My Toyota AC is Not Blowing Cold Air
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 มิ.ย. 2024
- My 2012 Toyota Sienna AC is not blowing cold air. I go through the steps to check the freon levels as well as replace the flow sensor, which is a common problem in these Toyotas. Our Sienna has a 3.5L V6 engine.
AC repair can be very intimidating, but as long as you do not need to drain freon from the system, it's not very difficult. The flow sensor in the AC is hard to reach, but otherwise a very simple replacement Check out the link below for the part.
Dorman Flow Sensor 926-818 - amzn.to/3RWa8sG
Attempt repairs at your own risk. - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
Good info on that sensor. My wife's 2012 Camry wasn't cooling. I used a telescopic magnet while the car was running with a/c turned on and the second fan came on and a/c clutch engaged when I touched magnet around the top of sensor. I took a small refrigerator magnet holding some bs on the refrigerator door and stuck it on top of sensor (in particular the snap ring) and let it ride for now. Car is cooling, wife is happy, been about 4 months now, magnet still hanging on! One day I will install the sensor, just not today. Lol
So you stuck a magnet on the sensor and the AC is blowing cold. I’m gonna try that tomorrow. Why does the magnet fix it?
@@brokeandbored85 the sensor itself is magnetic.
I literally just did the same thing on my wife's lexus rx350, working great, I hope it holds for a while until I change out the sensor.
Replace your sensor now that you identified and tested the fix, by bypassing it you run the risk on case of a leak where you lose freon the compressor will keep working until it’s dry and burn up. The sensor is a safety measure to protect the compressor in case of freon leak.
Just did it, it worked! Blowing 58F of cold air. 🥶Longest part was filing the tip down to fit the smaller hole, wiggling out the old sensor and putting the C clap back. I found an easy way to put the clap back by first with your hand place the small hole side in first and used one side of the c clap plier to push the big hole side in. After that used the piler to check if it is secure by pushing the clap in.
Thanks for the video tip, you saved me a new compressor.
Nice work!
I will try this Saturday , , I’m grateful to find your video , same van / yr… sounds promising
Good luck!
For this specific AC issue, if use the BlueDriver OBD scan tool you'll see DTC B1479 Flow sensor circuit.
Thanks it works after changing A/C air flow sensor part cost $18
The sensor doesn’t come off that easy, it broke in place while trying to remove it. It seems to be glued in. Only option other than removing compressor is to break it and there is no room to work on 2015 Avalon.
Air conditioning works with flow sensor just plugged in without installing it in original spot. I will try to chisel old sensor out.
Beware if you are going to try replacing sensor.
Update: Tried removing the radiator fan assembly to have more room to access the sensor spot on compressor to chisel the old sensor out. Too complicated. I gave up before I broke something else.
I used the same gauge that comes with the refrigerant, and it has worked many times. If however i have a more serious problem, I'd go to a friend who has a real set of gauges
I've watched a couple other videos on TH-cam and I have to say that yours is the clearest info and no extra fluff to make it a 15 minute watch. I appreciate that. I have a question though. I think ( watched it twice ) you said that Toyota doesn't sell this part? The AC on my 2017 Highlander was "looked over" at the dealership 2 years ago ( off warranty by then ) and the mechanic checked everything like you did and finally put in a little R134a and a sealer / dye because he said he suspected a very small leak. Everything worked fine until this Spring when the AC started blowing "cool" air that can't keep up if the temperature outside hits around 80 plus. 2 years go it cost me just under $200 to have that work done so I suspect it's $300 or more now. With a 5 + year old vehicle I would think this sensor is likely the culprit or should be replaced anyways and sounds like Toyota dealerships don't want to do that and or replace that $30???? part instead of charging over $1000 to do th whole compressor. By the way other than the question about the part being available from Toyota, how is your replacement holding up since it's ben around a year?
I didn’t check myself at Toyota. When I started researching options other than the $1000 compressor replacement, I saw some other videos and threads that talked about Toyota not making this part
The fix is doing okay, but it’s still not cold like factory new, especially in Texas where it’s already been over 100 several days. I did take it to the shop recently and they said the compressor is failing. The tech said when the compress fails on these models, it usually takes out the condenser and dryer (one piece).
Thanks for the compliments. That’s exactly how I try to do videos. I hate watching 20 min videos when they could have been 12 min.
@@raiderdawgranch just saw a Car Care Nut video where he couldn't figure out an AC issue for a year. Finally he pulled the entire dash steering wheel etc. to get at the evaporator which was leaking but undetectable because of where it is. A lady came in where I work and she had the same Highlander as mine. Same colour same year just a LE instead of my XLE. Same problem! Same slight smell of freon inside the vehicle snd then no AC. She paid $2500 for a fix ( compressor??¿) and two months later no AC again. I think Toyota has a corrosion issue with the evaporator as many people have similar complaints.
@alexwill3722 unfortunately my fix only lasted a year. We had to replace the compressor, condenser, and dryer about a month ago and it cost me around $1800. I’m in Texas where the heat is relentless. At least it got me by one more year. The repair place told me generally Toyota’s have very reliable AC. If you smelled Freon then I’d be concerned you have a leak. A lot of places will do an AC inspection for free.
My comment about Toyota not offering the part was based on my research. I can’t tell you why they don’t offer to try small repairs like that before moving to complete replacement. Maybe someone reading this is a repair tech and can comment. Best of luck.
Great video. All good information.
Great savings! Pittsburg used to have lifetime warranty on their tools.
That’s a great point! They do still offer a lifetime guarantee on tools!
Thanks for the tip on checking the sensor.
PS. Maybe a laser pointer will help point out parts in future videos. ;)
Thanks for the tip!
you could also just use the extendable magnet to point near
the part
While you went through a number of procedures, how can you determine if replacing the sensor had anything to do with the fix? I don't see how replacing a flow sensor would change anything in the performance of the AC. I suspect the improvement in cooling may have been hooking up the recharge bottle. One other point, looking at the front of the compressor to determine whether it is spinning or not means nothing. The pulley spins all the time as it's integral to the belt system. What causes the actual compressor to spin is the engagement of the magnetic clutch on the front of the unit.
I can definitely say it was not the freon b/c I had previously added it with no change in temp. I don't understand how the flow sensor works, but that was the only change I made to bring the temp down. If your choice is $2000 to replace a compressor or $35 to replace the flow sensor, I'm going with the flow sensor every time. Not as good as a new compressor, but way more affordable. This is not the only video out there that points to the flow sensor as a problem. For the compressor, maybe I wasn't clear in my description, but I agree with you, I was looking for the "center of the pulley" to engage, which is what I was trying to point out. Thanks for watching!
Great video!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Nice Video. I changed my sensor flow following your instructions. But, my arms look like tree trunks that were shredded by bears.
lol. Yea that was not easy access. My wife’s skinny arms had more success than mine.
so is the flow sensor the same part as an low pressure sensor as we call them in uk ??
I would start with a set of gauges - the low side is only half the story... plus a can gauge is not gonna be accurate - need to see the high side too. BTW that alt connection is not a ground, that is the "always hot" from the battery... the ground is gotten by the bolts to the engine... another note - the compressor is always spinning... what you are talking about is the clutch engaging or not... another way to tell if you are low on 134 is if it cycles a lot... you can't miss the sound of it engaging... if it stays engaged, chances are it's not low...
Good info. Thanks!
What if you removed the radiator fan housing to get more room?
Nice video Raider. On the battery terminal, poor any soda pop on it, no joke, the carbonized water will eat the corrosion and then you can rinse it off with a garden hose. You can either air dry it or drive the car for 20 minutes, then you can put some CRC 05046 Battery Terminal Protector on it to slow further corrosion. Unfortunately the shops have to charge that much money to cover their shop overhead, of which us driveway mechanics don't have. My dad ran a mechanics shop and one of the biggest problems obviously was Rent, Utilities, Insurance and a huge portion of the bills were TAXES and Government Fees, then if he made any money he had to pay his income tax. We BARELY were able to afford an FH Home, Government Subsidized Home in Idaho. We shopped at the goodwill for clothes. Thanks for sharing. Best Wishes & Blessings. Keith Noneya
Just did the soda trick on the battery this week and it cleaned up immediately!!
@@raiderdawgranch Just make sure the battery is sealed up good or the soda will kill the acid in it. Rinse it off real well and if you need too, you can do it several times to clean it off. When it's dry, put some CRC Battery spray on it. Works really well.
When your mechanic recommended replacing the compressor did they tell you what the pressure was reading on the high and low?
No. Is that a good question to ask? What should it be?
@@raiderdawgranch Knowing that piece of info might let you know if the compressor is doing its job. If there's low pressure in both, then it might not be working properly or you have a leak. Is the van still blowing cold air on hot days?
@@raiderdawgranch - google "normal car ac pressure readings" you'll see. It depends on current outdoor temp.
Is it still working? My Van has the same problem 62 degrees
That flow sensor is an rpm signal which the computer uses to determine the status for clutch engagement. It needs a clean surface underneath before you install it as the strength of the magnetic field is effected by air gap. You can actually see the rpm signal on a professional scanner. One hour replacement time is not bad. Lol the real problem is when you add an improper amount of refrigerant this raises the high pressure and results in bad compression ratio. Can damage the compressor and give poor gas mileage. Those cans cause trouble as well as help. It's like a gun in the wrong hands. Lol if your engine vibrates on hot summer days turn the ac off and it gets better you will know. Lmao dorman is a very cheap Chinese brand so good luck with it but the cost makes it worth it. Don't be surprised if you have to do it again. Lol
Great info! I probably should have used a brake or carb cleaner to clean the surface.
Who are you?
Dorman parts work...... for a while in most cases and you are right about the lack of quality. I wonder why Toyota apparently doesn't offer this part as by the huge number of TH-cam videos showing this repair it must be a fairly common issue for it to fail.
I changed the sensor and the refrigerant pressure is in the red of gage and my compressor isn't kicking on after replacing sensor correctly so that prolly means I gotta switch out compressor the clutch is spinning as well but it not kickin on
Question, why when you connect a new sensor without physically replacing the old one from it's mounting place. How come The ac starts working again?
This will work IF!!! the compressor clutch is spinning. If it doesn’t spin the problem could be the. AC pressure.switch / solenoid which can also be changed out but the Freon would have to be properly removed by a shop first. I think later models have a valve that shuts the system when the switch c h. / solenoid is removed. Toyota dealerships want to remove and replace the whole compressor for either issue and a Toyota does not sell just these parts. For how many Toyota AC systems hav3 issues, they should fix this at their cost. One other possibility if neither part fixes the problems is the expansion valve could need to be replaced. Hopefully the Freon just needs to be roped up a bit and doesn’t just leak back out after a fe2 weeks or months.
Could you tell me please! Does this also work on a cam. 2007? I’ve had it in the shop. The mechanics are my friend. So they are doing one piece at a time. I just need to know if this piece fits a 2007 Camry?
I’m not a mechanic, so I can only give my opinion. Our 2012 Sienna had the v6 engine that was also used in Camrys. If yours is a v6 I think it’s likely yes. You should be able to see the wires leading to the sensor
what yellow tool box is that? id love one
Dewalt 184 pc Mechanics Tool Set. It's great to keep in the truck. amzn.to/3VUpIXv
@@raiderdawgranch thanks a lot
Ring pliers.. having the correct pin size solves most slipping problems.
Thanks!!
Dude I just bought one and the hole was too small on on side of ring I was like really what's the point of this tool
Nice
Thanks
Honestly if you have to refill the refrigerant, replacing the compressor and condenser are fairly cheap good long term fixes.
$1200 to replace the compressor is not really cheap. Do it yourself and the parts are like $500, but not everyone has a evacuator.
I received my part today, I removed the C ring, unplugged the connector, but I have hard time to remove the sensor, I didn’t want to force, I will try again tomorrow. Any hints to get it outs would be appreciated.
As I recall, mine came out pretty easy once I got the snap ring off.
It’s a magnet. So you just lift.
WD40, tap softly, loose moving sideways, pull up, shop air blow clean, replace with new one, c clip.
Where did u get it frome?
I got mine from amazon - amzn.to/3NGDYQz
What about if i try the magnet but still doing nothing, everything its brand nee
How do you know if freon is old and needs replacing? I bought used 05 sienna😢😢😢 AC is warm.
No such thing as old freon. It is not like engine oil. You either lose freon due to leakage or your compressor is broken.
Hi, My 2008 Yaris automatically turn AC on and off from time to time during a ride, I noticed when I accelerate it goes away.. after while it comes back, I went to the garage and they told me this is a sensor problem.. needed to replace the compressor.. I this true or can I fix the sensor (Can it be detected by a scan)
Sorry, I don’t know the answer there. I would definitely take it to a parts place. They will scan the codes for you and it might tell you something useful
👍
Prior to changing this sensor out it was working somewhat sometimes it would not work and I would do the magnet thing … and I could see the clutch engage and it would start working “ cooling “ so I bought the sensor changed the sensor out now the clutch won’t engage … it did for a bit than stopped working now the ac IS NOT WORKING FML 🤦♂️!
8:40 that fan shroud could come out of the way
Could i ask how much did the sensor cost? Bcs i heard u saying $30 but I've been doing research and is quite expensive from the Toyota dealership (don't remember the exact price but above the $100' or $200' for sure)
yes, we got ours through Amazon. I just checked and they still have them for $28.00. My understanding is that Toyota does not make this part, and this is the same part you would buy from Toyota, but I don't know that for sure. Here is the link to the part amzn.to/3RWa8sG. If you think this is your problem, you can just replace it like I did, or you can see if there is an error code reading. Most auto parts stores will do a code reading for free.
Ambient temp sensor is $16 at the dealership and its best to get replacement from the junkyard. Because that same sensor is in over 1000 different variations of toyota and scions
This is an ambient temp sensor?
I would love to find a mechanic in Northern VA who will do the flow sensor without insisting on selling me an entire $2k+ A/C Compressor Kit. Any ideas? Thanks!
Prolly need to have someone do it on their own time. Find an ad on Craigslist or talk to some local mechanics. Just know that it might not make any difference for you. First have you codes checked and see if it’s throwing an error
Mechanic vs AC technician vs Automotive Electronics Technician.
Who you think is going to pinpoint the root cause of the problem.
Question is, do you have the money to pay a professional? Really?
There are alternatives. You are OK checking.
Great 👍
Thanks for the visit
If you run the diagnostic wouldn't it show the sensor isn't working?
Yes a diagnostics reading should show you this is failing according to my research. I jumped ahead and just replaced it.
@@raiderdawgranch I know it depends on the diagnostic testers my 40 dollar one may not pick it up, the more expensive ones will
That Dorman flow sensor will fail. Used it before and would stop working at times.
Any alternatives? This was the only part I found.
@@raiderdawgranch at my job we were lucky to have replaced the same compressor for another Toyota and used that flow sensor. Or you can get a used one from a junkyard
Does this sensor increase fan speed?
Not sure
unfortunately this didn't work for me. Looks like the compressor will have to be replace 😒
Unfortunate!
45 deg and under is good 55 doesn't pass
45 feels great. 55 feels better than 65
🤣😂😅😅😂🤣
Wrong way to charge it, Wrong way to check it. Firstable you need a pair of high and low pressure a/c gages to troubleshoot the system. Very bad information you are giving there.
I didn’t get this idea on my own. There are several other videos out there for the same, and many people have reported that this process worked for them.
If u mean “wrong” as in this isn’t how professionals would deal with it, then I agree. But not everyone can afford $1000 or more in repair costs. There needs to be an affordable alternative, with proper expectations.
Yr doing a good job but you don't know what you are doing.
You are right, I don’t know what I’m doing! But I’m trying it
The manifold gauges are simply needed. That can only reads low pressure. What happens on the high side. One don't know. The pro are pro because they don't cut corner.
Definitely never said this is a pro solution. This is a hack if you cannot afford or don’t want to pay for a $1000 or more repair.