ac light in water?

so when i drive threw a foot or more of water, my ac light starts blinking..Does anyone have any idea why it does that?

 

The 2nd Gen Tacos uses an elaborate A/C compressor control system.

The compressor has an RPM sensor in it and the ECU wants to see a specific ratio of compressor RPM to engine RPM. If the RPM is not in the expected ratio it will disengage the compressor clutch and flash the light alerting you to the problem.

There was a TSB out for the earlier Gen 2 Tacos that this problem can also be caused by a faulty clutch relay.

What may have happened is you got dirt in the clutch and it is not allowing a solid lock. Might just need a good wash out.

Another thing I have seen is the hub on the clutch that trasnfers power from the clutch to the input shaft is rubber. This can rip out or just fall apart and the clutch can't drive the input shaft. You will also get a flashing light for that.

So, check the hub and see if it ripped out or you have dirt in it. If it is not one of those two things you may need a pro to take a look at it.

G

 

Slipping belt?

 

its only when im in the water though...as soon as im out and i push the button it works fine it doesnt blink anymore

 

Not trying to hijack this thread but I am having the blinking light issue as well. Maybe the OP and I are having the same problem, who knows.

The outer clutch ring, or clutch hub as I believe it is called, is made up of two concentric circles (labeled outer metal ring and inner metal ring in pic below). As I attempt to turn the AC on, my inner and outer metal rings appear to be able to spin independently of one another. This happens for a few seconds and then the system shuts down automatically and I get the blinking light. I'm guessing it should NOT operate like this and that the rubber washer SHOULD be holing the two concentric metal rings together. Can anyone confirm my thinking? Thanks!

 

For the OP... In the pic below I've circled in red the wire harness that attaches to the RPM sensor. You can remove it and test it with a multimeter. Removal is a TIGHT space but real simple ~ unplug wire harness and unscrew phillips bolt/screw holding sensor onto compressor. If you want to test yours, just post back here and I will dig up the instructions from the FSM.

 

That is absolutely correct. You need to replace the magnetic clutch assembly and it is not cheap so be ready for it...

The rubber is what deflects and allow the plate to move toward the drive part of the clutch that the belt is turning.

On my truck the rubber part failed and I had to replace the clutch because of it.

G

 

THANK YOU!!! I've gone round and round with the dealership and they could not answer the question. Please disregard the PM I sent you as you have answered the question here.

Thanks again, your help is MUCH APPRECIATED!!!

 

what happens if i dont change it for now..

 

In my situation, the AC simply does not work, ever. I turn the AC on, the broken clutch hub spins on itself (and squeals like a stuck pig), the RPM sensor recognizes the problem and shuts the AC down giving me the blinking light. If I simply left everything "as is" I don't think it would hurt a thing (other than having no AC) as the pulley can still freewheel on its bearing.

If I were you, I would pull the clutch (or at least the clutch hub) off the compressor and see if you can visually ID anything that looks wrong. It's not hard to do but you really need to remove the fan and shroud first to get a bit more room to work. I can send you the section of the FSM detailing the AC clutch if you need it.

 

Almost forgot... One more item that can cause your AC clutch to not engage properly is improper "air gap" between the clutch hub and clutch pulley. You can measure the gap with a feeler gauge and adjust the gap by adding or removing spacers. The FSM section on the clutch details all this.