Air Con Fault

[Pan1985]

Hi All, 

 

First time I am posting so I am new to this. After this mini heat wave we are having my aircon has decided to stop.. Sods law. I always have it on but haven't regassed in approx 3 years. It's just blowing Hot air!! I took it to Halfords they stuck it on a gauge & it showed too much pressure, chap said probably a leak or blockage. Took it to kwik fit he stuck it on a fancy machine 15/20 mins later no regassed worked and air was still hot... Not sure a) what to do b) is this a Big job c) How much are we talking?... I just forked out £400 for Four new tyres last week!! And a hybrid Battery check... And the cars due a full service!!! 

 

Halfords autocentre want £18/35 to Diagnostically check.. Then god knows what after 

 

Kwik fit need an EXPERT Mechanic to check £50/60 to check it... 

 

HELP ME PLEASE GUYS/GALS!!! 

[Maxz]

Hi, was your last service with Lexus and less than a year ago? If so get it checked out under your Relax warranty. 

Look through the front grilles (or lift the bonnet and pop the clips off the large piece of plastic trim between the radiator and the front grille to remove). Check for any dark patches on the condensor.

After 8 years mine had been battered by stones and insects to the extent it was leaking in several places. It is covered under Relax, if not for Lexus to replace was just under £800.

Trick is to keep plenty of distance from traffic in front of you at speed and if you want to go one step further add extra mesh to the grille to reduce the impact of fast flying road debris.

[Herbie]

4 hours ago, Pan1985 said:

I always have it on but haven't regassed in approx 3 years.

There's no need to regas or have the aircon "serviced" unless you have a definite leak somewhere. It's a sealed system, the refrigerant gas doesn't degrade or wear out, so as long as there's no leaks, it's fine. I've had cars for 15 years and the aircon was as cold on the day I sold it as it was on the day I bought it, without ever servicing or regassing.

4 hours ago, Pan1985 said:

I took it to halfords

I would never let Halfords even lift the bonnet, never mind letting them lose with tools in there!

4 hours ago, Pan1985 said:

Took it to kwik fit he stuck it on a fancy machine 15/20 mins later no regassed worked and air was still hot

Not sure what you mean by this. Did they regas it or not?

4 hours ago, Pan1985 said:

Halfords autocentre want £18/35 to Diagnostically check.. Then god knows what after [...] Kwik fit need an EXPERT Mechanic to check £50/60 to check it... 

Forget Halfords or KwikFit - both equally useless.

Mechanic for general spannering work, auto-electrician for electrical work, body shop for body repairs and....yes, you guessed it....aircon specialist for aircon work.

One thing you could do is to read the OBD codes and see if anything is flagged up - let us know if it is and we can tell you what the code(s) mean.

[Pan1985]

@Herbie thank you for replying. 

How do I get the OBD codes read. Go somewhere and get this done paid you mean or? 

[Pan1985]

Is this something me a novice could do my self? I have no idea about these things

[Notamech]

It's a very bad idea having Halfords or Kwikfit service your hybrid AC. The compressor oil used for hybrid cars needs to be non conductive. You may have problems otherwise. This is because hybrids use electric compressors not belt driven ones. And having regular PAG oil contaminate your system might mean expensive repairs. 

As far as your problem is concerned it could be because of other reasons such as issues with the compressor or a failed tempreature sensor. Would be best to take it to lexus. Yes they will charge you a good £100-200(depending on the dealership) just to diagnose the issue. Fixing it will cost you on top of that. So unfortunately it will be an expensive job. Alternatively look for a workshop that specialises in hybrids / priuses. They should be able to sort you out for cheaper. 

[Notamech]

1 hour ago, Pan1985 said:

Is this something me a novice could do my self? I have no idea about these things

Yes these are readers available on amazon carista is one such example. You may be able to read codes and diagnose the problem after spending on such a device but i highly doubt you will be able to fix any issue with the AC as a DIY. Id recommend getting professional help as recommended above 

[Linas.P]

15 hours ago, Herbie said:

There's no need to regas or have the aircon "serviced" unless you have a definite leak somewhere. It's a sealed system, the refrigerant gas doesn't degrade or wear out

I would never let Halfords even lift the bonnet, never mind letting them lose with tools in there!

Not sure what you mean by this. Did they regas it or not?

Forget Halfords or KwikFit - both equally useless.

Mechanic for general spannering work, auto-electrician for electrical work, body shop for body repairs and....yes, you guessed it....aircon specialist for aircon work.

One thing you could do is to read the OBD codes and see if anything is flagged up - let us know if it is and we can tell you what the code(s) mean.

Disagree with the first part - no system is ever truly "sealed". If you want to see perfectly sealed thing, then look at glass ampoule - that would be perfectly sealed, but in mechanical, high-pressure system perfect seals are impossible.

Sure refrigerant does not wear out, but it leaks out over time, very slowly, but still leaks out. And what about oil? Is that perfectly sealed as well? In which case, why you can't never recover the same amount of both oil and refrigerant? In short - even the perfect A/C system has minor leaks overtime. So I would rather stick with manufacturer recommendation here and do refill every 2 years or so, certainly cheaper than replacing seized A/C compressor.

I do agree with second part, in fact I just tried KwikFrauds myself, specifically for A/C and outcome is as expected... claiming the money back. Now to be fair - I think they are fine to be used just for refill as they are using same machine as Lexus or any specialist would be using... it is just a matter of entering the amount of coolant/oil to be filled. Now sure they can certainly mess that-up as well e.g. refill with wrong amount or just break stuff around the inlets, there are no limits for stupidity in those institutions. 

So just simple refill - fine, but look what they are doing or even if they are doing it at all, diagnostics - never use KwikFrauds, Halfrauds or any other frauds. Independent A/C specialist nowadays are nearly impossible to find, so as expensive as it is your best bet in such situation is Lexus, sure it will cost you maybe £100-200 to diagnose, but you will save 3 times that for job being done once and right.

Now my guess is that most likely it is a leak from condenser as other suggested, but it could be temp switch, or pressure switch, although OBD may not give you any codes for that.  

[Maxz]

22 hours ago, Pan1985 said:

@Herbie thank you for replying. 

How do I get the OBD codes read. Go somewhere and get this done paid you mean or? 

You can buy an OBD2 cable from amazon or eBay for about £40 to scan error codes (as long as you end up with a decent/working one). There is already a thread on the forum on how to get Techstream working. You should check the condensor for dark patches (refrigerant leak) first as that is quick and costs nothing. How mine looked before replacement.

[Spock66]

21 hours ago, Linas.P said:

Disagree with the first part - no system is ever truly "sealed". If you want to see perfectly sealed thing, then look at glass ampoule - that would be perfectly sealed, but in mechanical, high-pressure system perfect seals are impossible.

Agreed, first car I had with air-con I used it sparingly and sure enough the refrigerant leaked out.  Subsequent cars I leave it on all the time and have not had any problems.

[Maxz]

If it helps, to get a good look, open the bonnet, push the centre of the 9 little clips in to disengage the claws and then pull them out. Lift off the large plastic trim and with a torch/phone look and take photos. To refit the trim, pull the centre of the clips out a bit, push the claws back in but only far enough that the centre of the clip is flush with the outer edge.

[LenT]

23 hours ago, Pan1985 said:

Is this something me a novice could do my self? I have no idea about these things

I can’t help thinking that if ‘you have no idea about these things’ then the answer is probably ….no!

The aircon system is not something that should demand frequent attention, so this may be a one-off as far as you’re concerned.  An aircon specialist may give you the best price, but a Lexus dealer - or any good Independent - should be able to sort it out.

The fact that it appears to have stopped working after only three years may well suggest a leak, as has already been suggested.  And as far as I’m aware, re-gassing is not a DIY job as I think the sale of the refrigerant gas is restricted - or at least, it should be!

Plus, of course, it requires specialist equipment!

[Linas.P]

3 hours ago, LenT said:

 And as far as I’m aware, re-gassing is not a DIY job as I think the sale of the refrigerant gas is restricted - or at least, it should be

Not really - I mean you can buy canister and most of the tools on amazon (perhaps it is similar to knifes/alcohol in that sense that they expect you to be at least of legal age... I don't know what kids do with them nowadays, but would not be surprised if somebody is sniffing the R134A). That said I would not advise it, because of what you said - it is rarely required and therefore not worth getting the tools. Most places that do A/C have what is called "refill station" and as I mentioned it is all automated. It is possible to do with gauges yourself, but realistically you can't do recovery and without that you can't do proper leak test... anyway - no point discussing it further. Just for refill one can go anywhere, pay ~£60-80 and that is as simple as it get's, but diagnostics is more complex and as you said, can't be done DYI

[Pan1985]

Thanks everyone for the help and advice. I took it to a specialist Air con garage that was recommended to me and I am so glad that I did. The fault was showing on the cars computer as a faulty sensor. This from Lexus would of cost £100 to diagnose, £300+ for the part and god knows what to fit and then regas. 

The car was diagnosed, part charged and the car fully regassed for £110!!! 

Outstanding service, knowledge and value. If anyone ever has any AC issues and lives in Kent borders with London I fully recommed;

 

Mark from AirCon Direct in Northfleet in Kent. Superb

[matt8]

1 hour ago, Pan1985 said:

Thanks everyone for the help and advice. I took it to a specialist Air con garage that was recommended to me and I am so glad that I did. The fault was showing on the cars computer as a faulty sensor. This from Lexus would of cost £100 to diagnose, £300+ for the part and god knows what to fit and then regas. 

The car was diagnosed, part charged and the car fully regassed for £110!!! 

Outstanding service, knowledge and value. If anyone ever has any AC issues and lives in Kent borders with London I fully recommed;

 

Mark from AirCon Direct in Northfleet in Kent. Superb

A great outcome. Do you know what part needed changing? £300+ is a lot when you got the lot done for £110!

[Pan1985]

Yes the part was a AC Pressure Switch Sensor. That was the fault on the cars computer. Lexus part is £300 after a quick Google. You can get an aftermarket one on eBay. He had one to hand so used that one. Fantastic result... 

 

I have however noticed kwik fit/halfords misplaced the tiny screw top for the ac pipe. I think it was the L one... Does anyone know where I could get one? 

[Notamech]

4 hours ago, Pan1985 said:

Yes the part was a AC Pressure Switch Sensor. That was the fault on the cars computer. Lexus part is £300 after a quick Google. You can get an aftermarket one on ebay. He had one to hand so used that one. Fantastic result... 

 

I have however noticed kwik fit/halfords misplaced the tiny screw top for the ac pipe. I think it was the L one... Does anyone know where I could get one? 

You can get a generic cap on eBay really cheap. They're all a standard size i think as the ac equipment that screws onto this port is all standard. 

[fourbanks]

On 6/12/2023 at 1:18 AM, Herbie said:

There's no need to regas or have the aircon "serviced" unless you have a definite leak somewhere. It's a sealed system, the refrigerant gas doesn't degrade or wear out, so as long as there's no leaks, it's fine. I've had cars for 15 years and the aircon was as cold on the day I sold it as it was on the day I bought it, without ever servicing or regassing.

I would never let Halfords even lift the bonnet, never mind letting them lose with tools in there!

Not sure what you mean by this. Did they regas it or not?

Forget Halfords or KwikFit - both equally useless.

Mechanic for general spannering work, auto-electrician for electrical work, body shop for body repairs and....yes, you guessed it....aircon specialist for aircon work.

One thing you could do is to read the OBD codes and see if anything is flagged up - let us know if it is and we can tell you what the code(s) mean.

Forget Halfords or KwikFit - both equally useless. i agree on that part, they should never be used by a car under warranty as it would become invalid 

[Pan1985]

1 hour ago, Notamech said:

You can get a generic cap on ebay really cheap. They're all a standard size i think as the ac equipment that screws onto this port is all standard. 

Can you send me a link by any chance? I have had a look but some threads sayt they are to generic... 

[Notamech]

Something like this. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pressure-R134a-System-Conditioning-Service/dp/B0C3W1Q9GS/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=2UL5WEEUHSJFA&keywords=ac+low+pressure+cap&qid=1690745460&sprefix=Ac+low+%2Caps%2C97&sr=8-3

You could potentially return it if it doesn't fit.