2006 Prius - A/C not cooling

Crap!

The compressor arrived today but was heavily damaged during shipment. One of the mounts was broken off completely and the motor windings inside are visible. Essentially, there is a giant hole in the compressor now. The sad part is that the car from which it was taken only had 103 miles on it.

 

Box was in OK shape on the outside. However, there was not enough padding in my view. It had a few pieces of newspapers as the cushion which, obviously, did not work very well.

The seller is sending me another one. It is going to take some time but let's see how that one looks.

 

So, the replacement compressor is not arriving this week. This work will need to be postponed until mid-Oct at least since I am out next week. It is nice that it is getting colder and probably would not need an A/C for the next few months.

I found a very useful post while browsing PC on how to retrieve HVAC DTC. Here is the procedure used:

For Gen 2:​

{Gen 2} HVAC DTC check. With your left hand -- thumb and pinkie, hold down the Auto and recirculate buttons on the steering wheel. Then, foot on the brake, turn the Power On (Ready). Things will start flashing, then you will hear a beep as the MFD switches to the climate control screen. If you have a DTC, it will flash in the top right corner of the screen. 21 is the most common, for the solar sensor, and is normal, especially in sun-less OR. Other codes could indicate the source of problem.​

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I found code 21 & 76 flashing one after the other on the A/C screen where it shows desired temperature setting (not on the top right, at least for a 2006). I am clear about code 21. Can anybody shed more light on what is code 76?

 

Never mind. I found my (or rather Patrick's) answer in this post:

DTC B1476 means that the load on the inverter from the air conditioner compressor is too great. Potential problem areas include a bad compressor, incorrect refrigerant volume, or the cooling fan. ​

Read more: http://priuschat.com/threads/out-of-storage-after-10-months-now-ac-isnt-working.81505/#ixzz27jDn81Eh​

My cooling fan is working, refrigerant pressure was 85 psi when it was checked by the dealer a few days ago. So I guess, it IS the compressor that could be the culprit!

I am really stoked about knowing the self-diagnostic procedure for the A/C. It was surprising that nobody mentioned it until now. My dealer didn't even check for any codes.

 

Just an update:

1. Replacement compressor that broke during shipment is returned. Money refunded.
2. It has become a bit colder and therefore I have postponed the compressor replacement until next summer. I am going to go for window tinting instead.
3. Finally, changed transaxle oil last weekend. I had been planning this for a while and jacked the car up three times but did not have exactly the right tools the first two times. The fill plug was a real bitch to open. Fun job in the end but made a royal mess with the oil all over the place during draining as well as filling.
4. I now have a master's degree in jacking-up the Prius using the toyota supplied screw-jack (I have also done tire rotation for all 4 tires using the manual jack).

 

Thank you for that information. I have used the defroster a few times and I thought it worked ok. If it has reduced performance, that is alright for me since it doesn't get very cold around here and I rarely use the car in the mornings.