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No air from center vents

Discussion in 'Generation 1 Prius Discussion' started by usnavystgc, Aug 1, 2011.

  1. usnavystgc

    usnavystgc Die Hard DIYer and Ebike enthusiast.

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    I have an 01 Prius I bought used last summer. I have never been able to get air from the center vents or the floor. Last weekend I decided to troubleshoot the problem. I watched the servomotor (on the driver's side of the vent control box) to see if it did anything when I switched between defrost, floor and face and nothing happened. I took the servomotor off and manually moved the vent controls and I was able to get air out of the floor but no matter what position I put the levers/controls in, I was never able to get air out of the center vents.

    I hooked the servomotor directly to the battery and it spun just fine.

    Does anyone have any ideas on how to further troubleshoot this problem?

    Any and all help is greatly appreciated!!!! :)
     
    #1 usnavystgc, Aug 1, 2011
  2. usnavystgc

    usnavystgc Die Hard DIYer and Ebike enthusiast.

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    Why am I getting no replies on this???? I guess that means no one else has or has had this problem. Come on Patrick, help me out!!!!
     
    #2 usnavystgc, Aug 2, 2011
  3. seilerts

    seilerts Battery Curmudgeon

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    In the recent Gen II threads on this issue, the trouble spot seemed to be something mechanically broken inside the evaporator case. The two servos, air mix and vent mode, connect directly to the A/C amplifier. If they aren't responding to commands, then there is a wiring problem or the amplifier itself is the problem. However, it sounds like even if the servos worked it still would not solve this, given that you can manually move the mechanism but not get anything out of the center.
     
    #3 seilerts, Aug 2, 2011
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  4. usnavystgc

    usnavystgc Die Hard DIYer and Ebike enthusiast.

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    I still haven't been able to narrow down this problem but, I suspect it is the AC amplifier since the servo's are not moving no matter what. Does anyone have any idea how to test it. I would like to "prove" its bad before I buy a new one. The wiring diagrams I have are "black box" level with no details on input or output voltages.
     
    #4 usnavystgc, Aug 18, 2011
  5. andyprius

    andyprius Senior Member

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    I cannot advise but,do a careful search on PC, the problem has occured before, the archives are pretty good. :D
     
    #5 andyprius, Aug 21, 2011
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  6. meganmole

    meganmole Junior Member

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    :(Not good news I'm afraid. We bought 2007 Prius June 2011 with 30,000 miles. Great deal and all was well. End of August center vents stopped blowing. Took back to dealer from whom purchased and the and the bill was $4400.00. Must take entire dash off. Don't know the name of the part butit cost $3800.00 and 8 hours labor. They have had my car over a week and still not fixed. Now something on the steering wheel is broken from taking the dash apart. Nobody seems to know what they are doing. Will let you know the part name when I find out. Good news arrived when Toyota dealer said they would pay for the part but not the labor. makes me suspicious about what they knew when they sold me the car. Wish I could sell it back. I'm afraid it will never be rightand what did they screw uo when they disassembled the front dash. What to do?
     
    #6 meganmole, Sep 11, 2011
  7. seilerts

    seilerts Battery Curmudgeon

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    Yes, they are replacing your evaporator box, and replacing it is one of the worst jobs that I can think of. Surely they are not asking that you pay for a broken clockspring or whatever it was on the steering wheel that they broke?

    Was the car sold to you as a Certified Pre-Owned? That comes with a 12 month/12,000 mile warranty. It seems like this should be a free fix. Check your paperwork carefully, and, facts in hand, ask to speak to the service manager. If you can't get anywhere with the dealer, call the Toyota Customer Experience hotline and tell them your story.

    Toyota Help
     
    #7 seilerts, Sep 11, 2011
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