Great video. It was a huge help. But for anyone else doing this, that wire harness he cut that leads to the immobilizer seems impossible to get to disconnect. However, once you loosen the air box, you can reach your hand back there and pop off the whole immobilizer from the housing which will free the harness up. It is just held in by some plastic clips and will pop off if you pull it away from the air box housing. Thanks again for the video. Just replaced my coil because of this video.
Very impressive, but you just confirmed my decision to have my mechanic do this for $1500. I am very handy, and have no issues taking on projects, but there's not a chance on the planet that I will tackle this job.
Just had it replaced by a mechanic and now I’m having other issues with my AC system. I’m just never happy with other people’s work. I should have done it myself.
Amazing! I think your boys would rather be with dad turning wrenches than any place else. Unlike most DIY vids you show the problems, particularly during reassembly where most TH-camrs use the magic of editing. Too much project for me, but GREAT vid!
Pulling out wiring harness is unnecessary. Just move bolts on either end of horizontal brace and bracing, then you can raise the horizontal brace and slide the ac box out of the car. Here is a video with some tips. th-cam.com/video/Bs8K5LF-ogw/w-d-xo.htmlsi=6mfp84hkhDEOY4cs
Just finished this project. Everything is working perfect. Just a little tip for others doing this job. 1)Get labels and mark every plug you unplug, and a sheet of paper to write down the plugs. Very easy this way. I had $2 dollars neon labels from target. 2) separate the bolts by section and get baggies to save them to each part removed. 3) I did not have to remove the seats. The steering rests on the driver seat mid way no issues. 4) the wiring harness actually splits into two harnesses. NO WIRE CUTTING NEEDED. Start by removing the wiring harness from the passenger kick panel FIRST, remove the box out of the body by the passenger kick panel, then make your way to the middle top by the crash bar there will be a white plug on top where you can separate the small harness from the large one. The small harness (which runs bellow the Large harness along the Crash Bar) It can be completely removed from the car and set aside. However, the Large harness can be removed from passenger side, then you can just rest it on the driver seat like a snake. 5) Once you remove the harness out of the way, in order to remove the crash bar just remove the bolts from the power steering ECU assembly located on top by the driver side attached to the crash bar, remove the six 8mm bolts and leave it hanging attached to the whole steering harness. 6) dont unplug wires from the fuse box. Just remove the 4 bolts that attach the fuse box to the crash bar and leave it hanging attached to the steering harness so you can remove the Crash bar. 7) In order to drop the steering there will be two small 10mm bolts on top, then ONE large 12mm bolt (you need to remove the brake switch First, then you can remove this bolt). Thanks a lot again. Your video helped me a lot !
I replaced the heater core in my Dodge 1500 awhile ago. I'm absolutely convinced they suspend the evaporator/heater cores in mid air and build the entire vehicle around them lol.
I have the same truck. I was changing the plug and leans on the AC line and it broke at the firewall. Can get it fixed for $900. Might ride with the window down until next summer lol
Wow. You are quite ambitious! Your walk-through was the perfect pace and helped me quickly replace an evaporator in a similar Highlander. I was able to get it done with your encouraging words. So much of car repair is your mental process, and your slow and steady approach was the key! thank you for the excellent example of patience, and taking the time to share this great video.
I have to say I really appreciated the intermission pep talk. I'm going to have to change my driver-side wheel bearing and CV axle. Never done it before but I'm going to see if I can do it.
Man that is big time impressive. I just got quoted $3500 by dealer to replace heater box on my Highlander. After watching all of this, it Looks like I’ll just have to bundle up!
I have a servo up in the very top of the dash on my rav4. I’m trying to decide if while I’m in the dash I should replace the condenser or whole hvac unit. Or else just try and fix the servo but seems like I’ll have to unplug the AC connection from the hood side and take the hvac unit out to fix the servo I’m having issues with. Would I need to replace my condenser as well? Or just get new seals at the connection and have the unit recharged with refrigerant?
OMG!! I guess paying 2-3k for someone else to do it ain't that bad. Big props to you for doing this!!! All that removing just for the evaporator is crazy!!
Evaporator cores are my favorite things to do. Toyotas are fairly straightforward. If you want a really shitty one do a cadillac the "crash panel" (the metal bar) is a solid large magnesium plate. It kicked my ass even as a professional mechanic. Good job man
if the leak detecter uv dye is only visible coming out the evaporator drain hose, does that mean i need to replace the evaporator, or could there be another culprit? no dye anywhere on the engine side of the ac system
@@shawndavis9276 yea its pretty much 100% you need to replace the evaporator. What i do is i get under the dash and pull the hose off the hvac box inside the vehicle and spray brake clean down the hose and catch everything that washes out in a glass container under the vehicle and check for dye. Oil doesnt like to mix with water so spraying brake clean will wadh the dye down for you. Good luck sir!
@@shawndavis9276 hahaha trust me they arent as bad as you think pull the seats out to give yourself some space and keep every single screw/bolt with whatever you take off and keep it all in order. And dont cut any wires like this guy did lol
What was the symptoms that lead you to believe that is was the evaporator coil? I have a weird smell in the cabin of the vehicle and the AC isn’t working very well. Thanks for sharing this information! Great video!
It is a long repair job. However the job is not very difficult. There is no guess work. There is not bolt torque spec. If you are organized and clean with your work, and you are willing to take your time to do it right, you can do it. I made this video to encourage other to do the repair themselves. Do your research. You don't need many tools. Take lots of photos. Maybe have a buddy help. Reach out of you have anymore questions.
I change my heater core last week, guys came to discharge my ac unit and start that big project. Took me 14h and one extra hour to figure out that my signal light was not working, miss a connector. Recharge my ac after and everything working good.
Frickin impressive man! I did my own mid-stream spark plug replacement video a bunch of years back as I felt I needed to share the story of how much work it is. We have an '08 Highlander Sport, and those 3 rear cylinders are a b*tch to get to. You have to tear down the wipers and cowl to get at those 3 cylinders, as you did for this project. So with our Highlander, when we drive it we smell something off in the conditioned air that gets blown around by the HVAC system. I can't tell if it's A/C refrigerant or if it's engine coolant from the heater core. It's one or the other and I guess I wouldn't know until I did a teardown. Did you smell anything foul when you drove it prior to the repair? Ours is my wife's former car and now my college kid drives it and it bothers me that he could be breathing harmful vapors. I'm crazy like you and not afraid to tackle a project like this, but alas I'm in Massachusetts and don't have a garage, so cold and dreary Winter weather kind of puts a damper on this! Thanks for a great video! The time-lapse was awesome. And my son who drives our Highlander now was one of those little buggers who was always sporting a screwdriver and "helping' me when he was their age. :)
Thanks for watching my video. I make these to inspire people like you that you can do it. I have spark plug video on my Highlander as well. It is a tough spark plug replacement, but I really enjoyed the process. The way that I could tell it was my Evap Core was that my AC wouldn't hold a charge for more than a couple of days. Have you had it pressure tested? Your question about the smell....Yes we did notice a sweet smell. If you Evap core is leaking though it will come out in the form of a liquid. The smell of the liquid will not harm you. If you happen to get a bunch of the AC contents in your car in gas form that might be harmful. You will know if its coolant. Coolant doesn't smell the same as AC refrigerant. When you take your car apart you will figure it out quickly. Massachusetts. I just googled the weather for Boston and its cold there. Sorry man. Here in the Midwest we get some days in the winter that are warm enough to do car work in. I have to plan my repairs around the weather. Good luck with the teardown. Update me on the process. Also, please ask any questions you have.
@@BuildItSimple Yeah we're getting a nasty "Nor'easter" snowstorm Thursday and I've been wrapping up landscape/back yard wiring and Winter prep tasks... so much to do, so little time! If I ever get around to doing this I'll be sure to let you know! Thanks for being so open to helping people!!
My Dodge ram has 16 spark plugs and 8 coils. Which I replaced myself but I leaned on the evaporator core tube trying to get the last one out. Which is why I now need that replace. I think it would have been cheaper to pay a shop to do the plugs and coils then it is going to cost to get the evaporator core replaced since it is a much bigger job replacing that
I can't believe I found this video. I can't believe you dare to do this project. My highlander just had this problem and my honest mechanics told me it would cost me around $1000. They even offered me a huge discount of $700 for this job. They said it could take them 10 hrs. Here you did it and recorded it. I love your video. Thank you for making this video. Thanks to encourage us to do it. I love it more to see your wife and your kids helped out. 👍👍👏👏 This video deserves to have 1M views.
Thank you very much. That is a huge compliment. Good luck with your project. Make sure you take pictures of anything uncertain and label your screws as best as possible. There are a lot of them. Small plastic bags work well for the screws or even smaller cups. Take your time with all the plastic pieces. Don't force anything. That stuff is expensive if you have to replace it. Good luck. Please report back on how it went. You can do it!
Awesome Job!!! I was just quoted for $2,200.00!!! So, your vid is very helpful, thanks so much for that. I've done spark plugs replacement 4 yrs ago on my 2008 HL(you know how it is) but I'm gonna need so much more patience to do this job. Thanks so much again for your awesome video and for the heads up on what to expect.
I have a 2008 and my buddy who is a Honda Mechanic at my local Honda checked it out and put freon in and watched it all run out underneath immediately so yea it's the evap core I need to have replaced. Found the oem from my local online Toyota for $227. Toyota is also saying do the expansion valve, and dryer? What do you say about that? Nahh??? I'm thinking just evap core
I would say price them as well. If it’s not too much more, then go for it. I knew mine were not bad so I didn’t want to replace those parts. Thanks for asking.
@@BuildItSimple thanks for the response. Actually sold it a few weeks back for $6k as is. Was primo other than the ac not blowing cold because of the evap core. 221k miles on it too.
Well, I hear you there. I was smart enough to take a bunch of pictures and videos and believe me... I had to use them. My suggestion would be to for sure label everything. It sounds daunting but you never know what you can do until you try. 🤔
I do not have a video on a highlander coolant change yet. I plan on making one soon when the weather warms up. I will comment back to you when I have one made.
I see what you are saying. However, this was a challenge that I was willing to take on. I also enjoyed the process. I get how it’s not for everyone though. Thanks for commenting.
"right here, do you see where my hand is?". *Notices hand is in the door jam*. O no... Please don't lose fingers.... O thank God, it's just a stupid wire clip..... Bruh what a roller coaster that segment was. 😂
I've made it 2.5 years on my 2006 Toyota 4Runner with my leaking Evap by running Red Angel A/C stop leak and an A/C oil injector tool. It's worth trying to run a sealer. Use the liquid sealant, not the canned product. It's a 50/50 shot but can save you a dash pull out.
I have never studied in school or a shop or anything. It all started about 10 years ago when I was first married and super poor. I couldn't afford to take my car to the shop to get anything done so I had to figure it all out myself.
I have condensation leaking all around my evaporator core housing ! I suspect it’s the evap core on my 2008 Toyota rav 4! Sounds scary but I know I gotta and can do it! But that does look intimating. I have done head gaskets on a Subaru but this looks like a different ball park
This is for sure different than gaskets. When replaceing gaskets there is a spec book that requires everything to be tightned to torque spec etc. This job does not require that. If you have don't gaskets before, you can do this job. Just take your time, take lots of pictures, and don't be afraid to label everything.
My gorgeous Venza....the evap developed a leak. Watched these videos. NO WAY! I felt that the car would never be the same...squeaks, rattles, intermittents...general problems. So- I TRADED IT IN for a new Highlander and also bought an extended warranty. I got screwed on that Venza.....
At the part when you said "the hard part was over, now all I have to do is put it all back together" I literally laughed out loud. 😂I haven't even watched past that yet, but as someone that has done stuff like this... That thousand dollar quote seems pretty cheap now, no? I mean sure you can do it, but do you really want to do it is the better question? Sometimes it is more than just time, it's also a lot of stress and aggravation, you start to realize that sometimes the money is a small price to pay. At least in this case you made a video out of it and involved your boys so I get it, and maybe you just want to prove to yourself that you could do it. As you get older you start weighing more of wha tyou could do with what you want to do. Anyway, great job!
I understand your reasoning. The thing that I weigh is that time vs money. I usually always say that I have more time than money. That makes me want to tackle jobs that seem daunting. I figure if someone else can do than I can figure it out. Thanks for watching. and thanks for commenting.
1300 is cheap, most places for a 2008 Avalon that had the same issue, engine, etc. wanted no less than 2500 to 3000. I would have kept my car for that price.
You mentioned that you've had several problems with your Highlander? Curious what they might be? I started flushing my coolant for preventative maintenance - seems to get acidic and do a lot of damage long term. I can't say I've ever had my cars last as long as Toyota and Lexus, but now they're all 10, 15, 20 years old.
I have had several minor things. Nothing major. I had to replace the ball joints. I replaced the CV shafts. I have done all the brakes and rotors. Etc. Nothing major until the evap core. I love my Toyotas.
Im going through this in my 2012 4runner. Wont keep pressure and dealer wants 2k to replace this part. How did you determine this was the main problem?
There are several things you can do. However, the reason I knew my Evap Core was bad was because it was leaking fluid out the drain tube. The Evap Core is only supposed to leak condensation. I started to smell a different smell and determined it was coming from the Evap Core. Not sure If I talked about this in my video but I had several other leads from a couple of pressurized air conditioning hoses. Once pressurized, I was able to add an agent that shows up wherever it leaks. My main Toyota mechanic was able to help me with this because he had all the big equipment.
Hello, I want help. My car is a Toyota Highlander, and I filled the car with kerosene instead of gasoline. And my car stopped and does not work, money for the solution, please help me
Heat is on a different core. From what I understand the Evap core is only AC. Maybe someone else on this feed can chime in and give more knowledge that I know. Thanks for commenting.
Dude! This is amazing! I am having someone do this to my 2008 that I just bought and luckily they are paying for it because I noticed the issue right after they sold it to me. I noticed the MO plate on your Corolla! I am from STL!
Thanks. Some of my buddies kid me about it until we work on projects together and mix our tools. They can never mistake which ones are mine. It’s especially great for my sockets.
Awesome info.. I got to the part where I had to cut those wires too .. and same situation.. no start..lmao..so I had to recheck my connections.. but it was good.. so before I started pulling it apart again ..I decided to check fuses.. sure enough a 10 amp fuse by the engine compartment box was my issue.. great video..
Oh man. I am sure you felt pretty lost like I did when you got to the last part and the car wouldn't start. I am glad you fixed your issue. Thanks for watching.
Excelente work, except the wire cutting! i just cringe on that jajajaja., Right now i am doing exactly y the same and i expend about 3 hours disassembling, and now tomorrow i have to search for the evaporator, it as various leaks. my biggest issue was one of the heaters hoses that was god damn stuck!!! almost i couldn't get it, but eventually i did. Thanks for the video, this video encouraged me to do it myself.
@@BuildItSimple hi man! It went perfectly! i even end up finding 2 problema, one was the evaporator unit that it was like clogged by some organic material that corroed it, so it developed micro porous, so that was one of the leaks, but after i fixed that i encounter that even thought the R134A was leaking less, lot less, it was still leaking somewhere and i found after careful hearing (jajaja) that my condenser was it by some little rock or something, it made a little leak that i managed to solder in a shop... after this... all the problems with my AC disappear, almost a year know and still holding the charge as first days. Thank you, as i told you before, your video gave me the courage to take the entire dash to access the evaporator jeje, it was a 2 day job but totally worth it.
Dude good job 👍 with this project I do my own mechanics work I don’t let no one touch my cars 🚘 I work in some auto shops knowing some mechanic pays off good job 👏
I appreciate the encouragement. I am the same as you. I don’t like other people touching my cars. I have heard too many horror stories. Thanks for the comment.
There is a way to get the evaporator core out through the glovebox area without taking the dash apart. You just have to cut a piece on the side of the box it's in to slide it out. th-cam.com/video/zCgiVtF1dGI/w-d-xo.html
You are so brave! I have done many things like timming belt, compressor, water pump, radiator, engine valve head etc. But tearing down the entire compactment I don't know man.
Man , you done great job. You encouraged me to work on my 07 camry which's less complicated than Highlander. It has evap leak and freon costs more at this time.
I have not changed the water pump on this vehicle but I do agree that it can't be as bad as this. That is something that I won't change until I need to someday.
It was almost 7 hrs to take it out and about half that time to put it back. 16 bolts two different sizes. Drop the mounts jack the motor up. Hardest bolt was on a bracket for the alternator.
Did this fix your problem long term? Couple mechanics have told me this could be the issue, but its not the guaranteed issue with the A/C not holding a charge on these cars.
Truth be told, the evap core was not the only leak. My mechanic pressurized my system several times and found multiple leaks before I finally changed the Evap core. We eliminated the easy stuff first before changing the hardest part in the whole vehicle. Since the repair, I have had no trouble. I am well pleased with my work. Good luck. Report back your findings.
I am in the middle of replacing my evaporator core right now on my 05 highlander. You are my inspiration and I have watched this video like 10 times. If you can do this I can do this! Thank you brother.
Well, I did it. Mine is an 05 so not everything here transferred (actually it’s slightly easier I think). Not every single bolt got back exactly in the right place but I’d say I have a 85% hit rate and all the really important safety ones went back correctly. Thanks for this video. I hated every moment of doing it. But I’m glad I did. I took it back to the guy who quoted me $1800 for the whole thing, to redo the vacuum, and told him I would charged $2500. He laughed. All in all, this is not for the faint of heart but it is very doable. I just kept putting myself deeper in till I had to follow through. You’re a good example. Thank you for the encouragement. Next time I won’t do it in south Florida in 100 degree weather. Necessity is a great motivator though .
Impressive. I have this job ahead of me. I wouldn't mind doing it, it's on my Camry and we have another Camry to drive in the meantime. However, there's no way I can see up-close with my eyesight 😂 especially upside disn on small screws. I collect empty prescription plastic bottles and use in my shop to hold screws and bolts during a job. They come in many sizes to fit all needs. Honestly though, $1300 isn't bad, my problem is I don't trust any regular mechanic to do this intense job.
Good luck with your repair. The advice about collecting plastic bottles is great. I usually collect old peanut better containers. The work perfect. Report back on how the repair went.
The Toyota dealer quoted me about $2000 to do my 2009 Camry this week. I'm still in shock. I'm looking for a local mechanic with lots of experience on Toyota AC to see what he will charge.
@@JRS-iq9pz Yeah. I would say after doing this repair $2000 is a good deal. If you are not wanting to do the job yourself than you should consider the $2000 repair. From what I am hearing from other people some are getting charged $3000 plus for this repair.
Thank you Build It Simple man Video was good with lots of great tips, since the only one that I know of is Dennis Gutierrez video A few questions for you please as I have to do this on my 2009 Highlander Sport as well I was thinking of having the gas/oil removed from the A/C system at my mechanic first, then drive it home and start the job since I don't want any gases or oil getting on me/car or letting it go out in the atmosphere, what say you? Taking apart I am not to afraid of, VERY concerned with all the screws and bolts and washers/clips to keep track of, there must be a tons of this, I know that you mentioned that you keep them in four plastic containers, but how can you remember all the locations and connections that need to be put back together and the order that they must be put back in. How can you remember all that? Are the screws/bolts not very different from each other? Are there any ziptie clips that break when you remove them, and do you need to order those at the dealer again, or regular zipties can be used instead? You mentioned that "next time" you would label the connectors so that you can remember which ones connected to which later, I think that is a very good tip that I will follow Wanted to understand a little more about the steering column issue you had, what exactly was giving you a hard time, stuff in the way, couldn't screw things back in, aliment issues? Timing seems to be way off (not complaining), as you mentioned in the video that taking things out took about 5 hours, but it took you 17.5 hours to complete everything, what happened in the 12.5 hours, what caused the long delay that I should be aware of? Could you have tested everything before putting on the dashboard? Should one do that to assure that all is working and that if something is not we have easy access since the dashboard is not on, would that be helpful? Did you replace any oil rings for the expansion value or did it come with them already? Are you hearing any squeaking or other noises in the dashboard while driving after the repair? Any other last minute tips that I haven't asked that I should know? Thank you very much, much appreciated
Thanks for the comment, I will do my best to answer to the best of my ability. -If your AC system is already leaking don't worry about getting the gas/oil removed from the system. Chances are there is not much to take out of the system and that will be an expense you don't need to incur. If you are worried about saving the environment and you have the money, then go ahead, it can't hurt. -Remembering where all the screws and bolts go is tough. You need to develop and plastic baggy system if you are worried about it. Label everything and take as many pictures as you want. As you are taking things apart you will notice that there is a pattern of what kind of screw/bolt goes where. It helps with the process of putting things back together. Nevertheless, label everything. -There are a few zip tie clips. I was able to remove these with a flat head screwdriver. There was 1 or 2 that I broke and just used a regular zip tie to secure it back. No worries there. Also you will notice that there is a ton of electrical tape on your wiring harness. It won't hurt anything to put as much tape as you want back on the wiring harness. -The steering column gave me a hard time because its really heavy and awkward. I didn't want to fully remove it because then that would take my care out of line and I wanted to avoid that at all possible. When you drop the column just be careful because it is very heavy. -Yes. Good question about the long delay. I had issue getting everything to work again. As you saw in the video I had to cut a wiring harness. I was in a rush to get everything done and I didn't see any other way. In the process of putting everything back together I crossed two wires. A few of those hours were spent calling people, google searching, and troubleshooting my issue. -There really isn't a way to test everything before putting the whole dash back together. I would recommend not having the battery connected when having any of your components of the dash unplugged. The computer of the car does not like it when something is missing. You especially don't want to mess with the airbags in this situation. -I did replace the oil rings and seals on the expansion valve. They came with the new valve. Sometimes they don't come with the new valve and there are small kits out there to purchase rather cheaply. -No noises after the repair. Everything worked out well. -Tip, Take your time. This is an extensive job and it will seem daunting when everything is fully apart. Just keep working 1 step at a time. You can do it. Good luck and report back after the build. Don't force anything. Once all screws and bolts are removed, each part should come out easily. If it doesn't move or budge there is still a screw or nut in it. -My email is on my about section of my TH-cam page. Please feel free to email me with any questions. I am no pro but I bet I can point you in the right direction. Good Luck!
@@BuildItSimple Thank you for the detailed reply, I think that I will be working on this repair this coming week, as the A/C is again hot and I won't spend the money to recharge it since I know that is a waste of $150. I need to replace the evaporator core and to have this issue truly completed. Do you believe that the replacement evaporator core you list is the same on that the dealer sells? Seems that the Denso product would be something that the dealer sells, plus need to get the two oil rubber rings and the expansion valve as well like you listed. Thank you I will reach out if I get stuck, looking forward to the repair, but I know it is A LOT OF WORK! Thanks again for the help.
@@walter.bellini Good question on the Denso product... I have heard so so many people say that their Evap Core went out on their highlander. And... Toyota has not issued a recall on their original OEM product. However I do understand it because of how long the process is to replace. Too much liability. I would not trust another OEM Evap Core straight from Toyota. I could be totally wrong but that's my opinion. I have also seen no evidence that Toyota has stopped using or installing the original product. Don't get me wrong, I think Toyota makes the best vehicles on the planet. However, not everything is perfect I hope this makes sense.
Thank you for your reply, I have ordered the evap and valve from your list from your description, should be here by Friday. I have let the gauntlet drop so now I must complete the adventure, looking forward to it. Question, would it be helpful if I would place a 2x4 piece of wood to hold up the steering column in anyway? Anything else I need to buy except for the evaporator core, expansion valve, expansion valve oil rings? I would like to have everything there and ready and not have to order anything last minute. I ordered a auto trim remove kit, so maybe some of the tools could help me remove clip without breaking them. I think that I will record my process like you did, to share it out. Thanks again
@@walter.bellini You should be good with the supplies you bought. After you remove the heater core you will loose a little bit of coolant. You will want to top off after the job is complete. Make sure you have take and a sharpie, Plenty of plastic bags or small containers. And take lots of pictures. Good luck.
After doing this replacement, I understand why it would cost $2k for the replacement. However, if you do your research, and have a long weekend, I bet you can do the job yourself. I know the job seems daunting but maybe you have a buddy that would be willing to help. Thanks for watching. I am here to help in any way I can.
@@BuildItSimple thanks for the video. I was shocked when they said it would cost more than $2000. After seeing your video I understand why it would cost that much. I have no background in fixing cars, nor do I know anybody, It’s way too complicated for me. My car is 13 yrs with around 150000 miles, not worth fixing for more than $2000. Luckily we have another car in our family. I use highlander only for going to work.
Dude, really good of you to tackle this project. I, too, just got done swapping out the evaporator core in my '07 Camry. 18 hours!! I was able to download a Toyota FSM and it guided me step by step.
I'm probably about to take on replacing the Evaporator on my 2014 Mazda 3, it's leaking somewhere and I haven't been able to find it with soap and water on the outside, I am going to top it off a little bit with some UV dye and pray to the gods that I just missed a part of the Condenser or the Compressor, but I'm dreading it will be the Evaporator, lol. I found but 2 other mentions of A/C leaks on the 3rd Gen Mazda 3's and both were the Evaporator... FML.
ha. I totally get that. My buddy had this happen with his Tacoma and chose to sell instead of repair. It was worth a couple of days of work to me. Thanks for watching.
Great video, I'm actually in the teardown phase. I have one tip on storing the screws, bolts etc. I use a clear set of fishing tackle storage compartments. I label each section and it's makes reassembly much easier.
Doing this right now and having a hard time finding the heater control wire going back up .. literally cant find it like it just disappeared off the harness any idea?where it is
I'm probably about to go into tearing my dash down soon, I had an idea for all the screws, on the ones I can I'm going to use some paint markers, put a number like A1 or Z21 etc on each bolt and near each hole they go in to, that way it's fool proof and you can't mix up which screws go where.
My original problem was that the whole system would not hold a charge. I took it to my guy who does air conditioning stuff and he helped me narrow down several other leaks before we determined the evap core was the main problem. I didn’t talk about it in the video but part of my radiator was leaking and I actually had a hose leak as well. I had a mechanic who charged me an hours work and was willing to let me watch what was going on. I hope this helps. Thanks for the comment.
Disconnect the battery is the the only way to do it. However there are horror stories of airbags being set off due to static electricity and other forms of electric charge. My advice for the airbags is to take your time.
I did not have to flush the coolant. There was a little coolant that leaked out when I took the whole heat/cool box out. I just topped off my coolant after the repair and I was fine.
I totally understand. I got pretty frustrated halfway through. I wasn't willing to cough up the cash for someone else to do the job though so it left me with no choice but to do it myself.
@@BuildItSimple If I had a garage & a extra car, I would totally try this. Unfortunately I don't. However I think removing the moldings & everything except the top dash & steering wheel , will save alot of money on the bill, and the mechanic would be happy. I've replaced my radio & I had to remove half the dash to do it so I think that would help.
I have included a parts list in the description. Essentially there are only 2 main parts to this repair. I hope this helps. If you have anymore questions, please reach out.
I am glad that you liked the video. I am pretty unfamiliar with the Hybrid Model layout. I would however assume that it would very similar. If you do the replacement, please come back and report your findings.
You may have extra wiring as when i did a prius i had to remove the High voltage logic module however when you do it you HAVE to take it to a place with a dedicated "hybrid" ac machine. Any contamination from an ac machine during recharge with the normal "pag" oil will shut the system down. Hybrids have special POE oil that is nonconductive and if contaminants are detected itll shut it completely down.
Thanks man, will try it out on my Toyota Kluger 2009. We have Klugers here in Aus but they are one and the same. My question is, how do you disconnect the immobilizer without just cutting it??? That's the only one that scares me....😥
Erwin, don't be scared. You can do it. Just be patient with yourself. I later discovered that the immobilizer that I had cut was easily removable. The top slides in first and then the bottom slides it. The whole time I had been trying to slide the bottom out because it looked like it was clipped in. I should have been more patient with it and worked through the problem a little longer. It would have saved me the headache later. Take lots of pictures. And label your wiring harness with tape and sharpie. It will make your reconnect go smooth. Good luck. Post an update. And don't be afraid to reach out if you have any more questions.
@@BuildItSimple Heaps of thanks man. I have the labelling planned already so thanks to you. Tume is on my side amd will take it slow. Great tip on the immobilizer. Cheers!!! Will sub to tour channel if not already.
@@crazymanwithavan i brought it to Autobahn first to be checked for leaks before doing it. They checked for leaks with their machine that pumps and hold gas at the operating pressure and see if it drops after a certain time which is a sign of a leak. Surprisingly though, the pressure held up for hrs so they told me that there are no leaks and just added some refrigerant. Everything is working so far but I took the technicians name and we are going to monitor it for a year and he will see me back. I've been saving some funds for the tools and the parts as i am still not convinced that it is leak free. Dude said that the leak might be very very small for now to cause it to lose refrigerant over an 18months period. He also advised that the leak is probably not in the evaporator as the water that leaked out to the ground(condensation) does not have any traces of dye from a leaking evap.
@@crazymanwithavan update, yesterday my AC is dead, that's just less than 2 months after regas. I'll bring t back to autobahn but will start buying the tools and the parts as soon as they confirm that it is in the evaporator. Will work on it on Christmas break.
Great video. It was a huge help. But for anyone else doing this, that wire harness he cut that leads to the immobilizer seems impossible to get to disconnect. However, once you loosen the air box, you can reach your hand back there and pop off the whole immobilizer from the housing which will free the harness up. It is just held in by some plastic clips and will pop off if you pull it away from the air box housing. Thanks again for the video. Just replaced my coil because of this video.
I wish I would have known this when doing the repair.
Thanks for adding value.
I appreciate the comment.
Very impressive, but you just confirmed my decision to have my mechanic do this for $1500. I am very handy, and have no issues taking on projects, but there's not a chance on the planet that I will tackle this job.
I get it.
Not for everyone.
Good luck.
Just had it replaced by a mechanic and now I’m having other issues with my AC system. I’m just never happy with other people’s work. I should have done it myself.
You are a great Dad...training your kids! Bravo! They will thank you.
I appreciate that!
I learned from my dad. I need to teach them the way.
Amazing! I think your boys would rather be with dad turning wrenches than any place else. Unlike most DIY vids you show the problems, particularly during reassembly where most TH-camrs use the magic of editing. Too much project for me, but GREAT vid!
thats a hell of a job to do in the driveway. props to you for tackling this task. hope i dont have to ever do this in my lifetime 🙏
Pulling out wiring harness is unnecessary. Just move bolts on either end of horizontal brace and bracing, then you can raise the horizontal brace and slide the ac box out of the car.
Here is a video with some tips. th-cam.com/video/Bs8K5LF-ogw/w-d-xo.htmlsi=6mfp84hkhDEOY4cs
Just finished this project. Everything is working perfect. Just a little tip for others doing this job.
1)Get labels and mark every plug you unplug, and a sheet of paper to write down the plugs. Very easy this way. I had $2 dollars neon labels from target.
2) separate the bolts by section and get baggies to save them to each part removed.
3) I did not have to remove the seats. The steering rests on the driver seat mid way no issues.
4) the wiring harness actually splits into two harnesses. NO WIRE CUTTING NEEDED. Start by removing the wiring harness from the passenger kick panel FIRST, remove the box out of the body by the passenger kick panel, then make your way to the middle top by the crash bar there will be a white plug on top where you can separate the small harness from the large one. The small harness (which runs bellow the Large harness along the Crash Bar) It can be completely removed from the car and set aside. However, the Large harness can be removed from passenger side, then you can just rest it on the driver seat like a snake.
5) Once you remove the harness out of the way, in order to remove the crash bar just remove the bolts from the power steering ECU assembly located on top by the driver side attached to the crash bar, remove the six 8mm bolts and leave it hanging attached to the whole steering harness.
6) dont unplug wires from the fuse box. Just remove the 4 bolts that attach the fuse box to the crash bar and leave it hanging attached to the steering harness so you can remove the Crash bar.
7) In order to drop the steering there will be two small 10mm bolts on top, then ONE large 12mm bolt (you need to remove the brake switch First, then you can remove this bolt).
Thanks a lot again. Your video helped me a lot !
Awesome!
Great work.
Also, great advice.
I am so glad you were able to complete the job, and save a ton of cash at the same time.
How did you find out your evap core was bad?
I replaced the heater core in my Dodge 1500 awhile ago.
I'm absolutely convinced they suspend the evaporator/heater cores in mid air and build the entire vehicle around them lol.
haha.
That is the truth.
I have the same truck. I was changing the plug and leans on the AC line and it broke at the firewall. Can get it fixed for $900. Might ride with the window down until next summer lol
Wow. You are quite ambitious! Your walk-through was the perfect pace and helped me quickly replace an evaporator in a similar Highlander. I was able to get it done with your encouraging words. So much of car repair is your mental process, and your slow and steady approach was the key! thank you for the excellent example of patience, and taking the time to share this great video.
I appreicate it.
I am glad I could help you.
That is my goal.
Good work and I appreciate you commenting.
I have to say I really appreciated the intermission pep talk. I'm going to have to change my driver-side wheel bearing and CV axle. Never done it before but I'm going to see if I can do it.
Thanks for commenting.
The wheel bearing is great job to do. Just take your time.
Watch several videos before you do it as well.
Good luck.
Man that is big time impressive. I just got quoted $3500 by dealer to replace heater box on my Highlander. After watching all of this, it Looks like I’ll just have to bundle up!
Haha.
Well order all the parts and set aside a long weekend.
You can do it. It will take some patience, but it can be done.
Good luck.
Wow! I though my $2,200.00 quote was too much.
I have a servo up in the very top of the dash on my rav4.
I’m trying to decide if while I’m in the dash I should replace the condenser or whole hvac unit. Or else just try and fix the servo but seems like I’ll have to unplug the AC connection from the hood side and take the hvac unit out to fix the servo I’m having issues with.
Would I need to replace my condenser as well? Or just get new seals at the connection and have the unit recharged with refrigerant?
OMG!! I guess paying 2-3k for someone else to do it ain't that bad.
Big props to you for doing this!!! All that removing just for the evaporator is crazy!!
Evaporator cores are my favorite things to do. Toyotas are fairly straightforward. If you want a really shitty one do a cadillac the "crash panel" (the metal bar) is a solid large magnesium plate. It kicked my ass even as a professional mechanic. Good job man
if the leak detecter uv dye is only visible coming out the evaporator drain hose, does that mean i need to replace the evaporator, or could there be another culprit? no dye anywhere on the engine side of the ac system
@@shawndavis9276 yea its pretty much 100% you need to replace the evaporator. What i do is i get under the dash and pull the hose off the hvac box inside the vehicle and spray brake clean down the hose and catch everything that washes out in a glass container under the vehicle and check for dye. Oil doesnt like to mix with water so spraying brake clean will wadh the dye down for you. Good luck sir!
@@willypalooza6519 thanks , maybe I’ll record myself replacing it for the funniest video ever
@@shawndavis9276 hahaha trust me they arent as bad as you think pull the seats out to give yourself some space and keep every single screw/bolt with whatever you take off and keep it all in order.
And dont cut any wires like this guy did lol
Wow.
That’s awesome.
You should make some videos of a Cadillac repair. I would love to see that.
What was the symptoms that lead you to believe that is was the evaporator coil? I have a weird smell in the cabin of the vehicle and the AC isn’t working very well. Thanks for sharing this information! Great video!
Holy Crap! I was going to do this myself, till I saw what's involved! Air con guy quoted $AU2200. shit.... I might just sweat, (pun), this out
It is a long repair job. However the job is not very difficult. There is no guess work. There is not bolt torque spec.
If you are organized and clean with your work, and you are willing to take your time to do it right, you can do it.
I made this video to encourage other to do the repair themselves.
Do your research.
You don't need many tools.
Take lots of photos.
Maybe have a buddy help.
Reach out of you have anymore questions.
I change my heater core last week, guys came to discharge my ac unit and start that big project. Took me 14h and one extra hour to figure out that my signal light was not working, miss a connector. Recharge my ac after and everything working good.
wow! congrats.
A success story.
I film the projects I do to inspire people like you that you can do it!
Good work!
Never cut wires on this kind of job, I never forget this im about to do highlander eveporator replacement.
I wish I would have taken that advice before I started the project.
The good thing is I have not had a problem since.
Frickin impressive man! I did my own mid-stream spark plug replacement video a bunch of years back as I felt I needed to share the story of how much work it is. We have an '08 Highlander Sport, and those 3 rear cylinders are a b*tch to get to. You have to tear down the wipers and cowl to get at those 3 cylinders, as you did for this project. So with our Highlander, when we drive it we smell something off in the conditioned air that gets blown around by the HVAC system. I can't tell if it's A/C refrigerant or if it's engine coolant from the heater core. It's one or the other and I guess I wouldn't know until I did a teardown. Did you smell anything foul when you drove it prior to the repair? Ours is my wife's former car and now my college kid drives it and it bothers me that he could be breathing harmful vapors. I'm crazy like you and not afraid to tackle a project like this, but alas I'm in Massachusetts and don't have a garage, so cold and dreary Winter weather kind of puts a damper on this! Thanks for a great video! The time-lapse was awesome. And my son who drives our Highlander now was one of those little buggers who was always sporting a screwdriver and "helping' me when he was their age. :)
Thanks for watching my video. I make these to inspire people like you that you can do it.
I have spark plug video on my Highlander as well. It is a tough spark plug replacement, but I really enjoyed the process.
The way that I could tell it was my Evap Core was that my AC wouldn't hold a charge for more than a couple of days.
Have you had it pressure tested?
Your question about the smell....Yes we did notice a sweet smell. If you Evap core is leaking though it will come out in the form of a liquid. The smell of the liquid will not harm you. If you happen to get a bunch of the AC contents in your car in gas form that might be harmful.
You will know if its coolant. Coolant doesn't smell the same as AC refrigerant.
When you take your car apart you will figure it out quickly.
Massachusetts. I just googled the weather for Boston and its cold there. Sorry man.
Here in the Midwest we get some days in the winter that are warm enough to do car work in. I have to plan my repairs around the weather.
Good luck with the teardown. Update me on the process.
Also, please ask any questions you have.
@@BuildItSimple Yeah we're getting a nasty "Nor'easter" snowstorm Thursday and I've been wrapping up landscape/back yard wiring and Winter prep tasks... so much to do, so little time! If I ever get around to doing this I'll be sure to let you know! Thanks for being so open to helping people!!
My Dodge ram has 16 spark plugs and 8 coils. Which I replaced myself but I leaned on the evaporator core tube trying to get the last one out. Which is why I now need that replace. I think it would have been cheaper to pay a shop to do the plugs and coils then it is going to cost to get the evaporator core replaced since it is a much bigger job replacing that
I can't believe I found this video. I can't believe you dare to do this project.
My highlander just had this problem and my honest mechanics told me it would cost me around $1000. They even offered me a huge discount of $700 for this job. They said it could take them 10 hrs.
Here you did it and recorded it.
I love your video.
Thank you for making this video. Thanks to encourage us to do it.
I love it more to see your wife and your kids helped out. 👍👍👏👏
This video deserves to have 1M views.
Thank you very much. That is a huge compliment.
Good luck with your project.
Make sure you take pictures of anything uncertain and label your screws as best as possible. There are a lot of them.
Small plastic bags work well for the screws or even smaller cups.
Take your time with all the plastic pieces. Don't force anything. That stuff is expensive if you have to replace it.
Good luck. Please report back on how it went.
You can do it!
Lol removal of the parts is just a part of the AC game(probably most labor intensive). Proper flushing and recharging is another!
Awesome Job!!! I was just quoted for $2,200.00!!! So, your vid is very helpful, thanks so much for that. I've done spark plugs replacement 4 yrs ago on my 2008 HL(you know how it is) but I'm gonna need so much more patience to do this job. Thanks so much again for your awesome video and for the heads up on what to expect.
Did you have to refill the freon ?
I had my mechanic recharge the system.
I have a 2008 and my buddy who is a Honda Mechanic at my local Honda checked it out and put freon in and watched it all run out underneath immediately so yea it's the evap core I need to have replaced. Found the oem from my local online Toyota for $227. Toyota is also saying do the expansion valve, and dryer? What do you say about that? Nahh??? I'm thinking just evap core
I would say price them as well. If it’s not too much more, then go for it.
I knew mine were not bad so I didn’t want to replace those parts.
Thanks for asking.
@@BuildItSimple thanks for the response. Actually sold it a few weeks back for $6k as is. Was primo other than the ac not blowing cold because of the evap core. 221k miles on it too.
I need this done to my vehicle, but my memory isn't good enough to put it back together again. Lol
Well, I hear you there. I was smart enough to take a bunch of pictures and videos and believe me... I had to use them. My suggestion would be to for sure label everything.
It sounds daunting but you never know what you can do until you try. 🤔
I just got quoted $1,800 for this job from my mechanic 😭😭
Yikes.
That is big chunk of change.
Comment back what you decide.
Probably the WORST problem that can happen to a car...and the WORST to repair.
I hear you.
I enjoyed the process though.
Do you have a coolant change video? I didn't find it on your channel. I have a 3rd Gen highlander.
I do not have a video on a highlander coolant change yet.
I plan on making one soon when the weather warms up.
I will comment back to you when I have one made.
I was quoted $2,558 yesterday from a mechanic to get this done. $1,300 is a steal!
who in their right mind wud ever do this job or pay to have it done lol. just sell the car on a cold day lol
I see what you are saying.
However, this was a challenge that I was willing to take on. I also enjoyed the process.
I get how it’s not for everyone though.
Thanks for commenting.
Man, sorry you had to go through all of that. I'm looking at the rear AC on mine. Yours is very clean and bravo on getting the boy involved too!
The wire you cut go the the ID code box part of the immobilizer system
Yes it does.
I learned that the hard way.
Thank you for the video. Good job by the way and it was a great experience wasn't it?.
It was a great experience. A ton of work but, in the end it was worth it.
I am happy for that. And like you said, anyone can do it, just requires time into it but in the end it will save you lots of 💰.
"right here, do you see where my hand is?". *Notices hand is in the door jam*. O no... Please don't lose fingers.... O thank God, it's just a stupid wire clip..... Bruh what a roller coaster that segment was. 😂
Haha.
I am glad you liked it.
I've made it 2.5 years on my 2006 Toyota 4Runner with my leaking Evap by running Red Angel A/C stop leak and an A/C oil injector tool. It's worth trying to run a sealer. Use the liquid sealant, not the canned product. It's a 50/50 shot but can save you a dash pull out.
True. I bet that would help in a lot of cases.
I have never used that stuff but it has to help for some people.
Toyota Engineers: 😹👹
Damn bro... do you have any experience in auto mechanics?
I have never studied in school or a shop or anything.
It all started about 10 years ago when I was first married and super poor. I couldn't afford to take my car to the shop to get anything done so I had to figure it all out myself.
But I salute you, man! You are a brave hero to even attempt this.
I appreciate it.
Thanks for commenting.
I have condensation leaking all around my evaporator core housing ! I suspect it’s the evap core on my 2008 Toyota rav 4! Sounds scary but I know I gotta and can do it! But that does look intimating. I have done head gaskets on a Subaru but this looks like a different ball park
This is for sure different than gaskets.
When replaceing gaskets there is a spec book that requires everything to be tightned to torque spec etc.
This job does not require that.
If you have don't gaskets before, you can do this job.
Just take your time, take lots of pictures, and don't be afraid to label everything.
@@BuildItSimple Actually I didn’t have to do that job because all it was ac drain was clogged !!
That’s great.
How did you get it unclogged?
@@wadebeeman I looked it up on TH-cam all I had to do was blow it out with compressed air thru the drain
My gorgeous Venza....the evap developed a leak. Watched these videos. NO WAY! I felt that the car would never be the same...squeaks, rattles, intermittents...general problems. So- I TRADED IT IN for a new Highlander and also bought an extended warranty. I got screwed on that Venza.....
Sad story.
I hope you like your Highlander though.
Where is the evaporator for the rear ac? Did you check that as well?
I replaced that one the year before I did this job. I did not film that job so I did not have anything from that to include.
At the part when you said "the hard part was over, now all I have to do is put it all back together" I literally laughed out loud. 😂I haven't even watched past that yet, but as someone that has done stuff like this... That thousand dollar quote seems pretty cheap now, no? I mean sure you can do it, but do you really want to do it is the better question?
Sometimes it is more than just time, it's also a lot of stress and aggravation, you start to realize that sometimes the money is a small price to pay. At least in this case you made a video out of it and involved your boys so I get it, and maybe you just want to prove to yourself that you could do it. As you get older you start weighing more of wha tyou could do with what you want to do. Anyway, great job!
I understand your reasoning.
The thing that I weigh is that time vs money. I usually always say that I have more time than money. That makes me want to tackle jobs that seem daunting.
I figure if someone else can do than I can figure it out.
Thanks for watching.
and thanks for commenting.
1300 is cheap, most places for a 2008 Avalon that had the same issue, engine, etc. wanted no less than 2500 to 3000. I would have kept my car for that price.
So I take it you got rid of your vehicle because of this issue?
You mentioned that you've had several problems with your Highlander? Curious what they might be? I started flushing my coolant for preventative maintenance - seems to get acidic and do a lot of damage long term. I can't say I've ever had my cars last as long as Toyota and Lexus, but now they're all 10, 15, 20 years old.
I have had several minor things. Nothing major.
I had to replace the ball joints. I replaced the CV shafts. I have done all the brakes and rotors.
Etc.
Nothing major until the evap core.
I love my Toyotas.
You're GOOODDDD!!!!
Does anyone have a picture of the connectors on wiring harness
I hope you find these.
Maybe I can help.
What questions do you have?
Im going through this in my 2012 4runner. Wont keep pressure and dealer wants 2k to replace this part. How did you determine this was the main problem?
There are several things you can do.
However, the reason I knew my Evap Core was bad was because it was leaking fluid out the drain tube.
The Evap Core is only supposed to leak condensation. I started to smell a different smell and determined it was coming from the Evap Core.
Not sure If I talked about this in my video but I had several other leads from a couple of pressurized air conditioning hoses. Once pressurized, I was able to add an agent that shows up wherever it leaks. My main Toyota mechanic was able to help me with this because he had all the big equipment.
Hello, I want help. My car is a Toyota Highlander, and I filled the car with kerosene instead of gasoline. And my car stopped and does not work, money for the solution, please help me
I am sorry that this happened.
You will need to flush your entire system in order for your car to work again.
Good luck to you.
Would the evaporater coil cause the heat not to work in the winter and ac not to work in the Summer?
Heat is on a different core.
From what I understand the Evap core is only AC.
Maybe someone else on this feed can chime in and give more knowledge that I know.
Thanks for commenting.
Okay, thank you sir.
Lol. I bet you wished you paid for that job ..
Very true.
However, I am getting paid every time someone watches this video. 😜
I would also do it again for no money.
I learned a lot.
Who’s the babe?
Dude! This is amazing!
I am having someone do this to my 2008 that I just bought and luckily they are paying for it because I noticed the issue right after they sold it to me.
I noticed the MO plate on your Corolla! I am from STL!
I am glad you got the warranty to cover it.
It’s a long ordeal.
Welcome to my channel.
Thanks for watching.
my 2012 highlanders rpm jump up and down while driving...anyone else have this issue and if so what can it be
Have you tried your Throttle Position Sensor? not sure, Just a suggestion.
excellent but you are too fast for a novice like me
I appreciate the complement.
However, I think I am very slow.
You can do it one step and time.
Its the only way to eat an elephant. 🐘
It's really a nice job, actually I have this experience but i don't have the opportunity to work all to say thanks for this video
Thank you so much.
Thanks for keeping it positive. Way to be a teacher.
Guys, don’t do it if it is only 1300.
I love the Milwaukee painted yellow 😅
Thanks.
Some of my buddies kid me about it until we work on projects together and mix our tools.
They can never mistake which ones are mine.
It’s especially great for my sockets.
You are driven! thk u for the video
Thank you.
The project was tough but I am glad it worked out.
Awesome info.. I got to the part where I had to cut those wires too .. and same situation.. no start..lmao..so I had to recheck my connections.. but it was good.. so before I started pulling it apart again ..I decided to check fuses.. sure enough a 10 amp fuse by the engine compartment box was my issue.. great video..
Oh man. I am sure you felt pretty lost like I did when you got to the last part and the car wouldn't start.
I am glad you fixed your issue. Thanks for watching.
Happy Father’s Day bro 👌👌👌
Thank you so much
Same to you.
Excelente work, except the wire cutting! i just cringe on that jajajaja., Right now i am doing exactly y the same and i expend about 3 hours disassembling, and now tomorrow i have to search for the evaporator, it as various leaks.
my biggest issue was one of the heaters hoses that was god damn stuck!!! almost i couldn't get it, but eventually i did.
Thanks for the video, this video encouraged me to do it myself.
I am glad I could help.
I know time has passed.
Let me know how it went.
@@BuildItSimple hi man! It went perfectly! i even end up finding 2 problema, one was the evaporator unit that it was like clogged by some organic material that corroed it, so it developed micro porous, so that was one of the leaks, but after i fixed that i encounter that even thought the R134A was leaking less, lot less, it was still leaking somewhere and i found after careful hearing (jajaja) that my condenser was it by some little rock or something, it made a little leak that i managed to solder in a shop... after this... all the problems with my AC disappear, almost a year know and still holding the charge as first days.
Thank you, as i told you before, your video gave me the courage to take the entire dash to access the evaporator jeje, it was a 2 day job but totally worth it.
@@cyberkiller83 Glad to hear. Thanks for updating me.
Dude good job 👍 with this project I do my own mechanics work I don’t let no one touch my cars 🚘 I work in some auto shops knowing some mechanic pays off good job 👏
I appreciate the encouragement.
I am the same as you. I don’t like other people touching my cars. I have heard too many horror stories.
Thanks for the comment.
How many miles did it have?
109k
There is a way to get the evaporator core out through the glovebox area without taking the dash apart. You just have to cut a piece on the side of the box it's in to slide it out. th-cam.com/video/zCgiVtF1dGI/w-d-xo.html
Wow.
I am glad I did it the way I did.
Thanks for the resource.
Holy shit, easy on the gunshots in the middle of the disassembly! I almost drove off the road and screamed out God damn
haha.
That's funny.
Sorry about that.
Thanks for watching though.
You are so brave!
I have done many things like timming belt, compressor, water pump, radiator, engine valve head etc. But tearing down the entire compactment I don't know man.
Yeah. I understand you argument.
It was a tough job.
But totally worth it.
Man , you done great job. You encouraged me to work on my 07 camry which's less complicated than Highlander. It has evap leak and freon costs more at this time.
You can do it.
Take your time, take pictures, and have fun with it.
I am glad I can help.
Please comment back on how it went.
The waterpump is not as daunting at this. I did the waterpump change in my 2011. There was maybe one video that I found. Thanks for your share.
I have not changed the water pump on this vehicle but I do agree that it can't be as bad as this.
That is something that I won't change until I need to someday.
It was almost 7 hrs to take it out and about half that time to put it back. 16 bolts two different sizes. Drop the mounts jack the motor up. Hardest bolt was on a bracket for the alternator.
you didnt save a dime....you if time was free then yes you only costed you $300
Did this fix your problem long term? Couple mechanics have told me this could be the issue, but its not the guaranteed issue with the A/C not holding a charge on these cars.
Truth be told, the evap core was not the only leak. My mechanic pressurized my system several times and found multiple leaks before I finally changed the Evap core.
We eliminated the easy stuff first before changing the hardest part in the whole vehicle.
Since the repair, I have had no trouble. I am well pleased with my work.
Good luck. Report back your findings.
@@BuildItSimple what other leaks did you have? And what were your symptoms?
I am in the middle of replacing my evaporator core right now on my 05 highlander. You are my inspiration and I have watched this video like 10 times. If you can do this I can do this! Thank you brother.
Glad I could help
Let me know how it went.
Well, I did it. Mine is an 05 so not everything here transferred (actually it’s slightly easier I think). Not every single bolt got back exactly in the right place but I’d say I have a 85% hit rate and all the really important safety ones went back correctly. Thanks for this video. I hated every moment of doing it. But I’m glad I did. I took it back to the guy who quoted me $1800 for the whole thing, to redo the vacuum, and told him I would charged $2500. He laughed. All in all, this is not for the faint of heart but it is very doable. I just kept putting myself deeper in till I had to follow through. You’re a good example. Thank you for the encouragement. Next time I won’t do it in south Florida in 100 degree weather. Necessity is a great motivator though .
17-20 hours is spot on
i have the same problem in my corolla 2011 :( i i dont know what to do
Well. I will say that it is a tough decision to be made. It's not a quick fix.
I just would have paid the over a thousand dollars for someone else to do this. Great job! I couldn’t have done it.
You could do it.
It just takes lots of time and patience.
❤🎉😊
Thank you for commenting!
Wow ! You're better than me.. to many things to re-assemble holy smokes. Kudos !
Thanks.
You can do it as well.
Record everything and work slowly.
It's not as difficult as you think.
One question, do you recall how to disconnect that tricky connector that you described?
Yes.
It pops pretty easy off the back of the box.
I feel like a dummy with how easily it came off when I figured it out.
Very nice and encouraging Video ! I couldn't find Dennis' channel ?
Thanks for the feedback.
I left a link to Dennis' video in the description of my video.
Impressive. I have this job ahead of me. I wouldn't mind doing it, it's on my Camry and we have another Camry to drive in the meantime. However, there's no way I can see up-close with my eyesight 😂 especially upside disn on small screws. I collect empty prescription plastic bottles and use in my shop to hold screws and bolts during a job. They come in many sizes to fit all needs. Honestly though, $1300 isn't bad, my problem is I don't trust any regular mechanic to do this intense job.
Good luck with your repair.
The advice about collecting plastic bottles is great.
I usually collect old peanut better containers. The work perfect.
Report back on how the repair went.
The Toyota dealer quoted me about $2000 to do my 2009 Camry this week. I'm still in shock. I'm looking for a local mechanic with lots of experience on Toyota AC to see what he will charge.
@@JRS-iq9pz Yeah. I would say after doing this repair $2000 is a good deal.
If you are not wanting to do the job yourself than you should consider the $2000 repair.
From what I am hearing from other people some are getting charged $3000 plus for this repair.
Thank you Build It Simple man
Video was good with lots of great tips, since the only one that I know of is Dennis Gutierrez video
A few questions for you please as I have to do this on my 2009 Highlander Sport as well
I was thinking of having the gas/oil removed from the A/C system at my mechanic first, then drive it home and start the job since I don't want any gases or oil getting on me/car or letting it go out in the atmosphere, what say you?
Taking apart I am not to afraid of, VERY concerned with all the screws and bolts and washers/clips to keep track of, there must be a tons of this, I know that you mentioned that you keep them in four plastic containers, but how can you remember all the locations and connections that need to be put back together and the order that they must be put back in. How can you remember all that? Are the screws/bolts not very different from each other?
Are there any ziptie clips that break when you remove them, and do you need to order those at the dealer again, or regular zipties can be used instead?
You mentioned that "next time" you would label the connectors so that you can remember which ones connected to which later, I think that is a very good tip that I will follow
Wanted to understand a little more about the steering column issue you had, what exactly was giving you a hard time, stuff in the way, couldn't screw things back in, aliment issues?
Timing seems to be way off (not complaining), as you mentioned in the video that taking things out took about 5 hours, but it took you 17.5 hours to complete everything, what happened in the 12.5 hours, what caused the long delay that I should be aware of?
Could you have tested everything before putting on the dashboard? Should one do that to assure that all is working and that if something is not we have easy access since the dashboard is not on, would that be helpful?
Did you replace any oil rings for the expansion value or did it come with them already?
Are you hearing any squeaking or other noises in the dashboard while driving after the repair?
Any other last minute tips that I haven't asked that I should know?
Thank you very much, much appreciated
Thanks for the comment, I will do my best to answer to the best of my ability.
-If your AC system is already leaking don't worry about getting the gas/oil removed from the system. Chances are there is not much to take out of the system and that will be an expense you don't need to incur. If you are worried about saving the environment and you have the money, then go ahead, it can't hurt.
-Remembering where all the screws and bolts go is tough. You need to develop and plastic baggy system if you are worried about it. Label everything and take as many pictures as you want. As you are taking things apart you will notice that there is a pattern of what kind of screw/bolt goes where. It helps with the process of putting things back together. Nevertheless, label everything.
-There are a few zip tie clips. I was able to remove these with a flat head screwdriver. There was 1 or 2 that I broke and just used a regular zip tie to secure it back. No worries there. Also you will notice that there is a ton of electrical tape on your wiring harness. It won't hurt anything to put as much tape as you want back on the wiring harness.
-The steering column gave me a hard time because its really heavy and awkward. I didn't want to fully remove it because then that would take my care out of line and I wanted to avoid that at all possible. When you drop the column just be careful because it is very heavy.
-Yes. Good question about the long delay. I had issue getting everything to work again. As you saw in the video I had to cut a wiring harness. I was in a rush to get everything done and I didn't see any other way. In the process of putting everything back together I crossed two wires. A few of those hours were spent calling people, google searching, and troubleshooting my issue.
-There really isn't a way to test everything before putting the whole dash back together. I would recommend not having the battery connected when having any of your components of the dash unplugged. The computer of the car does not like it when something is missing. You especially don't want to mess with the airbags in this situation.
-I did replace the oil rings and seals on the expansion valve. They came with the new valve. Sometimes they don't come with the new valve and there are small kits out there to purchase rather cheaply.
-No noises after the repair. Everything worked out well.
-Tip, Take your time. This is an extensive job and it will seem daunting when everything is fully apart. Just keep working 1 step at a time. You can do it. Good luck and report back after the build. Don't force anything. Once all screws and bolts are removed, each part should come out easily. If it doesn't move or budge there is still a screw or nut in it.
-My email is on my about section of my TH-cam page. Please feel free to email me with any questions. I am no pro but I bet I can point you in the right direction.
Good Luck!
@@BuildItSimple Thank you for the detailed reply, I think that I will be working on this repair this coming week, as the A/C is again hot and I won't spend the money to recharge it since I know that is a waste of $150. I need to replace the evaporator core and to have this issue truly completed. Do you believe that the replacement evaporator core you list is the same on that the dealer sells? Seems that the Denso product would be something that the dealer sells, plus need to get the two oil rubber rings and the expansion valve as well like you listed. Thank you I will reach out if I get stuck, looking forward to the repair, but I know it is A LOT OF WORK! Thanks again for the help.
@@walter.bellini Good question on the Denso product...
I have heard so so many people say that their Evap Core went out on their highlander. And... Toyota has not issued a recall on their original OEM product.
However I do understand it because of how long the process is to replace. Too much liability.
I would not trust another OEM Evap Core straight from Toyota. I could be totally wrong but that's my opinion.
I have also seen no evidence that Toyota has stopped using or installing the original product.
Don't get me wrong, I think Toyota makes the best vehicles on the planet. However, not everything is perfect
I hope this makes sense.
Thank you for your reply,
I have ordered the evap and valve from your list from your description, should be here by Friday. I have let the gauntlet drop so now I must complete the adventure, looking forward to it. Question, would it be helpful if I would place a 2x4 piece of wood to hold up the steering column in anyway? Anything else I need to buy except for the evaporator core, expansion valve, expansion valve oil rings? I would like to have everything there and ready and not have to order anything last minute. I ordered a auto trim remove kit, so maybe some of the tools could help me remove clip without breaking them. I think that I will record my process like you did, to share it out. Thanks again
@@walter.bellini You should be good with the supplies you bought. After you remove the heater core you will loose a little bit of coolant. You will want to top off after the job is complete.
Make sure you have take and a sharpie, Plenty of plastic bags or small containers. And take lots of pictures.
Good luck.
My Highlander needs a replacement, my mechanic said it’s going to be $2000 plus with majority for labor. I might have to go on Without AC.
After doing this replacement, I understand why it would cost $2k for the replacement.
However, if you do your research, and have a long weekend, I bet you can do the job yourself.
I know the job seems daunting but maybe you have a buddy that would be willing to help.
Thanks for watching.
I am here to help in any way I can.
@@BuildItSimple thanks for the video. I was shocked when they said it would cost more than $2000. After seeing your video I understand why it would cost that much. I have no background in fixing cars, nor do I know anybody, It’s way too complicated for me. My car is 13 yrs with around 150000 miles, not worth fixing for more than $2000. Luckily we have another car in our family. I use highlander only for going to work.
try removing most of the moldings & lower dash parts yourself before taking it to the mechanic. That would cut your price in half.
Awesome video, I'm currently removing ac evaporator core on 2007 tundra
Nice.
How did the job go?
I really salute your courage for taking your time to replace that evaporator, I will surely do the same thing to replace my too
Thank you.
I appreciate that.
Evaporated coil is correct term in the HVAC industry.
Thanks. I learn something new everyday.
Dude, really good of you to tackle this project. I, too, just got done swapping out the evaporator core in my '07 Camry. 18 hours!! I was able to download a Toyota FSM and it guided me step by step.
I'm probably about to take on replacing the Evaporator on my 2014 Mazda 3, it's leaking somewhere and I haven't been able to find it with soap and water on the outside, I am going to top it off a little bit with some UV dye and pray to the gods that I just missed a part of the Condenser or the Compressor, but I'm dreading it will be the Evaporator, lol. I found but 2 other mentions of A/C leaks on the 3rd Gen Mazda 3's and both were the Evaporator... FML.
hey troy- where did you download the FSM online? im having trouble finding a good source.
Glad I could help
And great job.
Keep up the good DIY work.
Nice you did a good job i would of sold the highlander.
ha.
I totally get that.
My buddy had this happen with his Tacoma and chose to sell instead of repair.
It was worth a couple of days of work to me.
Thanks for watching.
Great video, I'm actually in the teardown phase. I have one tip on storing the screws, bolts etc. I use a clear set of fishing tackle storage compartments. I label each section and it's makes reassembly much easier.
Doing this right now and having a hard time finding the heater control wire going back up .. literally cant find it like it just disappeared off the harness any idea?where it is
I'm probably about to go into tearing my dash down soon, I had an idea for all the screws, on the ones I can I'm going to use some paint markers, put a number like A1 or Z21 etc on each bolt and near each hole they go in to, that way it's fool proof and you can't mix up which screws go where.
Great idea. I hope this helps other people.
awesome video, way to go man! what kind of test did you do to narrow down the leak to the evaporator?
My original problem was that the whole system would not hold a charge. I took it to my guy who does air conditioning stuff and he helped me narrow down several other leaks before we determined the evap core was the main problem.
I didn’t talk about it in the video but part of my radiator was leaking and I actually had a hose leak as well.
I had a mechanic who charged me an hours work and was willing to let me watch what was going on.
I hope this helps.
Thanks for the comment.
@@BuildItSimple th-cam.com/video/WqrpRO0X5zU/w-d-xo.html here’s my time lapse, thanks again
Question: how do you disable the airbags? ty
Disconnect the battery is the the only way to do it.
However there are horror stories of airbags being set off due to static electricity and other forms of electric charge.
My advice for the airbags is to take your time.
Great job
Did you have to flash the coolant from the system
I did not have to flush the coolant. There was a little coolant that leaked out when I took the whole heat/cool box out.
I just topped off my coolant after the repair and I was fine.
I love doing things myself but 17.5 hours is a bit much.
I totally understand.
I got pretty frustrated halfway through.
I wasn't willing to cough up the cash for someone else to do the job though so it left me with no choice but to do it myself.
@@BuildItSimple If I had a garage & a extra car, I would totally try this. Unfortunately I don't. However I think removing the moldings & everything except the top dash & steering wheel , will save alot of money on the bill, and the mechanic would be happy. I've replaced my radio & I had to remove half the dash to do it so I think that would help.
Good job brother and god bless u and your family 👍
Thanks, you too!
were is a good place to order parts from
I have included a parts list in the description.
Essentially there are only 2 main parts to this repair.
I hope this helps.
If you have anymore questions, please reach out.
I would just cut the box at the side
Haha.
Perfect.
Is this really a viable option?
Yes it is
@@farrelking733 I saw someone say you would have leaks if you did this?
@@phillippardo5712 i had no leaks
Nice video! Any idea if it is similar to the Hybrid model?
I am glad that you liked the video.
I am pretty unfamiliar with the Hybrid Model layout.
I would however assume that it would very similar.
If you do the replacement, please come back and report your findings.
You may have extra wiring as when i did a prius i had to remove the High voltage logic module however when you do it you HAVE to take it to a place with a dedicated "hybrid" ac machine. Any contamination from an ac machine during recharge with the normal "pag" oil will shut the system down. Hybrids have special POE oil that is nonconductive and if contaminants are detected itll shut it completely down.
Great 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Thanks.
I appreciate the support.
Thanks man, will try it out on my Toyota Kluger 2009. We have Klugers here in Aus but they are one and the same.
My question is, how do you disconnect the immobilizer without just cutting it??? That's the only one that scares me....😥
Erwin, don't be scared. You can do it. Just be patient with yourself.
I later discovered that the immobilizer that I had cut was easily removable.
The top slides in first and then the bottom slides it. The whole time I had been trying to slide the bottom out because it looked like it was clipped in. I should have been more patient with it and worked through the problem a little longer. It would have saved me the headache later.
Take lots of pictures.
And label your wiring harness with tape and sharpie. It will make your reconnect go smooth.
Good luck.
Post an update.
And don't be afraid to reach out if you have any more questions.
@@BuildItSimple Heaps of thanks man. I have the labelling planned already so thanks to you. Tume is on my side amd will take it slow. Great tip on the immobilizer. Cheers!!! Will sub to tour channel if not already.
@@erwinmelgar9575 did you do it? it costs me $AU100 to regass but lasts only 5-6months
@@crazymanwithavan i brought it to Autobahn first to be checked for leaks before doing it.
They checked for leaks with their machine that pumps and hold gas at the operating pressure and see if it drops after a certain time which is a sign of a leak. Surprisingly though, the pressure held up for hrs so they told me that there are no leaks and just added some refrigerant. Everything is working so far but I took the technicians name and we are going to monitor it for a year and he will see me back.
I've been saving some funds for the tools and the parts as i am still not convinced that it is leak free. Dude said that the leak might be very very small for now to cause it to lose refrigerant over an 18months period.
He also advised that the leak is probably not in the evaporator as the water that leaked out to the ground(condensation) does not have any traces of dye from a leaking evap.
@@crazymanwithavan update, yesterday my AC is dead, that's just less than 2 months after regas.
I'll bring t back to autobahn but will start buying the tools and the parts as soon as they confirm that it is in the evaporator. Will work on it on Christmas break.
Too hard to do it!
It was very tough.
How do you eat an elephant?
One bite at a time.
Anybody could do this.
Trade in time!!!
Ha. Honestly getting rid of the vehicle didn’t even cross my mind.