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2005 Prius A/C Question....

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by cooltraders, Apr 10, 2015.

  1. cooltraders

    cooltraders Junior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 2, 2010
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    Location:
    St Petersburg, Florida
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Hey there,
    First off, love this Prius! Best car I've ever owned. 2 years ago early summer I had to replace my evaporator coil. Had an Indie mechanic skilled with Prius's do it for $600. A/C worked great all year. Then last year when the heat started reaching the low to mid 90 degree days here in Florida the A/C seemed like it struggled getting the car cooled off quickly. He checked it out and everything looked great. A/C freon was at full pressure. He told me it is most likely the A/C condensor. He told me they have very narrow passages through each fin and they get clogged up. Is there something else I can check before I drop another $360.00 for a condensor? Thank you.
     

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    #1 cooltraders, Apr 10, 2015
  2. Britprius

    Britprius Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 14, 2010
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    Location:
    Herefordshire England
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Your Mechanic is blowing smoke I'm afraid. The AC condenser has narrow passages OK, but gets clogged up "with what?" There is only the gas R134A and a very small amount of ND11 oil. If the outside surface is very dirty this can cause problems but can be cleaned.
    Is the Condenser fan running? and does the compressor run correctly? This is a variable speed electrically driven unit and is possibly the most likely suspect.

    John (Britprius)
     
    #2 Britprius, Apr 10, 2015
  3. tanglefoot

    tanglefoot Whee!

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2007
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    Location:
    Colorado
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    You might try comparing it to another Prius. Cabin cooling ability is not the cars' strong suit. There's a lot of glass, and an HVAC system that's designed for modest energy use. It's definitely not a "freeze you out" system like some other cars. Try using lower fan speeds and not setting the temperature too low. Also vent out the interior with the windows down first.
     
    #3 tanglefoot, Apr 14, 2015
  4. exstudent

    exstudent Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 11, 2009
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    Location:
    Torrance, CA
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    How long would it take a contaminated Prius AC system, due to PAG oil, to manifest?

    Would a contaminated AC system produce an inability to cool (properly), or cool at all?

    Did the independent Prius mechanic use a dedicated AC Manifold gauge and AC vacuum pump, to be used on Toyota Hybrids ONLY, due the the ND-11 oil?
     
    #4 exstudent, Apr 14, 2015
  5. N.J.PRIUS

    N.J.PRIUS Member

    Joined:
    Mar 23, 2011
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    Location:
    Fort Lee, NJ
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    I find the Prius airconditioning system to be excellent. Temperature for cooling seems more than adequate.
     
    #5 N.J.PRIUS, Apr 14, 2015
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