A/C started blowing hot air after damage to front undertray. What now?

If you search, you will see that CAR Quest sells a Hybrid Oil that is equivalent to ND 11. You can also buy oil recharge cans with hybrid oil now. You probably damaged the condensor. You will need a vacuum pump to evacuate the system after fixing the leak.

 

just a thought. Maybe when you ripped the liner off you could have loosened your fan connections. If your fan stopped working the pressure in the condenser would get very high and your 134a gas would be expelled from the compressor and you would be low on ac gas. You would think you had a leak. you will need an ac manifold gauge and more ac gas to put in and check for high pressures and or a leak.


I had a similar problem with my daughters pt cruiser

 

And is there any way to know without taking the bumper off?
As the underneath panel is already off, taking off the front bumper cover is not that much more work, and will give you better visibility of the damage. Another recent thread discussed the tubes on the bottom of the compressor breaking from debris. Checking for freon pressure is a simply way to find out if the system has been opened.

thread on removing front bumper cover
http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...907-how-remove-2006-prius-s-front-bumper.html

 

Dude that's the craziest post I have ever read on this forum.

 

Not to bust your chops but your questions really reflect a lack of ac knowledge.
Your obviously beat up your condenser. Its really easy to check. Just take the panel off that covers the top condenser area. Its held on by like 8 Toy attachment screws. Snake your finger behind each screw head and as you turn the screw out with a phillips screwdriver push out the screw from behind. Pops right out. I can take that cover off in 6 seconds like this. You then have complete view of the condenser. The bottom protect plate is already off. It would take 2 minutes to check the condition of the condenser top to bottom.
And the fan is really easy to check. Put the car in READY. Put the ac on max cold. Both fans should be running. But that's not your problem.
What you describe has happened many times here.

 

if you did puncture the condenser or damage line, it is open to the air and will absorb moisture in to the ester oil in side the a/c system vary quickly. fix it sooner then later. if its just the line replace it and have the filter dryer replaced, the desiccant is bad after been exposed to the atmosphere, it loves moisture, that's its job. if the condenser has damage and leaked out there, replace it and a new dryer comes with the new condenser.
you can get ND-11 oil from the dealer. its about $140.00 for two oz. can and about $170.00 to $200 for a eight oz can. yes its expensive but if you want a long happy life for your compressor its your choice. the biggest problem is finding the right person to recharge it. its sometimes the person who recharges the a/c system is the one who damages it. DO NOT USE THE UNIVERSAL A/C OIL!!!

GOOD LUCK

 

Toyota Prius is becoming the biggest money make for the air conditioning repair industry!. Not because its a bad a/c system, but because of customer neglect is #1 reason. #2 reason the person that service the a/c system not knowing or understanding the new electric DENSO compressors. #2 includes A/C repair shops, general repair shop and Toyota Dealers repairs!!!. (not all, but dam too many) its sad for the customer. Sadly the #2 reason is becoming the #1 reason.

I will list a few things that will kill a A/C compressor, ESPECIALLY A ELECTRIC COMPRESSOR!!!. Not always fast but slowly over time, kinda like giving someone a slow acting poison. Think about it?

#1: going to a body shop after a accident and they replace your high quality high efficient OE condenser with a low quality NON-OE condenser with less cooling tubes, less cooling fins per inch. this equals less BTU's removed. creates high head pressure will over heat the compressor ( shorten life) decrees gas mileage!!!

#2: A body shop removes the condenser for repair and leaves the a/c lines open to the air to absorb moisture out of the air, (as fast as a sponge soaks up water!) this moisture combined with the ester oil and refrigerant makes acid that loves to attack aluminium parts like condenser and evaporators from the inside out. (leaks)

#3: The same body shop that removes your condenser to replace another part stores it to one side for a few days waiting for parts to fix your car, With NO PLUGS in the line holes allowing air with moisture to enter the condenser to get to the filter drier located on the side of the condenser this saturates the desiccant dryer. ( lots of moisture in refrigerant freezes to a ice plug partly restricting refrigerant flow intermittently, causing poor cooling only some time then works again?)

#4: over charging or under charging refrigerant. Cause high head pressure, high heat, brake down oil, form acid, short compressor life. lower gas mileage because the compressor is running all the time trying to cool the car but it cant. uses more power and drains down the battery all the time,( you use gas to recharge it.) and you cycle the battery much more often over heating it to shorting the battery's life to. WOW big bucks$$$

#5: wrong oil aka (PAG) over time eats at the lacquer on the motor windings. ( not fast slowly causing a short in the $$$ electric compressor.)

#6: AGAIN wrong oil for the CHEAP SHOP S@!T FOR BRAINS!. one oil fits all. universal 100 viscosity put in a A/C system that needs a light weight oil. ( Try this, suck water through a straw, now suck molasses through a straw.) there's more to it the that but I won't explain. Would you put 140W viscosity rear end differential oil in your Prius engine, or 0W-20W oil in a truck rear end, I THINK NOT.

#7: A quick fast vacuum 5min -15min or no vacuum at all. I smell money $$$ later on with a burnt up compressor!!!!. ( would you like the 30 min hart bypass job for *69.99 today special on you or your mom, or the 6hr hart bypass with the team of six surgeons for $250.00 )

#8: too much oil, liquid slug to the compressor, or too little oil, metal to metal contact. more $$$$$

#9: the CHEAP LAZY PIECE of @#&!% shop owner to save a buck, will not buy a new filter dryer for his recovery recycle refrigerant machine, LOTS of MOISTURE AHHH $$$$$$$ more money later. (Guaranteed more work later )

#10: I can list 20 more things, but ill keep it short, sweet and simple an to the point.
PS. DO NOT USE THE CAN OF DO EVERYTHING STOP LEAK, DYE, UNIVERSAL OIL, SUPER COOL, ANTACID, MOISTURE REMOVER AND THE KITCHEN SINK!!!. what ever you do do not use two cans of them or i will see you in the SHOP $$$$$$$$

 

I can definitely understand the problems at the body shop, esp. the salvage title guys trying to shave every $$$, but what are some examples of customer neglect? Every post about A/C that we see here is along the lines of, A/C stopped working and dealer wants $2000 for new compressor, condenser, labor, and tax. What about the A/C doesn't run as cold as it used to type problem? Would you recommend that anyone come in for an evacuate, leak check, and recharge at the first hint that something isn't right?

 

Unfortunately YES! with this car, and most if you want a long happy compressor life. i'll explain a little.
#1: because of the E.P.A today's cars no longer have 2lb. to 4lb. of refrigerant charge. If you lost 2oz. to 4oz. of charge in a system no big deal. Today if your car has only 12oz. to 17oz. refrigerant charge you could have just lost 1/5 to 1/4 of your total charge. You will not notice loss of cooling on a cool day but you will on a hot day SO WILL YOUR COMPRESSOR!.
#2: The a/c system was designed to have extra refrigerant to carry back oil and cooling past the evaporator and back to the compressor. On today's small A/C systems a small loss is a big loss of oil and cooling to the compressor. ( The lacquer coating on the electric motor winding dont like that for long and the bearing that spin upto 8000 RPM's hate heat and so dose the oil!!!. )
#3: PS: DO NOT USE THE SIGHT GLASS TO THINK THE A/C IS FULL!!!.
This is basic a/c 101 class, first thing you learn as a kid. The electric scroll compressor has been around for 30 years. ITs only new to the Neanderthal mechanics of today.
I dont like replacing Prius compressor, I feel vary bad for the customer and feel its giving the Prius a bad name when its the lack of service and the improper procedures by technicians and D.I.Y that cause a compressor in the first place.

 

Thanks for the info!

 

Hey did you end up finding out what it was ? And what fix was needed ??

 

I’ve read a couple of the responses but you never updated with the fix, can you please ?