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Does inverter coolant pump affect AC?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by nfschlaack, Jun 27, 2010.

  1. nfschlaack

    nfschlaack Junior Member

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    Question from a guy that only knows the basics. Just recently passed 101K. Driving on the interstate, I had the warning light accompanied by the VCS and brake indicator. Also, on the screen is a red square icon with a vehicle outline.

    I did some searching here and came across the inverter coolant pump issues. My question is does that affect the air conditioning? I ask because when the bells and whistles went off, I got off my normal exit, pulled over and shut off the air. I looked up the icons and took a chance to get home. (which I did, only a couple blocks) I turned the air on again out of curiosity and it did not work.

    I tempted fate again this morning to get more info for this post and started "Olive". (my wifes name for her) The main warning light came on, but all other icons did not appear, however the check engine icon was there this morning, whereas it did not appear yesterday.

    I'm taking her in tomorrow morning but was hoping for some input.
     
  2. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Yes, if the inverter has overheated then the circuitry that provides power to the AC compressor will not function.

    Assuming that the inverter coolant pump is the root cause of your car's problems, I recommend that you minimize use of the car until it is repaired.

    It sounds like the inverter is still working as of your test this morning. The inverter may become permanently damaged due to overheating if you continue to drive the car for long distances in hot weather.
     
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  3. chich2000

    chich2000 Junior Member

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  4. nfschlaack

    nfschlaack Junior Member

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    Thanks for your input Patrick. Lucky for me, a Toyota dealership is literally just a few blocks away. I'll be takin' her in first thing, when it's cooler!

    Again, thank you.
     
  5. jackmilas

    jackmilas Junior Member

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    I had the same problem. All the icons you mentioned came on and AC stopped cooling after some time. I found here that that might be an inverter water pump failure and after a visit at Toyota authorized service the diagnosis has been confirmed. Now I wait for response from main Toyota office in Warsaw regarding warranty replacement of the water pump. In Europe there's 8 years warranty for hybrid train components.
     
  6. Muhammed Bilal

    Muhammed Bilal New Member

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    Same issue I'm facing I have change compressor and condenser both when engine gets start ac stop cooling when car convert to hybrid ac start cooling I have spend much money on it but the issue is same till dated. Please help me out
     
  7. 05PreeUs

    05PreeUs Senior Member

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  8. Peter Fanelli

    Peter Fanelli Junior Member

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    Patrick if the inverter shuts down the a/c because it's over heating does it restore power to the compressor automatically when the system has cooled down or does it have to be manually reset in some way?

    My 05 had a inverter pump fail a couple of years back leaving me with smoke and a blown AM2 fuse in rush hour traffic. I replaced the pump and the fuse and the car has been running great ever since, but the a/c has not worked since that day. Any thoughts?
     
  9. mr_guy_mann

    mr_guy_mann Senior Member

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    I would "ignore" the prior inverter pump problem and just diagnose the A/C system. Scan all control modules with Techstream for codes. Check data in the HVAC system to see if there is a reason not to engage the compressor. Connect a A/C gauge set to the charge ports and see what system pressures are, etc.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
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  10. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    There is no need to reset the inverter. I agree with Guy’s suggestion above. In particular, check low side system pressure.

    When you turn on the A/C, what noise does the compressor make?
     
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  11. Peter Fanelli

    Peter Fanelli Junior Member

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    The compressor makes no noise whatsoever. I did a quick check to see that all three windings were present in the compressor and they are. The system does have a slow leak that I'll need to address but right now I just want to get the a/c system to work. I swapped the condensor or Saturday for a new one, the old one was pretty beat up, but that didn't solve the leak. I just can't get past that it failed as of the moment the inverter pump shut down the car via the AM2 fuse. I have checked the a/c system fuses and they are good. I'm thinking my next step is to swap out the inverter with the spare I have on hand and see if that brings it back to life. I did have a code B1420 I think it was, that has three sub code options, refrigerant level, cooling fans problem or Compressor load too low or too high. I did have a cooling fan issue which has been addressed, bad relay. I charged the system again on the weekend but the system is still dead. The only other possibility is could a bad clock spring be a factor?
     
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  12. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    What is the pressure in the system? You cannot expect the compressor to turn on if there is inadequate R-134a in the system.

    It is possible that the part of the inverter which powers the compressor has failed, however you would expect a DTC to be logged associated with that.
     
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