Air Conditioner Stops Working on long Trips
 

I have a 1997 ES300 in Tennessee, 140,000 miles, all still original. On longer trips the AC stops working. After sitting over night, the AC works fine in the morning. Any Ideas?

Is the compressor still running when the air is no longer cold? Most manufacturers have a safety feature in that if there is not enough r134a in the system, the compressor won't kick on in order to save itself.

You need to get a pressure/vaccum test on your system. They will put dye in there to spot where the leak is coming from.

The early to mid-90's ES models had AC problems involving a sticking expansion valve. The 97 models may have the same problem.

The problem occurs primarily in very hot weather. The AC will cool fine when you first crank and drive the car. After a while, the cooling stops. The next time you drive the car, the same sequence occurs.

The solution is to replace the expansion valve. It is located under the dash behind the evaporator. This is not a do it yourself project unless you have AC expertise and the right equipment.

Don't take it to a Lexus dealer for this repair. You will probably be looking at $800-900. Find an independent auto air service facility. The repair shouldn't be more than $500.

THanks, I'll have the expansion valve checked

Have u gotten this fixed im having same issue would like to know what u did to fix it or what to look for expect