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AC Compressor not turning on

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Trospe, May 8, 2023.

  1. Trospe

    Trospe New Member

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    Hello guys. I noticed that my AC compressor doesn't turn on when I turn on the AC and the car just blows air. I cannot see any leaks under the bonnet (last summer Toyota dealer recharged the system the right way because it had lost some freon but it still blew kind of cold air) but I saw that the car is low on inverter coolant (below low mark). Why the compressor doesn't turn on and could it be because the car is low on inverter coolant? Please help I'm freaking out and here in Greece AC is a MUST.
     
    #1 Trospe, May 8, 2023
    Last edited: May 8, 2023
  2. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    Inverter water must be moving for the air conditioner to run well. It's the inverter gets hot one of the things it does is turns off the air conditioning
     
  3. Trospe

    Trospe New Member

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    Yes but the AC wasn't working from the morning when the car was all the way cold. Could it be because it detected the low coolant in the inverter and for a precaution it doesn't let the AC Compressor turn on?
     
  4. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    You probably have a leak, since the dealer has to recharge the system. A properly working system normally doesn’t require recharge unless you're changing engines or something similar
     
    #4 JC91006, May 8, 2023
    Last edited: May 8, 2023
  5. mr_guy_mann

    mr_guy_mann Senior Member

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    A wild guess is that your A/C refrigerant system still has a leak.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
  6. Trospe

    Trospe New Member

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    Yes guys it might has leak I agree with you but why would the compressor NOT turn on?
     
  7. Trospe

    Trospe New Member

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    Alright guys I checked the AC codes and 21 and 23 popped up. I know 21 is because the sensor doesn't sense light and 23 because there is no refrigerant in the compressor and because of the low pressure it shuts off so not to be damaged. Am I correct?
    Also I took a look around I saw that the inverter pump works perfect and the hoses I can grab are totally dry but when I saw the undercarriage I saw that something is wet from coolant and it has dried on a few spots. Any guesses what could it be. I am uploading a photo. 20230509_164844.jpg 20230509_164841.jpg
     
  8. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    Your compressor won't kick on if the refrigerant is not at the correct level.

    As for the leaking coolant, just tighten the drain bolt. Not sure who did the work on it last, but they didn't torque it properly. Top off if the coolant level is lower than it should be
     
  9. Trospe

    Trospe New Member

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    The problem is that the coolant wasn't touched by anyone in at least 4 years (a year before Corona Virus to today). I will go to service shop to see the full undercarriage and make sure that nothing is dripping and I will make sure that it is tightened.
    As for the AC I wrote the codes that the car showed and when I take it in for the coolant I will check the issue. I hope that it's just a leak and the compressor is fine.