Prius Air Conditioning problems?

never fails to break during summer huh. i wish you luck and thank you for telling
us your story. good information.

 

change the condenser, get one Car-Part.com--Used Auto Parts Market cheap.

did you pull a vacuum and see if it held it?

 

My compressor was replaced at about 85000 on my o4 Prius. Bad bearings, would make more and more noise the longer the compressor ran, had reduced performance. I ran it parked in Tucson during the summer for 20 minutes at a time, 3 or 4 times.

Ron

 

Hey Tuck, could you elaborate a little more? Amplifier module? In the AC?

 

Do you know if there were any DTCs set because of the failed amplifier module or were there no errors detected? Thanks!

 

I'm Leon. Got a used '05 Prius. Hit a tumble weed and sprung a leak in the condensor. Replaced it and now need to top off the compressor with ND 11 oil. Anyone know where I can get it?

 

I posted a two crosses for this oil previously.
http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-prius-care-maintenance-troubleshooting/68898-ac-oil-charge.html

or from another post:
You can purchase the oil from Car Quest, it is part # TSI CQ16136 hybrid electric compressor oil.

 

I own a 2007 prius. Yesterday the ac completely stopped. I took it to the dealer and it was repaired. Where is the motor sub-assy, B located, and how is it accessed? Is it under the passenger side of the dash or can you access it directly under the hood? Is it also called a motor assy w/pump?

Thanks

 

Part number of the replaced part?

 

I have a 2007 Prius Touring model with just over 42,000 miles on it. Garaged every night, generally around the town driving. My a/c just went--will cool somewhat with the gas engine going and the car moving but turns to warm if only the electric engine is going. The dealer says it's the compressor and that the part is about $1600 dollars and with labor and tax will probably be at least $2000. No guarantee that that's all that is wrong but they can't test other things without replacing the condenser. I've already paid for a replacement solar sensor which with labor was not cheap either. I'm very disappointed. I've had Toyotas for years because of their great reliability and repair records. I would never expect this kind of air conditioner failure in this new a car. Of course, it's out of warranty. Am I crazy to expect my a/c to last more than 42,000 miles?

 

I have a 2005 Prius with 227204 miles on it. I am getting a really LOUD noise and a lot of vibration when I turn on the A/C. It's not as noticable once I get on the highway and turn on the stereo. With the temps being the 100's I am still running the A/C. Any thoughts on what could be doing this and am I doing any harm in process in doing so? Thanks!

 

Now whoever did that repair was either knowingly ripping your off or was completely incompetent. The solar sensor may set a code if, surprise, it does not detect solar radiation. Such as, being inside the shop at a dealership!

Is there any chance that this place "serviced" your A/C in the past? Maybe they contaminated it or left it undercharged. Do you get a message "Check air conditioning connection." on the MFD? Do get a red triangle warning?

Get a second opinion, at the very least. It is worth a try to have the system evacuated, leak checked, and recharged, but it must be at a place that has dealt with electric A/C compressors before and won't cross contaminate. You might be better off going through A/C shops in the phone book and seeing if any of them have the newer equipment that will do this.

 

Maybe a bearing in the compressor is on its way out? The compressor is pretty loud normally when first turned on, turning at something like 6000 rpm, sounding somewhat like a jet turbine winding up. How long have you had the car?

 

Ironically I work on jets (Avionics actually) and my first thought was the compressor. And yes, it sounds like a jet turbine engine winding up. It's so loud that I roll down all the windows and wait till I am on the hwy till I turn it on.

I have had the car since Oct 2005. I LOVE my little car and have little no issues with it. I have some of the same complaints that other drivers have concerning radio. Other than light bulbs, wipers and tires. I have had both water pumps replace in Feb of this year. 12v aux battery Oct 10.

 

So is it much louder, and much harsher vibration, than it has been in the past? It is the vibration that is unusual. Might be worth checking the three bolts that holds it in place, torque spec is 18 ft-lbs.

 

Oh yeah! The noise is much more louder and you can feel the vibration through the gas pedal. The problem is about 3 weeks old now. I will put it up on some ramps this weekend when I do the oil change and let you know.

Is changing the compressor hard to do? The refrigerant is my only concern. I hate to think how much the dealer will want from me to do it.

Thanks again for your help!

 

Dealer repairs involving the compressor run about $2000 for parts and labor. The compressor itself has an MSRP of nearly $1000. It requires a special oil ND-11, but generic is available at Carquest. I wouldn't necessarily call it a DIY project, unless you at least have basic A/C equipment and know your way around conventional systems. The main issue is to not cross contaminate the system with non ND-11 oil.