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A/C Heat only on Drivers Side

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by stevelamm, Dec 1, 2018.

  1. stevelamm

    stevelamm New Member

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    Hey All,

    First post... so go easy on me. :)

    I have a 2010 Prius. A/C works AWESOME. Just started getting cold here... and with the heat on I discovered that I've got tons of hot air blowing on the drivers side vent and floor paths, but I've got ice cold air blowing from the center vents and the passenger side vents. Air is going where it's supposed to in all the modes. The blend door actuator is turning. I actually pulled it and manually moved the blend door back and forth. No change. Put the actuator back in and it's doing what it's supposed to.

    Still only hot air on the drivers side. Are there any other actuators? Any ideas??

    Thank you!
     
    JonGen3 and bisco like this.
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    welcome!

    that's a stumper. i don't have a layout, but it seems to me you only have one inlet. the air comes through a radiator core, and whatever temp is set, all the air is the same.
    only thing i can think is fresh air is diverting the core somehow, but that makes my head hurt.
    maybe someone more knowledgable will have a good suggestion, all the best!(y)
     
  3. stevelamm

    stevelamm New Member

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    Thanks. It’s hurting my head too. I may take the dash back off and just start disassembling the vent system and try to work backwards. It’s crazy.

    The A/C blows ice cold from all vents. It’s just heat will only come from the drivers side vent and drivers side floor vent. It’s plenty hot so I know that part at least is coming from the right place.
     
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  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    sounds like a plan, sorry i don't have a better answer!
     
  5. MEC Ahsan

    MEC Ahsan New Member

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    Hello,

    i am currenlty having the same issue with my Prius. Was there any solution found to diagnose this issue?
     
  6. Hjeff

    Hjeff Junior Member

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    Someone suggested a blocked heater core. To backflush it.
    That means removing the wiper cowling, removing both heater hoses, and connecting a 3/4” hose to the upper heater core pipe. Flush lots of high pressure water.
     
  7. Hjeff

    Hjeff Junior Member

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    I just flushed my heater core.
    It’s 67*F outside.
    The heater is set on high, recirculating, high fan, windows down.
    The far left (driver) vent is 150*F (using a laser thermometer)
    The center/left vent is 125*F
    The center/right vent is 114*F
    The far right (passenger) vent is 94*F.

    When I switch to “floor”:
    the driver feet get 95*F
    and the passenger feet gets 85*F.

    Please let me know if anyone figures this out.
     
  8. Boston2008Gen2

    Boston2008Gen2 Junior Member

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    Did you fix the problem yet? Same issue here. Blend door actuator is turning, temperature controlled actuator is turning as well. Flushed heater core still same.
     
  9. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Come again on which two actuators you mean? The "blend" one is the one that controls temperature (by blending together heated and unheated air in different amounts).
     
  10. Boston2008Gen2

    Boston2008Gen2 Junior Member

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    Sorry for replying late. "Blend Actuator" is working (moving) when temperature is changed. Another actuator (i don't know the name) moves when "mode" is changed (face / floor / floor+face).

    passenger vent is always Cold.
     
    #10 Boston2008Gen2, Dec 29, 2021
    Last edited: Dec 29, 2021
  11. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    That other one is the air outlet actuator.

    I think the structure of the heater core is one big supply header along one edge, and one big collecting header at the opposite edge, with the coolant flowing through a bunch of independent parallel channels. (That as opposed to, say, a single tube with fins that would zigzag through the whole thing.)

    So I think that if some of those channels were to get clogged, you really could end up with a heater core heating on one side and not the other. I struggle to think of many other ways that symptom could be seen.
     
  12. Boston2008Gen2

    Boston2008Gen2 Junior Member

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    since my heat is not working properly, I had kept to High and I got p261b. But then i stopped car and reset error. Drove another 50mile with no problem, coolant temperature stayed around 197 to 199.

    Why i got P261b.
     
  13. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    For anybody with a P261{B, C, or D} or P148F, get the engine water pump and its wiring checked and/or repaired promptly. Even if you can drive a bunch more miles on a dodgy water pump, it isn't guaranteed to end well.

    The way the water pump's control circuit works is described here.
     
  14. Boston2008Gen2

    Boston2008Gen2 Junior Member

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    Water pump was changed recently. Should I check wiring?
     
  15. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Definitely. You can use the signal on WPI to check the pump RPM.

    Who changed the pump, and where was the replacement obtained?
     
  16. Boston2008Gen2

    Boston2008Gen2 Junior Member

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    I bought an OEM pump from the dealer and changed it myself about 1500 miles ago. Only today i got the code when i ran the heat at 85.

    When i reduced the heat to at around 77, i did not see any code.
     
  17. Boston2008Gen2

    Boston2008Gen2 Junior Member

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    I started the car, turned on high heat 85 and in 10 mins i got the error for the first time. Remember heat works on driver vent only

    After the code, I switched to my old pattern (1500 miles since new pump) heat at 75. Coolant runs 197-199. No code. Came home without issues.
     
  18. Djdrifter

    Djdrifter New Member

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    Hey im new here i have a 2011 does any one have a fix for this yet I have the same problem driverside is hot pass is cold no issue with codes or my water pump
     
  19. oasmith

    oasmith Junior Member

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    Same here for my 2014. Just noticed it today. Hot on the driver side, no heat in the passenger side.
    Maybe a heater core flush?
     
  20. Boston2008Gen2

    Boston2008Gen2 Junior Member

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    I flushed heater core (both ways) with water hose and used slimway, reconnected coolant line - still the same issue. I have a feeling its sucking in outside air on passenger side bypassing heater core.