A/C compressor replacement

welcome! a/c is tough on the prius. maybe look for a salvage unit and a good hybrid a/c shoppe? all the best.

 

All I can say is that if you replace the A/C compressor, but OEM. It's pricey, but I've not heard of one aftermarket manufacturer whose product holds up long past the warranty. With OEM, you should get at least as long as the original compressor lasted. Factor in that a huge cost of the job is the labor, not just the parts.

 

What was your mileage? I have the same car and compressor lock (failure) at 81K. A trend maybe? hmm ... My Toyota service writer suggested a used compressor and located one in minutes. OEM vs. used was $1900 to $650. Labor was still way up there, but what can you do. No warranty either, which would have been a year with the OEM.

 

For both OP and last responder: I'm just curious how much you're using your AC, say what percentage of your driving?

 

Here in Arizona, almost continuously this time of year. A conservative estimate since acquiring the car November 2014 would probably be around 65% of total vehicle run time. I think it is a little odd that a unit with technology using 70% fewer moving parts should fail so soon.

 

I have to agree - if OP's car is a 2011 that's four years of service from an $1800 compressor. Doesn't sound exactly like a ringing endorsement of component longevity when I'm driving a 14-year-old Gen 1 with 22x,xxx miles and a compressor that's available Toyota reman for $430 if I needed it, but so far has cost only $1 for the replaceable clutch shim after 200,000 some. [Edit: I guess I should also count $30 or so for a couple belt replacements, to be fair. So, $31.]

I wonder what fails? The Gen 3 compressor includes the motor and also all the drive electronics....

-Chap

 

How about replacement cost for an ol' sealed beam headlight, vs the "psychotic amoeba" style they love now.

 

I have been casually searching for anything about the Denso ES14 compressor when I have some spare time and haven't found much. Some diagnostics I found said that the initial problem begins with a "contaminant" entering the scroll while operating, and because of close tolerances causing subsequent destructive debris release. Thought the receiver/dryer would catch these things but maybe over time it becomes compromised. More frequent replacement of the receiver/dryer then? There was also something about the ND11 oil becoming contaminated with metal loading over time. How about a compressor oil change then? I talked with my service writer about sending the broke unit in to Toyota for diagnosis but he said if it fails out of warranty it just goes to the recycler and end of story. The service and rather expensive repair is still on the books for this vehicle so maybe if it becomes more of a trend there could be a TSB or recall.

 

I have replaced ac compressor (Old & used) along with new condenser, new valve, but only run 12 days. That was expensive job, spent around $500.

 

I see used compressors for +/- $100 on eBay. If you bought a used one from eBay or a used car dealer, you would save a lot, even considering labor, installation kit, and compressor gas. No one answered your question about that orange cable, meaning that the compressor is powered by high voltage (around 200V, I think). The smaller, black connector that sits atop the unit you can plug and unplug, I ruined two pins while trying to clean the inside of it. Am I likely to lose my AC as a result?

I find that those pins to be flimsy. Plus, if the pins corrode, or the rivets rust (a common occurrence), the entire unit has to be replaced, with all the cost of gassing and buying installation kits.

 

That plug is very prone to retain water, say if you spray clean the engine bay.