3ztwint

Hi guys, long time lurker, first time poster here and I need some help from you gurus on my A/c in my 97 es300. I have searched and review posts here and on the web, but am not 100% sure what I have going on. The issue is that the a/c works intermittently, it seems like when it is cool out/the car is first started it works fine, but when it is really hot/the car has been running for a while it does not work at all. I can hear the compressor kick on and the freon flow through the lines and can feel the temp drop when it first comes on, however it seems to stop working after driving it for a few minutes. I tried adding freon with a cheap gauge and it states that I am still at or below the 'range' it has of say 25-35 psi of 134a. I have read a couple things that it likely is:
1. The expansion valve, though I thought this was mainly common in the early 90's ES's, and it is an intermittent problem (I'm not sure if the expansion valve can work sometimes and not others)
2. I heard it could also be something with the climate control/sensors, not sure about this, but it may explain the intermittent nature of this.

And I may be wrong or there might be a few other possibilities, I just was wondering if someone could give me some more advice and any help would be most appreciated. A few things that I thought of to 'test' these theories is:
1. I could use my pressure gauge on the low side and see if there is an issue with pressure/vaccum when the a/c stops working
2. I also own a 98 ES and could use the climate control or any possible sensors that may be the culprit out of this car, its just that aside from the main climate control module in the dash, I'm not sure of any other things to try to swap out.

Thanks!!!

3ztwint

And to clarify what I did to add freon, I put my gauge on the low side port and it read low (less than 25 psi (or whatever the low end of the ambient temp adjusted range was, maybe around 22). So I added one can of 134a, this seemed to barely move the pressure gauge, so I added a second can, which also did not appear to move the gauge much, however the a/c felt cold when I started it up after this (so don't think I completely overloaded it b/c the pressure overload switch didn't trip to shut down the system, though this is making me have serous second thoughts on how reliable that gauge is...)

MikeLex

The best bet is the expansion valve. It's getting clogged over the years (many!) and begins acting up as you described.

3ztwint

Thanks Mike, so I guess the expansion valve can cause it to work off and on? And do I need to worry about debris in the system, etc if it is stopping up now, or will it be alright once replaced and the system is vacuumed down?

PFB

Do your Radiator fans come on when the AC is on?

Phil

3ztwint

Phil,

I'm not 100% on this, but I thought they were on when I was adding freon the other day, I will definitely check in the AM and get back to you! If they aren't coming on (or at least the a/c's fan) is that a sign of something? Or is it just that the condenser can't cool and would be from a bad fan relay or motor?

3ztwint

BTW Phil, is that custom wood accents you have in your ES (I assume it's a 2Nd Gen from the center console layout). And if so where can I get that or did you make it?

PFB

I bought the kit from the Web site below. It turned out quite nice (My own Opinion) and was very easy to install, and matched the rest of my original wood trim

http://www.carid.com/

3ztwint

Thanks man! Do you have a 00-01 or did the kit include an overlay for the radio/climate control?


J

PFB

Mine is a 2001, but if you go to their website, they describe, and show the different pieces that are included with each kit. Some kits have more pieces than others, depending on the year of the Lexus.

Phil

MikeLex

Yes, you start the car in the morning, turn on the A/C and it blows cold air as usual. Fifteen or so minutes later you feel the air getting less and less cold until you have only warm air blowing out. Let the engine cool down for a few hours and the cycle repeats itself.
f you EV is in fact the culprit, have it replaced, get the system vacuumed and properly charged and it will be alright.

3ztwint

Mike,

Thanks, sounds like the EV is the culprit b/c this is pretty much exactly what is happening, so I guess the game plan is to buy one, swap it out following the nifty guide I found on the forums, pay someone to vacuum it down (seems to be cheaper than buying a vacuum pump, unless you guys know of one for 50-100 bucks that will work?) then recharge. I just have a few??'s before I go ahead and jump on it
1. Is there a certain brand of Exp Valve that you all would recommend? Autozone sells them for like 33 bucks, and since it is a lot of work to get back to it in the dash, I want to make sure that I get a good EV since I don't want to be doing it again anytime soon, esp since this seems to be a common issue with the ES's
2. Any additional pointers on the replacement from any of you that have done one/know about doing one? last time I did and EV was like 9 years ago on my 300ZX TT, so I'm not completely up on it (maybe just some pointers on possible pitfalls like how to hook up the EV and make air tight connections, tips/tricks to a recharge (assume I will use at least one can of 134a with oil in it)

Any help would be most appreciated!!

3ztwint

Thanks Phil, yeah it looks like they have all the pieces included which is nice, that way I can add what I want and still have the rest for later if I choose to add around say the vents and overhead console. Pretty sweet site, I also like how there are a lot of material options (cabon fiber, several woods, etc):thumb up: Also, the price is pretty reasonable at around 100 bucks

R1R

Did you get your A/C fixed? I am having the exact same problem on my 97 ES. Sometimes the A/C works and sometimes it doesn't. It doesn't even matter what time of day it is, as it is totally random. Sometimes I feel like I might have a bad clutch that isn't working properly. Did you get the clutch checked out on your ES? Please post update when you have a chance, thanks! I am planning on taking my car to the mechanic to make sure that the clutch is engaging properly.

R1R

Update:

So, yesterday I had a very strange problem. The passenger side was blowing cool and the drivers side was blowing hot. That has never happened before.

I ended up taking my car to my mechanic this morning and the car took one whole can of Freon. The sight glass had bubbles in it before, and now it is all clear.

The 2ES and 3ES hold about 850 +/- 50 grams of Freon, so it takes about 2.5 12 oz cans to fill. So, basically my car was slightly more than half full before I took it in.

Everything seems to be working okay so far and the air is freezing cold. I wish that I had a temperature gauge to measure it, but anyways I will post an update if the car stays fixed or not.