'05 AC Problems, possible Blockage or really the Compressor?

I kind of went through what you are experiencing. I think your problem is probably the compressor is going bad. My AC worked when first started but then would falter. It was not a leak, and I checked the fans on the radiator to insure they were working. I did notice that the compressor was much louder after running for a while then it had been before. I also replaced the AC amp unit, but that did not help. In the end I had to buy a new compressor. While you can get them on line or even rebuilt, I would recommend to go with a new one and have Toyota do the work. The compressor requires a special type of oil that can easily become contaminated with other oils often used in AC. It ended up costing me about $1200 and that was with Toyota chipping in on the parts. It takes a lot of effort to bleed the system and make sure it is properly filled. If you intend to keep the car I would have Toyota fix it. I am reasonably capable as a mechanic. I changed out the water pump and flushed the system, changed the plugs, etcetera. But AC is not my bag and I don't have the equipment to do it right. If money is a real object you could always try and buy it, install it and then have Toyota pull the vacuum and fill it. The AC compressor runs off of the traction battery so it is high voltage and you should be careful.
Manny

 

Given the presence of DTC B1476 and your statement that there does not appear to be a leak in the system, it is likely that the compressor motor is failing. It may work for a brief period, allowing the system to cool, then the motor draws excessive current which causes the inverter to reduce power to the AC compressor and log the DTC.

You might install a replacement compressor yourself, then take the car to the dealer to apply vacuum to the system and replace the refrigerant.

 

PS. You need to be careful if a shop does the work and does not have clean lines. If the oil is contaminated it can affect the high voltage system. Something about the specific oil used is compatible with the hybrid system. You may try asking Toyota as a customer accommodation to help off set the costs. They did so in my case. The other thing you might do is buy the compressor (shop around for a Toyota unit) then go in and have Toyota bleed your system and then take the old one out and put the new one in and then come back and have Toyota pull a vacuum and then refill your system. Frankly the labor you save is probably not going to make that big a difference. I have read about people having other shops do it and then after a year the unit goes bad or something else happens. Think about the fact that you use the air everyday winter or summer and it is a good investment. You still may be able to buy the unit cheaper than what they will sell it to you. I had a Toyota dealer parts department meet a competitors (another Toyota dealership) price. That could save you some money. Also Costco will give you a 15% discount on repairs from a participating dealer. Just go to Costco site and then to automobiles. You will see a section on service and there you can find out who in your area will honor the discount.
Manny

 

Yes you need to be careful to keep from contaminating the system. As I understand it uses regular refrigerant. You can verify that by checking with Toyota. The problem you will encounter if you do it yourself is that you will end up allowing the refrigerant to escape into the atmosphere. Probably not the end of the world but a lot of people who drive Prius as well as electric vehicles care about the planet. So keep that in mind.
Manny

 

I was going to do it myself as well. I mean you just unplug the unit. So I am not too concerned. It might be worth paying Toyota the money to do the diagnostic to insure it is the compressor. That would at least let you know that you were not wasting your money. Toyota would probably agree to use the diagnostic money towards the repair. And then you could shop the compressor and get the best price. I think I saw them for about $600 new. A junk yard is another way to go. Problem is you are probably getting an old unit. Not worth the labor.
Manny

 

Originally, air conditioner used a thermostatic controlled expansion valve just like the large commercial units.

In the late 1970's and early 1980's, many smaller units replaced the expansion valve with orifice tubes.

Today, most auto air conditioners use orifice tubes.

The effective function is nearly the same.

 

Can someone tell me where the orifice tube is located? I got a new condenser installed but I'm only getting 40 psi out the high side. The compressor runs but I don't see much movement through the sight glass.

 

Very cool, thanks creature. So I should be OK on that since I installed a new condenser. I think my next step is to change the expansion valve once I figure out where it is and if that doesn't fix it then I'll change the compressor.

 

Whoa! I don't want to do all that. I think I'll take a chance and replace the compressor first. No shop manual but it's one of my next tools. Time to hit ebay. Thanks again creature.

 

Well I have cold air again! Solved by changing the compressor however I must say that after removing the old compressor there was no oil pouring out of it sooo maybe the problem could have been due to low oil level? I added 2 ounces of oil directly into my new condenser when I changed it not knowing the compressor was probably dry. Rookie mistake or not, I took the compressor apart and found some damage. After installing the new compressor I used the bypass method to prime the system with r134 by jumping pins 1 and 4 on the pressure switch connector. I then removed the jumper to complete the refill process. Thanks to everyone who has contributed to the forum and a special thanks to creature, I did not have to change my expansion valve which saved me several hours of work! I'll see if I can upload some pictures of the damaged compressor tomorrow.