when turned on.

I came in the following week on Tuesday, April 15, 2008 and met with the Used Car Manager, Mr. S. We arranged for the Chrysler Service side of your business to investigate the problem along with an exhaust rattle.

The car went into the shop on Wednesday, April 16, 2008 (Invoice 755895). Some work was done to attempt to fix the minor exhaust rattle (the problem remains), but nothing was done for the Air Conditioning system. This was due to the fact that the shop’s Air Conditioning machine was not working. It would be out of service about the next four weeks.

After checking back frequently during this time with Mr. D. (Service Advisor), my car was in the shop again on Friday, May 23, 2008 (Invoice #####). I was informed at the end of the day that, indeed, there was a problem with the Air Conditioning system. Specifically, that the Air Conditioning “Evaporator” and “Expansion Valve” were leaking and that the repair cost would be approximately $1,200.00.

Upon learning of this problem, I visited Mr. S. on the following Monday, May 26, 2008. At that time I calmly expressed my dismay that not only had your dealership had sold me a vehicle with a major mechanical operating system that was not in proper working condition, but it had not disclosed that fact to me. He informed me that the Air Conditioning system was not considered a “safety item” and was not covered under the conditions of the Warranty. While under the impression that his statement was true, I graciously offered to split the estimated repair cost of $1,200.00 on a 50/50 basis with your company. Mr. S. then said he could not make that decision, and would need to consult with the Service Department to see what he could work out, and then get back to me.

After not hearing back from Mr. S., I called and left voicemail messages for him on Thursday, May 29, 2008 and May 30, 2008. Neither call was returned.

I visited Mr. S. on June 2, 2008, and he explained that he had been too busy with End of Month business. He said that he would now have to wait until Wednesday, June 4, 2008, when Mr. T (Service Manager) returned from vacation.

I did not hear back Mr. S. on that Wednesday, June 4, 2008. So, I left follow up voicemails for him on both Thursday, June5, 2008 and Friday, June 6, 2008. Again, neither of these calls have been returned as of this date, June 11, 2008.

Mr. ABC, you are a professional in the automotive industry and a good businessman. You have a successful automotive business in Milford and are well regarded in the community. It is also known that you are proud to stand behind each vehicle you sell (new or used). I suspect that you would never condone the selling of any vehicle where any major system was defective without disclosing that fact to the buyer, and that you would be willing to correct the defect with timely notification.

Therefore, after being put off and ignored so many times in getting this problem taken care of, I request that you personally step in and resolve the problem to my satisfaction by repairing the defective Air Conditioning system.

I look forward to hearing from you shortly.


Sincerely,



Douglas in CT

MadMike550

good going...nice documentation...
I hope they get you fixedup real soon

good going Douglas