Can anybody help me?! I have a '93 ES 300 that my hubby replaced the entire air conditioning system on (evaporator, condensor, etc.) and IT WILL NOT BLOW COLD AIR!!!

There are no alerts to indicate that there is a problem, but I CANNOT GET AIR CONDITIONING!!! I've had the system checked for leaks and there were none. If I park under a tree or in some type of shade, I'll get a little bit of a cool breeze--but never cooler than it is outside!!!

I'm willing to try ANYTHING!!! I just cannot take another hot summer!!!

 

This may sound stupid, but did he remember to put refrigerant in? Do you hear the condenser clicking over? Older vehicles (prior to 1994) use R12 which is virtually unattainable now. My Seville use's R12, and instead of doing a retrofit to r134a I've been using Freeze 12 which is basically the same without the harmful additive that R12 had, and is also much cheaper. It's also possible that Lexus switched to r134a earlier than other automakers, in which case you could just go to VIP/Pepboys and grab several cans of r134a (if indeed lacking refrigerant is the issue). Someone with more knowledge on air conditioning and 2nd Gen ES's will have to chirp in.

 

Yes, he's charged the unit several times (at least four that I can think of). Each time the system never got cold, so we'd bring it to get checked--only to find that there are no leaks anywhere.

Does anyone know if the cabin air filter makes a difference with the air conditioning at all?

 

Is the clutch on the compressor even engaging when the A/C is turned on? If not, make sure that it's plugged in (obviously). If it's not engaging, make sure the engine is off and check the compressor itself. The clutch should spin rather freely. If not, it's likely the clutch has gone bad and is seized.

If it's not seized and still not engaging, then there's something preventing it from kicking on which could be your pressure switch. Often times, you can jump the two wires on the switch to see if the clutch engages. If you can do this and the clutch finally engages, then you can possibly have a bad switch.

If the clutch does engage properly, you should be able to check the glass eye typically on the receiver/dryer or somewhere on the high-side pressure line. Look for bubbling. Bubbling is an indicator that there's not enough refrigerant in the system.

Really, if you can get some pressure gauges on this thing, it should tell a lot.

 

I am having the same issue with a 97 es300 and need to know whether I need refrigerant or if something is wrong with the compressor. I am reading your post but I dont quite get where and how to check it. Is it possible to use a pic? Where is the clutch you are referring to and where should I see the bubbling? Thanks.