This AC Problem Has Been Going For a Year! FINALLY FIXED!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ส.ค. 2023
- We've been chasing a mysterious AC leak on this Toyota Camry for a Year now! Not wanting to take risks with the customer car or throwing parts at it, we kept persistently at it until we finally found the issue which involved tearing down the whole interior of the car.
While we have this Camry completely apart, I share with you some information about Toyota's electrical designs and why they are generally reliable.
TCCN Automotive Inc.
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I look forward to every video you put out. I'm not a mechanic, nor am I very mechanically inclined. I'm a retired nurse. In any case, with each video I learn more about my Toyota. Fortunately I have a very honest mechanic who is also a good friend. When I have my car in for service I actually have some knowledge of what he's talking about. Being able to communicate and have a mutual understanding of the what, where, how, and how much makes life easier for both of us. Not that I've ever had a real problem with my 17 year old Avalon. Best car I've ever owned. Every time I have it in for an oil change, my mechanic offers to buy it. Answer is always no. I've never kept a car as long as this one. She's part of the family. Her name is Blue. (Guess what color she is) She's just turned over 92k miles. My plan is for her to be my last car. When the day comes for me to stop driving, Blue will be passed down to someone in my family.
May Blue be solid for decades to come.
@@michesbianan I have absolute faith that Blue will be on the road long after I'm gone. She's not even broke in yet.
That’s cool. I have an 01 Avalon named Bessie 217k miles. Pops bought it from the dealer that year and gave it to me 2 years ago. Great car!
@@fluorescentmug8333 You can't beat them. Last forever with proper maintenance.
Awesome!
I was a tech for over 50 years and I hated A/C If everything went right it was ok but when I ran into problems like you did it made me wonder why I didn't become a Gynecologist instead of a mechanic.
🧐
AMD is slowly turning us all into car care nuts. This is such an awesome video. Mad respect.
Every time I see a dash completely disassembled like that and wiring harnesses fully exposed I start to shake and twitch uncontrollably. 😁😱 Some things are best just left to the experts with experience.
It looks like a hellish nightmare to me!
I get less nervous when I have the service documentation telling me what all the wires are, where they go, and where to put all the modules. If you're taking your own pictures and notes it doesn't seem entirely impossible.
When I see that I think even if I were a mechanic and knew where all the wires connected I wouldn't exactly be doing cartwheels if someone told me they would pay me 2K to do such a job.
if you’re good enough to get to the immobilizer you’re good enough to become a mechanic 😂
This is why I will just work on my motorcycle LOL...
Kudos to y'all can figure and remember where everything goes
That wire harness is crazy 😜. I do HVAC work and the part I dislike the most is looking for leaks. Some of the higher efficiency evap coils have multiple rows and can take a year or some to work its way to the outside of the coils. Love the videos. you’re the reason i just got a 2023 tacoma
He's the reason I dont drive my 2020 tacoma in the salt. I drive my Corolla only in the winter. Corolla is 4 years old and no sign of rust.
When I started in the business, the evaporator job only took a couple hours. All you had to do was disconnect the lines, remove the glove box and the blower motor and slide out the evaporator. But now it's an all day job 🤦♂🤦♂.
I had this make/model & year, and this problem! The dealer told me after one failed attempt it wouldn't be worth fixing. It was 10 years old. I lived with the problem (as well as oil burning problem with the piston rings) till I got rid of the car a couple years later.
Thanks for the video!
I have the same Toyota Camry from 2007 and last year I had to do this job. I did it by myself as DIY job. But before the start I went to a shop to check where the leak was from. They filled the system with some kind of gas and checked for leaks using electronic gas gauge with flexible extension. The gauge was making sounds when it was put inside the dashboard air vents. So it was quite obvious that the leak comes from the inside (most probably from evaporator core). So I ordered the new evaporator core and did this job. It was rather hard job to do. It took me 2-3 weeks because I wasn't in a hurry. I did it outside as this job requires some free space from both sides. I also removed both seats but left the big pipe inside. Unfortunately I scratched dashboard in several places. For some stages of this job it's nice to have a helping hand. There are also some nice, detailed videos from this repair on YT, which were very helpful for me.
You did a very difficult job. They used an electronic refrigerant leak detector. It beeps slowly at first until it "sniffs" out the refrigerant... then speeds up to confirm the location.
They may have used CO2 and an electronic leak detector. There is a company that makes a CO2 leak detection kit to help find leaks easier. CO2 is a smaller molecule than the refrigerant so filling system up with that gas may help aid in finding small or very small leaks. Usually lol
Might have been forming gas. Used in dealerships in Germany.
Congrats on your job. Betcha your wife was extremely impressed with you for months after that. And outside no less... my sympathies. I've had to do the same and tarp things up.
There is a huge market for a new car that is simple in design. Simple to own, tried and true and when needed, simple to repair. It is time the consumer demanded them.
Thanks for the behind-the-dash tour, especially liked learning about the wiring harnesses. Since the immobilizer has 1 wire, I wonder if a new one could be mounted somewhere easier (cheaper) to get to (I mean if you legit needed to replace it).
Also: nice camera work Jose, having a camera man really pays off on a video like this.
I suppose as long as it isn't paired to any of the other modules in anyway then theoretically it could work
I've been chasing an evap leak on my GX470 since summer of 2018.
It would hold the charge for about a year and a half - really tiny leak - couldn't locate it.
5 years later - recharged the AC from 400 grams to 650 - it finally blew and lost them overnight.
Evap core - absolute nightmare of disassembly but glad we finally found it and can just have it fix, rather than wonder.
Great show that shows how difficult working on cars can actually get and not for the faint of heart or even the weekend DYI mechanic. Cars are way more complicated than people believe. Great show. Thanks.
The only way you can find tiny Freon leaks quickly is to buy an Inficon sniffer just like they use in assembly factory . Wonderful product, I used to calibrate them twice a shift.
any links to this thingy?
If it got to that point I may consider just rolling the windows down lol😅
Hello my brother. One tip to be able to see the evaporator on most Toyotas is to remove the blower motor and insert a borescope through the duct in the hvac box that sends air to the evaporator from the blower. I have been able to see the oil staining with a mirror from there. Way more visibility than the the drain tube. Also I use to remove the whole dash assembly like it is installed at the assembly line. Just unplug the wire connectors by the kick panels and center console and the usual engine bay bolts and etc. Way faster, just need 2 people to lift it as it is heavy. And the box is easily removed from there. Thank you my brother for the quality work you do.
Wow! The amount of work to get to the a/c on this Camry is absolutely nuts. 😮
Thank you so much for taking the time to show and explain this stuff.
Thanks for letting me learn in twenty minutes what it cost you a year to learn. I appreciate your video
Since you shared a lot I'm gonna share this tip to you as well because I already encountered leaks within the evaporator several times. If you can't see any leak on those visible ac parts just try to charge the system with the required pressure or if your lucky that there's still refrigerant, just go inside the cabin then shut all the doors/windows while the engine and and ac blowers are not running. Just stick your ears on any of the vents on the dash and if you hear a hissing sound, that's it! Its an indication of the leak from evaporator inside its housing. This is proven and tested now you don't have to make a guess. Hope you try it 😊
better yet use refrigerant and nitrogen to get pressure up to 200 psi and use a quality sniffer. d tek or others thats capable, not the cheap ones.
I once owned a 1991 Lexus LS 400 that the air conditioner stopped working in. I'll never forget paying a bill of more than $1700 dollars to have the air conditioner then only work for one summer. The complexity of these systems is a nightmare!!! The associated expense is a nightmare. I seem to notice strength in numbers and that said I would now prefer A Toyota Corolla instead. Everything is less expensive right down to the tires. You live and learn, hopefully!
Agree, strength in numbers works. In my country, Corolla is widely used as taxi, in my thinking, 90% of the shops around should be acutely knowledgeable on this model. End result, still driving.a 13 year-old Corolla.
Unless you DIY - in that case I would actually prefer working on a first generation LS-400
Another great video. These are simply the best on TH-cam.
Brilliant commentary and tutorial. Thanks 🙏🏼
TY for the very informative and entertaining video Sir, I have never seen a Camry torn down to that degree so was super interesting to see all you showed. Yes a huge and very invasive job so I am glad your hunch proved to be correct as that very small leak would have thrown many shops into a spin trying to locate it.
Keep Safe Keep Strong 🦘🦘🦘🦘💖💖💖💖
Love these videos, giving me the confidence to do maintenance on my RX350
Enjoy his professional videos and learn so much. And they are so well done. Thanks AMD for all your time, work and efforts in teaching the public all about cars.
You are performing such a HUGH pubic Service. THANK YOU!
Great job as usual AMD ! 👍🏼
As a DYI auto tech this is very helpful info !
From A/C aspect to wiring harness aspect I just love how you tutor us
Best mechanic ever seen so far❤❤
I have a 1998 camry v6 built in Japan not from Kentucky build AC still working perfectly never have any problems with it never leaks. Thanks for sharing your video take care bye from milton Ontario Canada 🇨🇦
I own a 96 Camry built in Japan. A/C has never been touched and still blows ice cold.... 27 years later! Side note, I do cut a/c off a couple miles before I get home just to kind of let the evaporated dry off before parking long term. Depending on humidity I sometimes even put a little heat on with the a/c.
AMD you have the patience of a Saint, I can't picture myself removing a dashboard completely. I admire that pretty much along with your professional ethics. Good job!
This is a really interesting video. I had no idea that the air conditioning unit can be so large and so inaccessible. I really appreciate seeing this because it helps explain a large repair bill I once paid for a "heater core" in a Ford vehicle many years ago.
Fascinating! Simply fascinating.
Outstanding job
How lucky are your clients, to have such talented and honest mechanic like you. Looking forward your new useful video.
Hey Amd, thanks so much brother for all you do in the Toyota / Lexus Land Community. It was you and your channel that made me cancel my Ford Bronco order and get the last of the best: 2023 GX 460. I just wish you were based in SoCal and not rustlandia. haha
You really are amazing. Thank you so much.
Thanks for the info... love cammry some day get one
Great job man. Respect
I hope the heat core is ok, great video
That's incredibly clear
May God continues to bless you brother you were born for this, thank you for your honesty you been very helpful to me I got a 2015 lexus es350 with 122000 miles and thanks to you it's running great. If I ever need a major work on car I will be taking my car to you from South Jersey
Great explanation!
That's a ton of work! I hope I can fix the blend door on my Tundra without going that far.
Wow, cool to see what it looks like without the dash in. Also, saw a Tundra in the background 😜. Would love to see more Tundra videos 😉. Keep up the great work, love the videos
Very interesting where they put the immobilizer. Good thinking!
Great video. Thanks for pointing out elements that the DIYs seldom sees. You did not point them out but, we could clearly see the Sunroof drain line. People that park under coniferous trees can have issues with these plugging up. Thanks for all your videos and showing us the techniques and methods to help repair our vehicles.
A very instructive video answering the question “Why does this repair cost so much?” Next time you visit your favorite automotive technician, bring gifts…🎉
One look at that completely ripped out dash and I knew this job would cost thousands. So glad for you and the customer that you found it!
Is it worth spending that much on such an old car?
Two years+ ago on my 2006 Solara SLE ,Texas car, same issue. Used dealer to replace EV core and expansion valve, $2400 out the door. Still working, knock on wood. Thanks for video. Very interesting and informative.
Automotive work conducted by an experienced and well trained technician is under appreciated. One bad experience sends people running and blaming the entire industry. I managed a shop and made en effort to explain the intricacies of automobiles. Toyota parts have increased 4 times in the last year and therefore labor increases. Customers are keeping their cars much longer to absorb the costs of their small investment. As always, great video AMD. God bless you and your family.
AMD, very good advice. you start with the simplest thing first and work your way up, and you finally find a "Kahuna" the big one. Good advice and very educational. I like your video, unlike other TH-camrs, S/K is just all talk and no work. Thank you.
🤦♂️this Folks is why my Avalon 2007 has not been fixed. I Roll down the window!!😂 mine leaked serviced it a few times then the AC compressor froze😢pulled the relay and never looked back, wouldn’t be the first car that didn’t have air. Great channel great video.
Tell me you don't live in Texas without telling me you don't live in Texas. 😂
No way, my Daughter lives in Houston 🥵I’m in Chicago.
AMD, didn’t you have one of those refrigerant leak “sniffers “ that could detect the leak?
Anytime I do an ac job and have to remove the dash. I replace almost everything. Especially on cars with high mileage. I recommend replacing the heater core and blend door actuators.
Great job and great video. I had a kind of a strange thing happen with my 18 Camry XLE Hybrid, I got my coolant changed at 60000 like you recommended and my AC is now blowing colder. It was ok before but not real cold. I had both coolants changed. Just seemed kind of strange. Thanks for all the info.
What about using a refrigerant leak detector? High (pressure) side leaks should be easier to find because the pressure is higher. The dye can only be seen when you can access all the A/C components - typically what's in the engine bay.
Exactly, I was thinking the same thing. Stick the sniffer probe in the vent, and you will have your smoking gun for an evaporator leak. I am actually sad that he wasn't able to find the leak on the first try using this method.
The sniffer would've definitely picked it up if he could smell refrigerant out of the vents. I've heard of tiny pin hole leaks in the evaporator where dye won't even show and the only way to pick it up is using the sniffer. And it'll barely even show on that.
I'm a mechanic in Germany and I find it a bit strange that they didn't find the error immediately. In Germany, every workshop has a leak detector that reacts to forming gas. We regularly have to fill the systems with forming gas and check every possible spot with the leak detector for leaks. We use it to find all leaks straight away, even in the interior. Isn't this method common in the US? In Germany it is even mandatory for empty systems that come into the workshop to first carry out the forming gas test, before us is it allowed, to put refrigerant into it.
How common it is probably depends on the technicians working on your car. I don't know if they understand the theory of air conditioning or not. There are only a few moving parts & the evaporator is typically the hardest part to access. I would start with either the electronic leak detector or the soap bubble test since they are non-evasive. @@VtecPower6384
@@VtecPower6384 You can use Electronic, Sonic, Dye, ...it helps to carefully increase pressure using Nitrogen to find the leak.
I had that done on my 2005 Tacoma 4x4 4dr. 6sp. It was a small fortune. So I had the Toyota dealer fix it. Good to see why it was so expensive.
I don't know the smell of refrigerant, but I definitely know the smell of engine coolant glycol through the heat exchanger in the passenger compartment!
My local part shop recommended I add a VERY small amount of quality two-part cooling system sealant, then driving an hour with the heat fan on full blast. Problem fixed. The trick is not to overdo it if the car is old. You can always add more later if you need to.
By the way, extracting some coolant with a kitchen baster makes it easier to add the sealant.
Just did this on an 11 F150. Box looks very similar with the TXV valve. Organic matter (leaves, dust, etc) gets on the evaporator and eats the aluminum. There was a bit of metal missing in some places.
hey man you are looking fit! holy! our guy is on the move these days!
That was so cool !!
I guess some things just don’t have a trouble code!
How in the hell do leaks so small get created?
Wow!
Informative video! 🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼
Great content..😊
Hello from the UK we have had 3 Toyota Yaris cars and not one of the has the AC worked we simply open the windows on a hot day. After seeing the result of the work on the Camery best leave it alone great videos 😊
Another excellent video! Thanks! I long for the simplicity of the older cars when they weren't so electronically over laden. I recently had the main wiring harness fail on my 2019 Tacoma. After nearly $3,000.00 it's been fixed. There was no rodent damage but the wiring from the computer to the fuel pump failed. Apparently, it was a 'cab-off' job. When it was done and I picked it up the service writer asked if I wanted to have the 6 spark plugs replaced. She quoted me $702.00. I told her, no thanks. I was done for the day. (I called around to another Toyota dealer asking about the price for changing the plugs. Their quote was $275.00 so I'm beginning to think that I was overcharged on the wiring harness.)
I suppose the most proper fix is to replace the harness but that's kind of an extreme measure in my mind. If you can find the short you can do a harness repair. Generally speaking if you can't even find the short and if it's only something like a fuel pump which only has a few wires I've seen people run just new wires just for what ever circuit. Granted your vehicle is so new have a new harness is nice.
Great video
This is why I think manufacturers should start making access panels to get to the evaporator without having to remove the entire dash. We are seeing more cars with fuel pump access doors saves a lot of time not having to drop the fuel tank.
I've seen 25 year old European cars with a removable cover under rear seat to access the fuel pump. American manufacturers just didn't care about ease of service. The service department is where dealers make money.
Beautiful rx. I love mine
good job
Good job
I had to do my ford that was difficult on the plus side i was able to fix a dash rattle too
Great vid!
thank you
Man I hate AC problems lol. Good job on the fix!
How about this?! Camry hybrid 2022...I just changed the A/C condenser (warranty of course) because was liking. Hope I will not have any other issues with a new ... Toyota. Thank you for your videos! Keep us... alive.
Those V6 camry so powerful and smooth.
My wife camry 2009 xle v6 184k miles so strong. In few seconds 0-80mph easy. I love this engine.
Oils change every 3500-4k miles...
Thanks
Nice video. Last year I had to have the dealer replace my evaporator in my 06 4Runner. It was a crazy process, over 10 hours to do the job to remove the dash. They also replaced the blend door actuator so glad you brought that up, but I didn’t know about the expansion valve, wish I would have known to ask them to replace that. $3500 repair :(
Expansion valve is easy as you can access it from under the hood attached to the firewall. Only thing is the system needs to be discharged in order to replace. Paying dealer hourly prices is insane to do that job. Shopping around would have saved you more than 50% in labor fees.
Hello Car Nut ! I enjoy all your videos . I’m HVAC tech and used my Bacharach H10 leak detector probe placed inside the evaporator area, after removing AC fan. It immediately sounded off.
Now I have to change the evaporator coil on my 2011 Tacoma. Not looking forward to it.
Very interesting and informative. What is the part cost of the a/c evaporator ?
Brilliant!
Big job
I've taken the HVAC box out in my car twice. For me it's about 40 hours total. I had to do it for the blower motor, and I replaced the heater core since I was into it. Still on original evaporator. A few weeks ago I pulled the mode control motor assy. and rebuilt it with a motor from a newer assy. (as mine is no longer available).
Thank for your videos really appreciate the information you gave us, i have a 4 runner 2011 sr5 where I can buy oem part other than the dealer
Your videos are always very informative and enjoyable. Your facility should be a Toyota College.
I think my 2010 Venza has a small leak in the same component you showed in this video. It takes 8 months before it needs a little bit of a recharge. It's cheaper to keep recharging than doing the repair job you talked about here. I use the type of gas that has a little sealer in it. I've put in some "gas" twice over a two-year period. I appreciate all your videos.
Sounds like you could be right but keep in mind the leak will become larger with time and eventually the recharge be shorter to a point it’s useless
I literally about to do this job on the same camry for my daughters car. Uv dye was coming out the drain. Not looking forward to the dash tear down but we are doing it. Will replace the expansion valve, thanks.
Nice video, a time lapse video of you taking out the dash would be nice.
You might as well replace the heater core at the same time
was thinking the same thing
his thought hey i will get to make money on this again down the line by not doing that
Amazes me how my 2006 Camry just works, AC included.. I usually prefer to roll the windows down and usually don't put the AC on even half the max setting when I do use it.
Florescent dye is generally useful for finding significant leaks. It will rarely be useful for small leaks. A refrigerant leak detector is a must. If you had used one early on, you would have known with certainty that the leak was coming from the evaporator by placing the sniffer into one of the vents.
That's how I found my leak. I could actually smell the freon coming out the vents, but I used a leak detector to verify.
Yes refrigerant leak detector is a must when working on many HVAC systems in cars or elsewhere.
but like these guys charging for the dye and charge and when the system gets low and starts the death of the compressor they make more money,yep dye helps but get training and the right stuff for testing, he will get better,or not. the other way puts more money in his pocket
My 2010 Camry has this exact problem. So did my 2006 Avalon that had the full dash out to replace the evaporator core
AMD, I'm in Minnesota but if I ever need engine rebuild / AC fixed on my Camry, I'm taking a week off from work to come to your shop lol.
I feel the pain! I've been fixing car a/c systems for the last 40 years and I have to find leaks on a daily basis.
You have to be 100% sure the evaporator is leaking before identifying it as the cause of the leak.
I've had to remove quite a few dash's to remove evaporators but not so much in recent years as the cost will put most of my customers off having the repairs done. Nice work I love watching your videos but even more special when they are related to my a/c business
I love this channel. I hope you get a Toyota sponsorship some day. 😉
Excellent
OMG. How much to tear down the whole interior like this? Thanks for the video.
Nice work AMD! I'm sure you did, but did you try a sniffer and/or UV light and glasses with the dye. I had one I could not diagnose either, although I suspected the evaporator. I borrowed a Snap-On sniffer from a friend, and sure enough it alarmed when I stuck it into the evap box.
I got familiar with the scent of refrigerant with my ‘09 Avalon. The A/C wouldn’t work so I used one of those cans of refrigerant you get in the store and not even 8 hours later the whole cabin smelled like refrigerant and the A/C stopped working again. Took my mechanic 4 days to replace the evaporator and it came back ice cold again
great vids.....hey do you have a freon sniffer robin air i think makes a good one
Wonderful job Ahmed. I wonder if you could have saved some grief by using a refrigerant detector/sniffer. Indeed I also know the smell of refrigerant, very distinctive.