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2011 Toyota Corolla A/C started blowing ambient/warm air.


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varactor
User

Jun 20, 2018, 9:34 PM

Post #1 of 10 (1892 views)
2011 Toyota Corolla A/C started blowing ambient/warm air. Sign In

Hello all,
2011 Toyota Corolla 4cyl 1.8l : 63,466 miles
Two days ago we had the AC on while driving home and went on an overpass, which had a small uphill climb, during this the car seemed to rev up a few hundred RPM for a split second which i thought was just my wife trying to give it more gas but she said she wasn't. After that the AC started blowing warmish/ambient temperature air into the cabin.
The AC controls work, i can press the AC button and it lights, or turns off, i can swap from AC to heat and the heat works fine.

I have a cheap set of pressure gauges i got at harbor freight, and the PSI seemed correct Low was about 40PSI and high was around 300 with it being about 85 degrees outside. So I'm assuming there isn't a leak.
I checked all the fuses that I found online and non were blown, but there is an AC fuse in the weird fuse link assembly, or alternator fuse (I'm not sure what this is called exactly) so their doesn't seem to be a dedicated relay i can swap for the compressor clutch.
I've brushed and sprayed out the condenser, it looks almost new, and the fan is running correctly.
The low pressure line seems to get warm but even after the car has been running and the AC blowing hot air the high pressure line seems cool to the touch.
Lastly when I turn the AC system on the Idle RPMs raise about 100-200 so I'm assuming the clutch is engaging on the compressor, but when I look at the compressor it almost looks like it is always engaged and spinning. I've tried it with the air off (always spins), air on (always spins, never cycles).
Harmonic balancer also seems fine, rubber is good and there are no wobbles, sounds, proper tension on belt and no frays.

Not sure what else to try before I bring this thing into a shop.
Thanks


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Jun 21, 2018, 2:14 AM

Post #2 of 10 (1875 views)
Re: 2011 Toyota Corolla A/C started blowing ambient/warm air. Sign In

Those pressures are too high. Have you been adding refrigerant? Have you done anything to the system?



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



(This post was edited by Hammer Time on Jun 21, 2018, 2:14 AM)


varactor
User

Jun 21, 2018, 8:32 AM

Post #3 of 10 (1857 views)
Re: 2011 Toyota Corolla A/C started blowing ambient/warm air. Sign In

No, I have not added anything. I checked again and it remains about the same 40 low and I may have rounded the high, high looks to be just over 250 not 300.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Jun 21, 2018, 8:57 AM

Post #4 of 10 (1853 views)
Re: 2011 Toyota Corolla A/C started blowing ambient/warm air. Sign In

That's still pretty high for a Toyota.
I think I would have it evacuated and recharged with the exact weighed charge. They hold a lot less these days and the charge amount has to be precise.

Then if you still don't have cold air, try totally pinching off one of the heater hoses going into the firewall. That will determine if it's a gas or air flow problem.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



(This post was edited by Hammer Time on Jun 21, 2018, 8:58 AM)


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jun 21, 2018, 10:55 AM

Post #5 of 10 (1831 views)
Re: 2011 Toyota Corolla A/C started blowing ambient/warm air. Sign In

Quote from top post> "
I have a cheap set of pressure gauges i got at harbor freight<"
Slow down a second. What or how is it possible to be off by 50 PSI in your gauges? Harbor Freight can be a fun store but you are messing with a very costly system with probably the cheapest junk sold.


At least compare readings with known working gauges. Temp in front of the condenser about a foot not the weather forecast is the only temp the vehicle knows. High pressures can and will run about 2.5X Temp F. with a raised idle like about 1,500 or the info isn't valid yet.
As Hammer Time said you don't really know yet why this is so do start with a known charge that's on the mark - no guesses. The right equipment will also tell what comes out so if not low or not too much you then know it's not a problem with the amount in it is the most common reason for lack of cooling. On to where the leak is if known right and don't hear it spitting out right away it's leaking out it doesn't find it and leak in - right?


Pressures are for help to diagnose if not accurate like other things make you choose the wrong move which is nasty costly. If you saw 40 PSI and know that, then that spot should be about 45F you can feel that or measure it but takes a known infrared thermos test right there. Go carefully and be sure of what you are doing starting with right info known isn't just the store scares me for this stuff - OK?


T



varactor
User

Jun 21, 2018, 11:17 AM

Post #6 of 10 (1823 views)
Re: 2011 Toyota Corolla A/C started blowing ambient/warm air. Sign In

What I meant was I think I just rounded or got 300 psi in my mind when I posted. The 250ish reading was correct and it is still at the same pressure now after another check. I will be getting the system checked this weekend.


Sidom
Veteran / Moderator
Sidom profile image

Jun 21, 2018, 12:40 PM

Post #7 of 10 (1815 views)
Re: 2011 Toyota Corolla A/C started blowing ambient/warm air. Sign In

Pinch your heater hoses off as HT suggested and see if that does anything for your vent temps...


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Jun 21, 2018, 12:57 PM

Post #8 of 10 (1811 views)
Re: 2011 Toyota Corolla A/C started blowing ambient/warm air. Sign In

OK and good. Bring your gauges if getting it checked see how close they are. Still don't like cheap and A/C in the same sentence. Just FYI, as Hammer said cars/vehicles use a LOT less refrigerant than now ages ago. This may (go by any info Underhood first) have a total capacity of just 18oz. Some ancient stuff now held 5 lbs. or more! You could be way off.


No joke one new vehicle used to put a whole pound more in new on purpose so it got you off warranty even if it leaked some. No more this you aim for the exact ounce or all bets off on diagnosing much else. Whole new game but still selling junk and lies on 134a with gauge on can crap just isn't worth it if free, trust me,


Tom



Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Jun 21, 2018, 1:02 PM

Post #9 of 10 (1809 views)
Re: 2011 Toyota Corolla A/C started blowing ambient/warm air. Sign In

I still say he needs to evac and recharge first. You should be seeing pressures more like 175/30 with an expansion valve system in a Toyota.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



varactor
User

Jun 21, 2018, 6:05 PM

Post #10 of 10 (1791 views)
Re: 2011 Toyota Corolla A/C started blowing ambient/warm air. Sign In

Yeah, going to the shop on Saturday morning, also pinching the heater hoses off had no effect on the temperature of the air coming from the vents, other than the other temps leading up to hot weren't as hot as before. But that did seem to raise the idle RPMs by about 200, but that may just be from the different area I parked in today.






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