AC intermittently working

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by ThatCrazyLady, Aug 20, 2019.

  1. ThatCrazyLady

    ThatCrazyLady Junior Member

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    2008 Prius pkg 6 160k miles origional owner

    The AC wants to retire and I'd love to repair. It is not turning on but when he hits the dash it cuts on. At lunch today it didn't work but on the way home, it took a few punches to start. AC runs cold once it starts.

    Thoughts? I'm thinking blower motor. How hard is this to do on my own?
     
    #1 ThatCrazyLady, Aug 20, 2019
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    or mfd. neither is too big of a job, but diagnosis maybe the hardest part
     
    #2 bisco, Aug 20, 2019
  3. ThatCrazyLady

    ThatCrazyLady Junior Member

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    I just did the error code check (21 & parked in the garage) and noticed a sharp squeal sound from the engine area when the AC is on.
     
    #3 ThatCrazyLady, Aug 20, 2019
  4. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    21 is a normal code to see if parked in the garage, so it isn't revealing anything. Car has to be in bright light to not have code 21.

    Compressor is in the engine area (low and forward) ... blower motor is technically in the cabin, but near the firewall with ductwork leading out, so you could be hearing a squeal from either item. Banging the dash seems more likely to affect the blower motor than the compressor. A mechanic's stethoscope could be one of several diagnostic techniques you could consider to pin things down further.
     
    #4 ChapmanF, Aug 21, 2019
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