Another Dreaded Blinking AC Light

I've been reading about this issue but honestly I don't know shit from shineola about it.

Here's what happened. Hottest day of the year so far. Started truck and 5 minutes later hopped back in. Noticed that it wasn't as cold as it normally is but dismissed it because of the outside temps. During my drive on the highway I heard a medium pitched "moan" which I thought was the blower motor so I shut off the fan. Noticed the AC light blinking. Now it's getting friekin' hot and had to resort to dual 55's. I tried the fan several times with the same result. Later on my return trip I tried several more times. No "moan" and the blower worked but no cold air. I know of the several prime suspects - relay, rpm sensor, amplifier, and compressor. There are other things it might be but being that I'm clueless in this arena I need some guidance. If it's just a sensor I'll swap it out but beyond that I'll have Toyota do a compressor replacement if needed.

In the mean time, I'll keep searching and reading.

 

This was first to pop up on a search
Flashing A/C light is 'indicative' of AC compressor 'clutch relay' failure .. Intermittent failures are common... Relay located in the under hood fuse/relay box... Owners manual helpful for identification.

 

Thanks, I'll check it out.

I grabbed hold of the clutch and spun it but it felt "rough" and "notchey" (is that a word)?

 

This has a lot of good info.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/a-c-light-blinking-troubleshooting-guide.440200/

 

Thanks, I've been reading that. At this point I'm leaning towards the clutch failed which might make sense because of the sounds I heard. However, the jury is still out....

 

The jury might be in. I just checked the AC clutch on our 2015 and it spins fairly smoothly. The 2012 has the immediate issue so I'm guessing the bearing has failed.

 

Compressor clutch, sorry OP. Been there, done that.

 

If it is the clutch, can I drive without doing any further damage?

 

Replace the compressor assembly Denso 497-9196.

Don't drive it while you have the bearing issue.. as you can lose the pulley and as a result your serpentine belt in the process and damage something else potentially.

 

I drove mine for 2 years with no problems...other than sweat. However, I was sure the clutch was the culprit and would not engage.

As another member pointed out, you could have a bearing issue which is different.

Your best bet is to get it diagnosed properly and go from there. Don't want to see you have any more problems.

 

Have someone engage ac or defrost while you watch. The mag clutch sucks itself against the rubber donut spinning the compressor.
The whole thing can be disabled by pulling the relay.

Or for mine a belt is available for a non ac model.

 

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

Suspect you will find this one helpful

 

I pulled it apart today and this is what I found. I'm a bit surprised that it wasn't worse than it is. Now I'm dead in the water waiting on parts. I checked with Toyota and it's nationally back ordered with no ETA. 274 have been shipped from Japan but the whereabouts is unknown. With that in mind, I reluctantly had to order a generic brand so I can get back on the road and that will probably take a week to get here.....

 

That clutch got HOT.

 

I had this problem and bought a replacement clutch on ebay, did the fix and the ac worked perfectly ever since, 2 years ago far.

 

Still waiting on the clutch but I started looking into fabbing a tool to hold the hub while I torqued the bolt. It's not a big issue and I didn't have to do anything. It looks like a sink drain wrench will hold the hub while torquing the bolt. Being that the torque value is so low this should work. Haven't tried it yet.... work well.

 

A strap wrench might even work a bit better.....

 

Received the clutch hub today and replaced it. I only replaced the hub. The A/C works and no unusual moans and groans, just the usual (mine). Did everything from underneath after removing the skid plate. I had previously removed the front wheel and dropped the inner fender liner for additional access if needed but didn't have to go that route.

Side bar - I used my HF converted PE jack and it worked flawlessly. I also used a HF car dolly to lift the tire back onto the hub without any difficulty. I love it when a plan comes together...

 

Great news. What method did you use to hold the hub while reinstalling the bolt?

 

I used the strap wrench. It worked a charm....