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2005 A/C Runs warm intermittenly

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Princess9483, Mar 31, 2014.

  1. Princess9483

    Princess9483 Junior Member

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    Hi all! I bought Goldie June/July last year and the a/c was not running cold so I returned it to the dealership and they had Toyota fix the compressor for me. Now 9 months later I am having somewhat of the same problem. Now albeit, I did have a minor front end crash back in November, but I can't say for sure if that had something to do with it (photos are attached) 20140216_150815.jpg . Sometimes it runs fine, nice cold air, then other times I have to shut it off and turn it back on then it runs cold again. Now, as of yesterday, it only gets colder the longer the car is on. Any help is appreciated as always!
     

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    #1 Princess9483, Mar 31, 2014
  2. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    You'll need to seek professional assistance again to see what is wrong with your air conditioner. An intermittent problem may point to insufficient refrigerant in the system which causes the low pressure switch to turn on and off.

    Its not clear whether your minor crash had any impact on that system or not. Whether or not the crash was a factor, I assume you still need to get your system to work properly before the Florida summer begins.
     
    #2 Patrick Wong, Mar 31, 2014
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  3. dorunron

    dorunron Senior Member

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    I would follow Patrick's advice. I don't think I could have said it any better than what he did.
     
    #3 dorunron, Apr 1, 2014
  4. Princess9483

    Princess9483 Junior Member

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    Thanks guys. I had it checked today. My mechanic isn't sure if it's the compressor, condenser fan, or a tube/hose. He is sure that there is a leak and he wants me back in 2 weeks. Either way I am at a loss. A compressor would be $1600, the condenser was replaced 9 months ago so hopefully that would be no charge. So here's the question.....Do I just pay the repair out of pocket or get a 4 year extended warranty through my credit union at almost double the cost? Both would have to be added on to my loan since I am currently strapped but at least with the extended warranty I will have a peace of mind and no worries. A/C with interest is better than no a/c with a heat stroke. Thanks for your advice as always!
     
    #4 Princess9483, Apr 1, 2014
  5. Princess9483

    Princess9483 Junior Member

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    **Update** Well my credit union approved the extended warranty add on for 4yrs/48k mi at a whopping $3100, but it does beats shelling out $1k after my kidney removal ;) . This includes repair on everything, including the a/c, but it doesn't include the hybrid battery. So again I ask should I look around or will this be a standard exclusion? Thanks!
     
    #5 Princess9483, Apr 2, 2014
  6. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    I personally would avoid buying the extended warranty but you'll need to decide what risk of failure you are comfortable with accepting.
     
    #6 Patrick Wong, Apr 2, 2014
  7. Britprius

    Britprius Senior Member

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    I hope your credit union is not reading this thread. Surly they will not guarantee something that is already broken.

    John (Britprius)
     
    #7 Britprius, Apr 2, 2014
  8. Princess9483

    Princess9483 Junior Member

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    It's a small CU, plus I have to wait 30 days to file a claim.
     
    #8 Princess9483, Apr 2, 2014
  9. WilDavis

    WilDavis Senior Member

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    Quick question: why would you avoid the extended warranty? (reason I ask is that I bought "ChuggyPig" (2009 Gen II 83k miles) back in Jan with 5 year/60k miles warranty) I value your expertise and I hope I'm not a fool (on both counts)

    DROID4 ?
     
    #9 WilDavis, Apr 2, 2014
  10. Britprius

    Britprius Senior Member

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    Not wishing to second guess Patrick. If the OP spends $1000 on repairs he has $2100 + interest he has not spent. Put on one side if nothing goes wrong with the Prius he is $2100 better off. If something does go wrong he has $2100 to fix it. He can even spend it on a HV battery that is not covered on the insurance. This item is perhaps statistically the most likely expensive item to go wrong.

    John (Britprius)
     
    #10 Britprius, Apr 2, 2014
    Data Daedalus and Patrick Wong like this.
  11. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    " why would you avoid the extended warranty?"

    I agree with John's response. I question the value of a third party warranty contract in general. For example, see if your contract covers the inverter, the transaxle (which contains two motor generators) and the multifunction display unit; and if so, what your deductible to be paid would be.

    Will the contract cover your front struts and rear shocks; and if so, what is the standard used to determine that they are eligible for replacement?

    In addition, I plan to personally repair most likely Prius issues and use used parts where an expensive electronic component is involved (such as an inverter, ECU or traction battery), which would further reduce my out-of-pocket cost.
     
    #11 Patrick Wong, Apr 2, 2014
  12. WilDavis

    WilDavis Senior Member

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    My warranty is "bumper to bumper" and covers everything (at least, according to the small print) and it's from the local Toyota dealer.

    DROID4 ?
     
    #12 WilDavis, Apr 2, 2014
  13. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Can you get your car serviced at any Toyota dealer; or only at the selling dealer? Is there a deductible to be paid when you need service?
     
    #13 Patrick Wong, Apr 2, 2014
  14. WilDavis

    WilDavis Senior Member

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    ..no deductible (that I've seen) and I live about 2 miles from my dealer...

    DROID4 ?
     
    #14 WilDavis, Apr 2, 2014
  15. Princess9483

    Princess9483 Junior Member

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    Thanks guys for the feedback! I took a look at the contract and it does cover the transaxle and inverter. There is a list of items that it does not cover such as normal maintenance items and batteries, but everything else outside of that paragraph is covered. It also covers the navigation and screen, which I included in the price. It is pretty much like a bumper to bumper, and I have $0 deductible. I can take it anywhere including Toyota dealership. Plus it covers tires and auto accident deductible!

    The only reason I am considering this warranty is because I don't have the cash socked away to pay for this myself. It would take a year plus for me to save $1600 let alone anything else that can go wrong, $50 a month I can handle. The hybrid battery does scare me a little but I have such low mileage, <60k, that it should be a while before that starts causing problems. I know it's a gamble but when you look at how old this car is, 9yrs, and how long I plan to keep it, hopefully 9 more years, lol, it does make sense to have a little insurance. Plus this contract is from Mercury Insurance Co. so I don't have to worry about them folding up.
     
    #15 Princess9483, Apr 3, 2014
  16. Britprius

    Britprius Senior Member

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    Surely it would be better to borrow the extra money and put it on one side for repairs. I know the interest in a bank would not match the interest you are paying, but if nothing goes wrong you still have the money and the payments remain the same less a little interest.
    As you yourself say this is a low millage car, but it is 9 years old this does not by any means say the HV battery will go bad, but this is statistically the most likely thing to go wrong with the car. Something that is not covered by your expensive insurance.
    I am also not judging you here, but what you intend doing amounts to fraud by not telling the insurer that the AC is already broken before you take out the insurance.

    John (Britprius)
     
    #16 Britprius, Apr 3, 2014
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