Auto AC Advice

[Sethmac]

Wife's car (2013 Toyota Sienna) hasn't been cooling as it should...its cold, but not cold enough.

I put gauges on it at Autozone and high pressure wasn't abnormal, but the low pressure-side was indicating it was overcharged (70ish).

I dropped in a big-chain that did free AC check today to see what they would say. Tech said everything looked fine and it was overcharged. I didn't charge it so I was suspect, but they evacuated it and refilled. Surprise..problem persists.

They then come back and quote me ~$4K..say I need a new compressor, condenser, front/rear expansions valves. I say "how did you go from everything looks good to basically quoting me the entire A/C system?!?"

I walked out...

My logic tells me that the system is obstructed somewhere (probably at the valve or condenser) and I don't need a new system...but a good chunk of that $4k is labor.

He said they would have to pull the whole dash out, airbags, etc.. out to get to the front valve (though YouTube seems to show you can pull the wiper motor and get to it).

I do the majority of our car work, but I can't recover freon..so feel a bit stuck. Anyone with any advice or reputable shop in DFW that might take a more metered approach to solving the problem? Also, realize I could be entirely wrong...just wasn't expecting to jump from "looks good". to "everything needs replacing"

[RMW]

Just let the Freon blow out no need to recover, I do it all the time. Your evaporator might be plugged also

[twistedmidnite]

Does it have a cabin filter?

[Tyrex750]

Clean the coils

[CDF]

If your low side pressure is too high you either have a bad compressor or bad expansion valve. I would recover evacuate and charge it with the proper weight of refrigerant and look at the pressures to determine which. I have an auto shop in Arlington and if your close to me I can evacuate and charge it and tell you what I believe is wrong and if you want to do the work yourself I’ll charge it back after your done.

[Bone Thug]

Not sure if it’ll fix your problem or not but I’d start with changing out the cabin filter.

I changed out mine in my Tacoma a few weeks back and it made a big difference. My filter was pretty stopped up. I went ahead and changed it out in my wife’s truck and daughter’s 4 runner as well.

It made a big difference in my truck. Wife and daughters wasnt nearly as bad as my filter was.

I do my own maintenance and that was one thing I completely forgot I should be doing.

[joevillars]

If your low side pressure is too high you either have a bad compressor or bad expansion valve. I would recover evacuate and charge it with the proper weight of refrigerant and look at the pressures to determine which. I have an auto shop in Arlington and if your close to me I can evacuate and charge it and tell you what I believe is wrong and if you want to do the work yourself I’ll charge it back after your done.

What shop in Arlington

[CDF]

Cliffs Auto. 1206 Colorado Ln. Ste A-5. I’m in 8-4 Tues -Fri 817-459-3110

[Big Lee]

Have a shop recover the refrigerant. Make your repairs. Then have them re charge it.

[Texas Grown]

I just had the same problems, high pressure on the low side of the compressor. And had it repaired. Compressor, both expansion valves, and the drier replaced for $1400. That's on a 2008 KIA with new A/C parts. Compressors are the biggest chunk of $$$ if buying new parts. It blows cold now. Reson for replacing all those parts is so you don't have to evac the system each time you replace a part to find out which part is bad. Replace them all at once. And you know you've got a longer lasting system rather than to have to evac the system again just down the road to replace another part.

[Texas Grown]

Cliffs Auto. 1206 Colorado Ln. Ste A-5. I’m in 8-4 Tues -Fri 817-459-3110

You're just around the corner from where I grew up.

[RifleBowPistol]

Being a Japanese car, I would guess the expansion valve is bad. I would replace the expansion valve and receiver drier, then vacuum it for a good while, then charge it.

I might used the whole problem as an excuse to move out of state to a much cooler part of the country. Alaska sounds good to me, that or Montana. Been enjoying 70 degree weather and plenty of rain out of state for the past few days, been great cure for A/C problems.

[joevillars]

Cliffs Auto. 1206 Colorado Ln. Ste A-5. I’m in 8-4 Tues -Fri 817-459-3110

I’m right down the road from him

[Brazos Hunter]

Just had the system in my goat replaced this past Thursday to the tune of $1,500. I absolutely hated to drop the coin right now but having a working ac just isn’t optional. Unfortunately I will be taking it back in tomorrow. It blows cool but not really cold like it used to. On top of that the fan doesn’t blow as hard and for whatever reason it bounces between 190-195 coolant temperature. Before it wouldn’t budge off 190.


Micheal

[Bassdeer]

Sell it or trade it in on something else, sounds a lot easier then working on it.