AC went out paying an arm and a leg

Wow that is crazy shit right there! Good thing my windows roll down just fine so if that ever happens to me (knock on wood) i got it all covered, fuck that pricetag

 

Sounds like the AC flush the dealership was pushing during my last tune up has become a priority.

 

Make them give you a rundown of exactly what they're gonna do... there really isn't anything to flush. Are they gonna evacuate and recharge the system? Clean the radiator and condenser?

 

Me too, at idle it sounds like a bad bearing, a grinding like sound... while driving its more of a faint howl. I also need to replace the blower motor resistor and connector, having my blower randomly stop and start blowing all the time is getting old. lol
Don't forget that there is an inline filter/screen on these(and lots of other vehicles). The drier is built into the condenser so I would go ahead and replace it, most compressors require it for warranty anyways.

 

You can flush an A/C system which is different from evac/recharge. Only reason you would need to is if you have contaminents i.e components breaking down.

http://www.teamec.be/cms_files/Flushing and Cleaning(EN).pdf

 

If you haven’t had a component failure your system shouldn’t need flushing though. Nobody evacuates a perfectly fine system to “flush” it..... there’s no benefit, if anything you’ll introduce more debris than you flush out. Then you’ve gotta pull a vacuum and recharge. No reasonable or reputable repair shop would recommend that if you don’t have a failed or failing system.

 

You just said what I said “components breaking down” but now you are saying you can “flush”. Lol

Lol thats why I said “Only reason you would need to is if you have contaminents i.e components breaking down.”.. atleast your acknowledging you can flush an AC system now

 

Years ago I had a 93 4Runner that grenaded it's AC compressor while I was out on a date during a hot, sunny, central Arizona summer (wonderful timing to say the least). I had a buddy who, at the time was a service writer at a Chebby dealership who convinced me that his tech's could replace the AC compressor. Since I was broke at the time, I took the gamble. It didn't pay off! They replaced the AC Compressor which proceeded to blow again within a couple of days. When they tore it back apart they found metal shavings in the lines. They reached out to a Toyota dealership owned by the same parent company and were told that they needed to flush the system really well when replacing the AC compressor. They did it a second time with much better success.

Only downside was when they handed me a bill for the second compressor. Needless to say the service director got an earful from me. I ended up getting that second AC compressor for free. Probably the only thing I've EVER gotten from a car dealership that I didn't pay for through some overly creative finance manager "slight of hand".

 

I just missed that you said that when I read it. I never said that you couldn’t flush an a/c system.... I’m just curious as to why it was recommended to you during a tuneup? You never mentioned having any a/c issues?
Edit:
You can paint me as the dumbass if you want, you’re the one that said you were gonna make that recommended flush a priority. I’m just questioning why you think it’s necessary? Have you had past a/c issues and didn’t fix it properly to begin with? Why would you flush a system with no issues? Flushing an a/c system isn’t like changing an air filter or something, very rarely does it need to be done. If you have to have an a/c system flushed then you are pretty much always replacing parts, it’s not some maintenance item that you do however often.

The context that you’ve posted in seems to suggest that you’re just gonna go get your a/c flushed for no reason other than because the dealership recommended it? I’m just trying to keep you from getting ripped off. You do you though.

 

this is my problem. Ugh. I guess I'll get ready to bend over.

 

Wasn’t calling you a dumbass bro. It could have been worded better. Water under a lifted Taco

 

Lol, we’re good. So why did the dealer recommend a flush though?

 

AC isn’t cooling well.

 

If you have enough debris in the system that it needs flushing, your compressor is probably failing. Flushing the a/c without fixing the cause of the problem is just a bandaid. Did they check the pressure on the high and low sides? Is your condenser and radiator clean?

 

I told them to just change the oil and rotate tires for now. Still researching my options.

 

Well shoot. Now I'm not gonna use my A/C until I can get around to fixing it... And it has been high 80s and low 90s already in May...

 

Hmm... most of the post here are several years old but I just hit the same problem with my 09 Tacoma (4.0 L V6, 146k miles). I've had the truck two years and have just scheduled the third A/C compressor replacement. All work done by the dealership. The first costs me around is a $1,400. That failed in about 6 months, shorted internally, causing lots of dash warning and the check engine light to come on. Toyota replaced that one under the 12 month parts warranty on the product. 14 Months later, just beyond the warranty period, that second compressor grenaded and pushed metal fragments into the support lines. So now I have a quote of $2,900 to replace the compressor and all impacted components. That is a two day repair job. To me that explodes the urban myth of the reliable high milage Toyota. Even the new parts are junk.

 

I need to replace a line on my truck and will do the condenser, did you add oil to the condenser?

 

I did not add oil because the compressor I bought was already charged with oil.

 

FSM calls for PAG oil to be added when replacing.