2015 A/C Issues Help: under warranty

A few months ago my 2015 had the problem where the A/C shut while I was driving and the light started blinking. I had to turn the air-conditioner off then back on to get it working again. A few weeks later it happened again, this time when I first started it.

I took it to the dealer for my 35K service and asked them to look at it. They said it was an electrical part that needed replacing. I can't remember what they told me but the service tech said it was about the size of a baseball and required 3 hours labor. (I thought this was odd.) The ticket later said they replaced the Magnetic Clutch Relay. From what I've read this was the right thing to do but doesn't fit the description the tech gave, but I could be wrong.

The following week, the A/C shut off two more times. Took it back to the dealer. This time they had it 4 hours and said they couldn't find anything wrong and there was nothing more they could do. That was this past Friday.

Driving home Friday (I have a +20 mile commute) I noticed that after about 10 minutes the A/C got freezing cold. Then at about 20 minuted it started blowing cool but not cold and the air volume dropped dramatically. By the time I got home I was having to have the blower on full blast to keep the car cool. (+/- 90 degrees outside) It was raining that afternoon so I didn't know if that had something to do with it. Saturday I had several trips back and forth to town (20-25 miles one way) and it keeps doing the same thing. I've also noticed that I'm getting a huge condensate puddle at home after one of the 30-45 minute drives.

I'm hesitant to go back to the same dealer that keeps making things worse. (We've only got one other Toyota dealer. They're an additional 30 minute drive for me and I've never been to them.) I also don't know enough about car air conditioners to know what they screw up but something is obviously wrong. Also, Saturday I noticed my gas got unexpectedly low. When I filled up I logged the lowest mpg since I've owned the truck.

I figure tomorrow I need to either call corporate Toyota, the other dealer or go back to this same dealer. I have an extended warranty, everything should be covered. But I'm open to suggestions and any advice about what could be wrong. Thanks in advance.

 

Iced up, needs R134 recharge, sounds like their mechanics aren't very good, maybe a complaint to Toyota may fix that. If it's not low on R134 then the compressor itself may have an issue but if it's freezing up [low cool/blow] then low refrigerant is the first place to start. It's possible there is a leak and they did check it but it doesn't sound like a small leak if there is.

I absoluely guarantee if they actually worked on it for 4 hours, they would have fixed it or at the least, found the problem.

 

Magnetic Clutch Relay..

Hmm..

Ill look into this, my Camry is doing the same thing.

 

Any idea what the dealer could have done to cause this? The way its acting now started immediately after they "looked" at it.

 

Yeah, they didn't bother to check the R134 pressure and gauge it. They tossed on the clutch and ran it out the door because mechanics don't like warranty work because they can't make bank.

 

I'll bet a Diet Coke the thermistor has failed.

This is a sensor that lies on the face of the evap. When the temp gets to a certain level (like 36 or so) it shuts off the compressor to prevent icing. When the temp rises to a predetermined level, it releases the compressor to run again.

It's an cheap and easy PnP part, but not particularly easy to access.

If you will ask for their most experienced AC tech, and describe exactly as you described here "after about 10 minutes the A/C got freezing cold. Then at about 20 minuted it started blowing cool but not cold and the air volume dropped dramatically........... I've also noticed that I'm getting a huge condensate puddle at home after one of the 30-45 minute drives."

You can even suggest that to you this indicates icing of the evap, both from the restricted air flow and eventual huge puddle (ice melting after you stop) and ask what he may think is wrong. If he doesn't suggest that he'll check the thermistor, ask about it.

While it's certainly critical for the charge of the system to be good along with all other components working, that stuff is actually easier to test in a shop. And sitting in a hot shop the ambient may never drop enough to allow the system to be efficient enough to freeze. IE if they don't place big fans in front of the condenser to simulate road speeds, or mist the condenser, they can't replicate the problem.

You might find this thread interesting https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/a-c-performance-during-highway-cruise.446835/page-2

Good luck! Let us know how it works out.

Let's see if @Jimmyh has other thoughts............

 

@ramonortiz55

Depending on precise symptoms, here are some other things that might help (one of which is the easy peasy relay)...............

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/ac-clutch-failure-how-to-fix-blinking-light-squealing.448009/

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/blinking-ac-light-please-help.105164/

 

I'm with you on this one Bill! Sounds like a dead ringer for a defective thermistor. This should be a no brainer for the AC Tech if described like above. Easy to check, harder to replace.

 

I am having similar symptoms. When AC is on, it will turn off and the AC lighted button will blink. Turn AC off and then back on again it starts working.

The dealer tech took it and determined it was a short in the compressor. Must be some pressure switch.

Anyway, its getting replaced under warranty.

Will keep you posted.

 

There are only two things on the compressor that are electrical a magnetic coil for the clutch and a rotation sensor for the compressor.Your issue sounds like the clutch isn't engaging no rotation of the compressor or the rotation sensor isn't detecting the rotation when the clutch is engaged. Crazy how they think it is cheaper to replace the compressor rather than the switch or clutch by itself.

The pressure switches are in the refrigerant lines and are separate items.

 

good info. thanks.

 

X2

 

oh, I failed to mention.

This only happens when it rains.

 

Update from today: On my way to work this am the AC started blowing fog and then barely worked. Ended up having to shut it off and drive with the windows cracked. Called the dealer first thing and asked the service manager to send me a print out of what they did Friday and set up an appointment for tomorrow morning. I asked that the guy who will be working on it be available because it should be good a frozen by the time I get there. The paperwork he sent me showed nothing except the list of symptoms I gave them. I called back to ask about this because I thought there should be a list of the things they checked. He simply said that they couldn't duplicate the light blinking so they didn't do anything. So I guess they kept my truck there running for 4 hours just checking to see if the AC light blinked? Makes no sense and doesn't look like they will ever admit they did anything that caused it to get worse.

I'm not optimistic about tomorrow. We'll see, but I went ahead and started a claim number with Toyota. Hopefully they will fix it and I'll be done with this.

Thanks everyone for all the good info. I'm making a list to bring with me.

@BDub I'm curious to know what yours turns out to be.

 

Exact symptoms I had that were fixed by the evap thermistor replacement.

 

Add that to your list of symptoms that I outlined previously to give the tech. Classic ice over on a humid day. Scary looking, but it's just a 'cloud'.

If it is the thermistor (still betting that it is!) 'they' didn't do anything to make it worse. The termistor may have just finished failing for you. It could have been semi functional previosly.

They just didn't diagnose it while it was in. As I mentioned, it's not that easy to diagnose in a shop, unless they are focused on that. It is easy to diagnose continuity wise (it's just a switch) when you have access to it. IE stick it in a slurpee (which should be exactly 32* out of the machine) and get one reading, pull it out and warm it in your hand and see the switch change on the meter.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not a dealer shop fan much of the time. But this is a warranty situation. And while the part is cheap, the labor to replace it isn't. So hang in there. It won't take you long to know if it's fixed or not when you leave.

 

I had the same issue on my 03 runner. It was the blower motor relay.

 

Some folks don't realize it, but A/C is covered under the 3 yr / 36K warranty. You recently turned 35K?

I do hope they are not stalling 'til you pass 36K because at that mileage, you pay for it.

 

The cloud thing is startling but I've been thru enough old cars that I've seen it before. Ugh. The alarming one was the black smoke that came thru the AC on my old Ford Explorer.

As far as the shop, I'm not thinking they did anything intentional or malicious. Its just the way the AC started this freezing stuff immediately after I picked up from them, that I can't help thinking they either didn't reconnect something properly, knocked something loose or bent something, etc. Maybe it is just really odd timing, hope so.

 

So long as he first reports the issue to them before his warranty expires and Toyota attempts a fix that doesn't work, any future work on the same issue will be covered under warranty.