2001 AC problem

We need more informtion:

1) What part of the country? - We know a few independent shops around the country and would be happy to recommend those we know do good work. If you are within 150 mile radius of Huntsville, AL, I've been known to make weekend house calls.

2) How do you rate your 'technical skills' and attitude? - We enjoy helping those who are willing to "help themselves" with the best pointers we can off from our keyboards and screens. But you are the person with "hands on" and it takes some 'walking out to the car' with eyes, ears, and an attitude that you are not going to let that mass of metal, paint, and wires defeat you.

Bob Wilson

 

Hi usually a blinking a/c light means belt slippage or the aC clutch failed to engage/slipping. Your compressor clutch sounds like it may be on it way out.

 

#1: look at the clutch gap. Between the pulley and clutch it will be between 12 and 20 thousandths of a inch if it is sum-what larger , when the coil gets hot after a wail been engaged , when it cycles off the next time it tries to cycle back on and engage the magnetic force is too weak to pull the clutch closed. This is only one possibility.
#2: that $190 included a a/c recharge right?. I hope so, after 100,000 on a Prius if you have never recharged the a/c since 2001 it way WAY! past time.
#3: Not only that, has the belt ever been changed if not its past time and at the same time when you remove the belt , you or a TECH have them spin all pulleys to check all bearings before replacing a belt.
these are the easy things that can be checked by eyes and hands. The pulley gap is kind of a experience thing using the eye to tell the difference of a few .001 of a inch. but its just that few extra .001 ths that can make or brake a clutch contact.

 

Let's start by asking the AC what it thinks is wrong. Start with the key OFF and the AC fan switch OFF. Here's what you'll do in a five-second window: turn the key ON (only ON, not START), push the AC button three times, turn the fan switch to Auto. You should see a few blinks from all the control button lights, then the AC will blink some pattern.

If it blinks a steady unchanging on-off-on-off-on-off... (half a second each) then it doesn't think anything's wrong. You might have to ask it again right after you've had one of your blinking no-AC episodes.

Otherwise it will blink out a two-digit code or maybe more than one. You just count the blinks, so for example blink blink (pause) blink blink blink would be 23. Post the codes back here or look them up yourself in the shop manual volume 1 at techinfo.toyota.com.

You could be getting code 22 which would mean your belt or compressor clutch could be worn or needing adjustment. You can see what's entailed here (but don't be intimidated, that thread shows complete replacement of the clutch rotor hub and magnet, whereas you might succeed only adjusting with the $2 shim kit).

But first let's get the diagnostic codes, because the trouble could be something else instead.

-Chap