Hello, Finding information on this topic is harder than you might imagine. I did a diligent search, and when It didn't bring up many results I felt like I was using a computer for the first time. I unexpectedly bottomed out my prius c in a driveway. It was low speed but hard impact. I broke a clip on the front bumper, it became loose, and there was a noticable warp to the flimsy bumper which i fixed and now its back in place. I am used to lowered cars and this was certainly a hard hit mostly in the very front, possibly under the hood. Air conditioning worked fine after ... 3 days later i thought i noticed a thud, could have been debris in town but right around that time i also noticed the air conditioning blowing hot air. I assumed the bottom out caused the leak or mechanical issue. Is there a link to a good diagram or technical details of the Prius C air conditioning or a DIY? Or just an honest A/C hybrid guy in socal? I am clear on the type of compressor oil required. can you see if the compressor is running like on other cars? May I use a spray with dye to check for the leak? I really want to research this before I take it to get fixed or attempting a repair myself which I would be capable of. toyota gave me a $270 verbal estimate just to check for the leak with dye and I left after my oil change. that was like a kick in the teeth that seemed unreasonable. My goal of posting this would be so a prius noob with performance car maintenance experience like myself could diagnose a leak or broken compressor on the Prius C. Maybe this will become a staple for the future instead of a world of Hybrid A/C mystery that I appear to be uncovering. The more information the better on the air conditioning system, Perhaps this could be a lifesaver for me and others. Thanks
Bump. This thread has almost 250 views and still not one answer. How are people supposed to get their air conditioning fixed? Toyota warns against using dyes etc, but if you go to the dealer that's exactly what they'll say they do.
i guess i would trust the dealer to do the right thing, or an a/c shoppe familiar with high voltage a/c compressor. maybe you threw a rock through the radiator.
If you're the kind of guy who's going to do these kinds of repairs by himself then it's probably worth your while to buy a shop manual or to subscribe to an online service that lets you browse it. That's the best that I can suggest...
+1. The information on your A/C that you'll find in your shop manual at techinfo.toyota.com is extremely complete, so if you include that as part of your diligent search, you should find everything you'd likely want to know. -Chap
