Rear shocks

[Mr Vlad]

My car is in Stockport Lexus for a service and MOT. Ive just had a phone call stating one resr shock is leaking so they aren't going to MOT it as it'll fail. Funny as ive not seen any oil leads on the floor where I park. So I ask what shocks have fellow is250 owners used as replacements. Im not going to get genuine at £206 each us fitting from the dealer. Ive seen ones like koni etc for 80 a pair. 

[The-Acre]

Very unlikely you would have a shock leak so bad you'd see oil on the floor, the usual first sign is oil misting down the length of it, that's often an MOT advisory.

[Bongo]

Hi I have just fiited  KYB shocks from Autodoc to the front of my car, I just has signs of leakage on the shock, nothing on the floor, abviously replaced them both, think I paid about £167 for the pair delivered. 

[OldTrout]

Vladimir,

Get MOT elsewhere? Misting is advisory and can get advised for years sometimes with years not mentioned.

John

[Mr Vlad]

Well it goes to show lexus dealers will rip off their customers. I was sent a video of the inspection and yes the nearside rear shock shows signs of moisture on it. Stockport lexus didn't MOT my car co they'd fail it for that moisture. But f**k my tin hat. £320 a side they quoted to supply and fit. Halfords quote 400 all in with i think 1yr warranty. Kwikfit 440 all in with a 2yr warranty. 

What surprised me was the dealer tech took my car on a wheel alignment gizmo which showed front wheels tracking inwards too much!!!. Well thats a surprise but I'll get it checked at either Halfords or Kwikfit and get them to MOT too.

 

[The-Acre]

1 minute ago, Mr Vlad said:

Well it goes to show lexus dealers will rip off their customers. I was sent a video of the inspection and yes the nearside rear shock shows signs of moisture on it. Stockport lexus didn't MOT my car co they'd fail it for that moisture. But f**k my tin hat. £320 a side they quoted to supply and fit. Halfords quote 400 all in with i think 1yr warranty. Kwikfit 440 all in with a 2yr warranty. 

What surprised me was the dealer tech took my car on a wheel alignment gizmo which showed front wheels tracking inwards too much!!!. Well thats a surprise but I'll get it checked at either Halfords or Kwikfit and get them to MOT too.

 

Personally I wouldn't go to Halfords and certainly not KF, find a decent tyre and wheel specialist.

[Mr Vlad]

Thanks but I've used Halfords lots of times over the years and never faulted them. I only have praise for them. My last car the mondeo I had new discs and pads fitted to the rear. Lifetime guarantee. Couple months later car in at Fords for a service and they contacted me saying nearside brake pads warn to 20% one side and 80% the other. A sticking caliper. Ford fixed the caliper. I phoned Halfords about it and the fitted new pads free of charge. 

However I will search other tyre exhaust places nearby. 

[The-Acre]

Fair enough, all the best with it.

[johnatg]

A major shock absorber leak is a major fault and therefore a fail. A minor one is an advisory, but it comes down to the opinion of the tester.

You may have seen Koni shock absorbers for £80 but not for an IS250. You can get Koni shocks (and they are an excellent brand) for an IS250 but they are about £175 (each)

You can find various branded and unbranded ones on eBay for something like £100 per pair. How long they would last is anyones guess. KYB is a good brand so if you can get them for a good price that would be fine. Note that you should replace the shocks as a pair.

It would indeed be a major catastrophe if a shock were to leak enough to form a puddle - basically they just show dampness on the shock body

[Mr Vlad]

I know John. I won't trust lexus to do a MOT for me again. Stockport said my wiper blades were split and caused smearing. Nothing wrong with my wiper blades. Smearing cos of a greasy screen. 

Car booked in at my local Halfords auto Centre who i know. 

[Mincey]

On 8/6/2020 at 6:47 PM, The-Acre said:

Personally I wouldn't go to Halfords and certainly not KF, find a decent tyre and wheel specialist.

Seconded!

[dazed]

Misting from a shock absorber is obviously very subjective. Four years ago my local Lexus dealer noted it as an advisory on my MOT, but the following three tests carried out by independents didn’t note it despite me having taken no action. Couldn’t help feeling that Lexus were just looking for work.

[Mr Vlad]

Yeah good point you have there dazed. I can't say I notice any symptoms of a knackered shocker But when buying the car and talking it on a test drive I noted  what to me sounded like a wheel out of balance. That sound is still apparent even though all four wheels have been powder coated and Balanced. So the sound i must be hearing must by deduction be a knackered shocker. 

[Tyre Tread]

Had my car 3 years. Tidy 2007 with 50K when I bought it and now over 100K - all 3 MOTs at my usual independent give misting on one of the rear shocks as an advisory. Still drives well and no issues so  I've left it alone

Just to pace this in perspective I also have a 20 year old TVR and a 50 year old Rover V8 and neither of them have seen a garage(other than for MOT and tyres) for decades. Not because they are neglected but because I do all my own spannering.  🙂

A bit of misting just stops them seizing up or going rusty LOL

 

[Mr Vlad]

👍

[Mr Vlad]

Oh out of interest what Rover V8 you got? I used to have a vanden plas SD1 in the 80's (got gazumped on a vitesse i was after). It was a superb car. Would love another one. 

[Tyre Tread]

This is the Rover V8 but I have another car with a Rover V8 in it 🙂 It's peeping out from behind the P5B

[Mr Vlad]

I've always loved the coupe. Sublime motoring. 

👍👍👍

[Mr Vlad]

Well took my car into Halfords for new rear shocks and MOT. The guy said I got quoted for one shock only. I said really then that makes £800. Lexus only charge 325 a side. We'll match that he said after I said ill make a call. He then said to make you happy We'll do it for 625 including the MOT. Happy with that. Car passed with no advisories and genuine lexus shocks used. Happy bunny tho I noticed the AFS light on. They quickly sorted that out. It was the sensor bracket rear passenger side out of alignment. And good to know the kind of knocking sound has gone that I knew about when I bought the car. Though it was like a wheel out of balance but that noise was still there after having wheels powder coated and balanced. Just goes to show a weeping shocker can fling up weird noises.

[The-Acre]

Glad you had a satisfactory outcome with Halfords, you did better than me!

[Mr Vlad]

Thanks m8