AC compressor

[timos]

Hello, i am new here 🙂

I'm driving a Lexus IS300h (hybrid) from 2013
Couple of weeks ago the hybrid system light turned on and I visited the Lexus official dealer in my country. They investigated the issue and found out that AC compressor is faulty and needs replacement if i want my car to be cool in the summer.

The compressor costs €2500 (about 2000 GBP) which sounds a lot. The part they say i need is 88370-33020 which i can find from the interweb for about 1000€/GBP which is still a lot.

At the same time I find the part Denso 042200-0464 which the sellers say fits to my car, Used 042200-0464 costs around 100€/GBP.
Engine type i have: 2AR-FSE

Seems like this 88370-33020 is Lexus code and 042200-0464 manufacturer (Denso) code.

Do you have experience - could this Denso 042200-0464 fit to my car or should i search for to the code dealership gave me? Seems like same AC compressor is used in another Lexus/Toyota cars.
Thank you!

[NemesisUK]

Be aware the a/c compressor on a hybrid car is electrically driven not belt driven as on normal cars.

I would imaging the cheaper example above is a normal belt driven version?

[agent_dess]

1 hour ago, timos said:

Hello, i am new here 🙂

I'm driving a Lexus IS300h (hybrid) from 2013
Couple of weeks ago the hybrid system light turned on and I visited the Lexus official dealer in my country. They investigated the issue and found out that AC compressor is faulty and needs replacement if i want my car to be cool in the summer.

The compressor costs €2500 (about 2000 GBP) which sounds a lot. The part they say i need is 88370-33020 which i can find from the interweb for about 1000€/GBP which is still a lot.

At the same time I find the part Denso 042200-0464 which the sellers say fits to my car, Used 042200-0464 costs around 100€/GBP.
Engine type i have: 2AR-FSE

Seems like this 88370-33020 is Lexus code and 042200-0464 manufacturer (Denso) code.

Do you have experience - could this Denso 042200-0464 fit to my car or should i search for to the code dealership gave me? Seems like same AC compressor is used in another Lexus/Toyota cars.
Thank you!

It's interesting to know its electrically driven.

But confused as to what the hybrid system light has to do with AC? 

Surely the issue with the hybrid cooling should be the hybrid Battery fan and filter in the boot?

The AC compressor seems like a separate issue and sadly they're expensive. Alternative is to pick up a used one.

[NemesisUK]

I don't think it has anything with cooling the hybrid Battery but the OP if referring to cooling the passenger cabin?

If the electrical insulation on a/c compressor has broken down it would effect the whole of the hybrid system. 

[agent_dess]

Based on:
88370-33020

When looking at the Denso catalogue this comes up:




Different Denso part number.

There is loads of used ones on eBay just search: Lexus IS300H a/c

Hope this helps.

[Spock66]

39 minutes ago, agent_dess said:

But confused as to what the hybrid system light has to do with AC? 

Yes that was my thoughts too, I would suggest getting the actual fault codes to confirm.

[Herbie]

4 hours ago, timos said:

Couple of weeks ago the hybrid system light turned on and I visited the Lexus official dealer in my country. They investigated the issue and found out that AC compressor is faulty and needs replacement

 

2 hours ago, agent_dess said:

It's interesting to know its electrically driven.

But confused as to what the hybrid system light has to do with AC? 

It's electrically driven because the petrol engine doesn't run all the time. The hybrid system chooses when to run the engine and when to stop it, so anything normally driven by a belt from the engine (A/C, power steering) has to be electrically controlled instead. Hybrids don't have a starter motor or an alternator either.

The aircon compressor is driven by a 500V 3-phase AC variable frequency motor and one problem that sometimes crops up is that someone thinks that it's not getting as cold as it used to be and either buys a can of refrigerant to do a DIY top-up, or takes it somewhere where they don't know what they're doing and things go wrong.

All aircon compressors/systems need lubricating oil in with the refrigerant gas, but whereas a conventional car uses PAG oil, a hybrid needs ND11 oil. The reason for this is that the motor windings sit in the oil for cooling purposes, so the oil has to be a high dielectric type that doesn't conduct electricity (ND11); 'standard' PAG oil does conduct electricity.

It's been shown that as little as 1% contamination with PAG oil in the system can lead to insulation breakdown of the motor windings and cause short circuits, which is when you would get the 'Check Hybrid System' warnings. It may start off as an intermittent fault but as it gets worse (which it will), eventually the hybrid system will shut down to prevent short circuit to 'earth', i.e., the car body, to avoid electrocution.

Of course, there could be other reasons than oil contamination that cause this fault, but that's one reason.

If the OP has the OBD codes read, it's very likely that it'll come up with P0AA6. This code covers 5 or 6 things so the sub-code helps to narrow it down, as you'll see below. In this case, as the OP has already been told it's the A/C compressor, I'd expect code P0AA6-611:

[timos]

10 hours ago, agent_dess said:

Based on:
88370-33020

When looking at the Denso catalogue this comes up:




Different Denso part number.

There is loads of used ones on eBay just search: Lexus IS300H a/c

Hope this helps.

Thanks! I understand this 88370-33020 is Lexus OE. 042200-0464 matches it? Now there is also DENSO DCP51012 in the game. My mind is blown. I see 042200-0464 is the cheapest somehow. And 88370-33020 and DCP51012 are more expensive 🤯

[timos]

all clear. Just opened the hood and looked at the code. It is 042200-0463.