Hello, havea 2001 Prius going strong except for the ac. The button light blinks on the ac switch, and the compressor seems to shut off. But some times the ac works fine. I brought it into the dealer and they said I need a new compressor, around $1400 bucks. I thing it's a temp sensor, otherwise, why is the ac nice and cold and can stay on for some period before going off? Is there anyway to really tell what it is?
There are reports of replacing the washer in the compressor with a thinner one. I would not rule out a worn belt, a potentially inexpensive, low labor solution. Bob Wilson
Thanks for the info Bob. The dealer said he tightened the belt. I just took a look at the compressor and I must say it is really tight in there. Guess all is accessible from the bottom of the engine compartment?
There are plenty of used Gen I compressors on Ebay. I wouldn't buy a new one b/c u don't know how long other components in the car will last. Replacing the compressor is not easy but, you can do it if you take your time and have patience.
The blinking button light indicates something is slipping between the belt and the compressor. If you believe the dealer tightened the belt, nothing is left but the compressor clutch. So we know you need a clutch, but why did the dealer say entire compressor? Did he give a reason? The clutch as a new part will run about $195 from the Toyota dealers that sell online. I guess you could look for a used clutch, or buy a used compressor and just swap the clutch (and that way if there ever turned out to be a compressor problem, you'd have one). The only thing about a used clutch is knowing how much life is left. Clutch replacement is much less invasive DIY than compressor replacement; keeps you out of the business of reclaiming the charge, opening the system, having to change the drier, calculate oil fill, evacuate the system, and recharge. All you do is take the clutch off and put one on. Another member has suggested getting more life out of the existing clutch by a clearance adjustment (grinding a couple thousandths off the shim washer). Probably measuring the shim washer and buying one a couple thousandths thinner would also work, depending on what sounds easier to you. -Chap
yes they sell the shim pack , a little bag with about 6 different thickness of shims. easy job, When you have the belt off spin the pulley to make sure the pulley bearing is good ( smooth feeling when spinning freely by hand )
Had the same problem, in the bottom line the clutch was bad. When it gets hot the AC stop working and the AC light is blinking. The dealer told me the same thing. Bought a used Compressor on Ebay for $200 (they said it was rebuild... LIERS) and installed for another $250, 2 years ago and till now its working fine.
This thread has been gathering dust for year, so I bet the issue is resolved, but.. The mechanic we bought our 2002 Prius from was sure the compressor was bad because the light was blinking. I pulled the code (easy to do w/o tools) and found it was for a cabin air intake servo motor. Turns out a family of mice had been living in the cabin air filter and blocking air flow into the a/c system. Hopefully a dealership would be more thorough, but personally I'd pull the code myself and check behind the glove box before shopping for replacement parts.
Thanks for posting about it. The first thing I did was change the cabin filter and I eve vacuum the area for extra dust that missed the filter. I really hope that it will fix your problem but it hard believe. Let us know.
Thanks Wisco Interesting.... I had cleaned that area many times since I did find a nest of deceased mice. So where is the servo motor and is it easy to replace? I have yet to find out how to remove the front plate to get at the cabin fan assembly. I took off the metal clips, but nothing budges.
Yes, that can't be repeated too often. The HVAC codes are really easy to pull too, there's no need for a scan tool or anything, you just press A/C 3 times after turning the key on, then turn the fan switch from off to auto, and count the light blinks. Exactly one of the possible codes will mean the compressor drive is slipping. All the other codes tell you about other problems. (Except the sun sensor code, which you can get normally if it's dark out when you pull the codes. In other words, a few seconds of asking the car what the trouble is can save plenty of time and $ chasing after the wrong stuff. Do you have the instrument panel off? I've never had to get to the fan, but I know the published procedure involves a choice of (1) removing the instrument panel, or (2) cutting, at the molded-in thin places, the plastic segment beneath the glove box door (to which the door's hinges attach). The manual gives the part number of a metal brace you then use to replace the part you cut out; it screws into screw bosses that are already molded in. Maybe you are already past that point and asking more about how to get into the fan enclosure itself. If so, sorry, that's as much as I know. I actually ended having to do the job this past summer, so the details are here. -Chap
That I don't know. After I replaced the filter the code didn't come back. I'm hoping the ECU threw the code because of insufficient air flow, which it blamed on the servo motor not opening. Frankly, I probably have more to fix than just the filter, but I can't really test the A/C until spring. That was the only code though, so maybe I'll get lucky.
