AC works on one side
06-13-17, 01:51 PM
#1
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
AC works on one side
My AC on 2010 RX 450H blows cold on passenger side but not on driver side. Isn't there one place to add or recharge freon?? One compressor?? Is there a valve that got disconnected during servicing?
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ledz84 (10-11-22)
06-13-17, 02:30 PM
#2
As you describe the symptom of having cold air available on one side it would not seem to be a problem with the
compressor or R-134 (freon is no longer used) but rather in the distribution. Try tapping the temp control up and
down, is there any change in temp...hot and hotter? Normally you get a range from icy cold to hot, if now you get
no change it would seem to be the Driver's side blend valve. If you do get a change from hot to hotter then the
blend is fine but you have some blockage to the Driver's side heat exchanger. Are you getting normal temperture
display readings (Lo-65-66...83-84-Hi) on both sides and tuning off "Dual" works to synchronize them?
compressor or R-134 (freon is no longer used) but rather in the distribution. Try tapping the temp control up and
down, is there any change in temp...hot and hotter? Normally you get a range from icy cold to hot, if now you get
no change it would seem to be the Driver's side blend valve. If you do get a change from hot to hotter then the
blend is fine but you have some blockage to the Driver's side heat exchanger. Are you getting normal temperture
display readings (Lo-65-66...83-84-Hi) on both sides and tuning off "Dual" works to synchronize them?
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ledz84 (10-11-22)
06-13-17, 03:53 PM
#3
Instructor
on each side, our cars have this thing called the air mix servo. quite well documented in gen 1 forums. I'd suggest starting from there. My gen 1 had the air mix go south twice in its 252k miles of operation. it's about $380 repair at the dealer and cheaper at indy shops.
06-16-17, 04:47 AM
#4
Moderator
Getting off the soap box:
Please take mcomer's advice on dual zone enable/disable and temperature settings.
MelonC00's comment about mix servo would be the next step after you have no success with dual/single fiddling. There can be early/mid_life failures, but typically in first gen, it was in the list of long term fail item.
Salim
Salim
12-13-20, 05:47 AM
#5
Driver School Candidate
Same issue - dealer problems now
I had the exact same issue - cold air on the passenger side, warm air for the driver. I noticed this at least a year ago, at the mid summer point in 2019 probably, but it was tolerable enough. Fast forward, the problem did not get any worse during all this time.
Recently, I went to the dealer for a regular oil change but they had offered a coupon for 15% off service - so I spoke to my S/A about the issue and he suggested evac/recharge with freon for about $200 (w/coupon).
When the S/A called later he says this happened (from the receipt, a lot of this is not my lingo, I don't know cars) "found no codes for AC performed evap and recharge. Recovered .31 pound out of max 1.44 pounds. Found evaporator leaking"
The S/A tells me he doesn't know how long the charge will last and that the system is failing, then gives me an estimate for $3825 to "Evap/Receiver Drier/ExpansionValve Replacements". He explained that parts are much less but this is labor intense and requires removal of the dash, etc etc ....Obviously that was quite the shock and very bad news. I wasn't planning to do anything about it for several months due to the cost and somewhat cooler weather for the next couple of months.
I picked the car up December 1 and it has been cool here in Tampa Bay for the last week, it was very chilly the day I picked the car up. No need to use the AC until yesterday, a mere 11 days since it was "charged", and I find NO COOL AIR at all, from either side. I am livid at this point. The car is in WORSE condition than when I took it to the dealer for service. Now I have NO air. If I hadn't said anything or taken the car in, pretty sure I would still have cold air on the passenger side at least!
I called my S/A immediately and boy did he have a different attitude - he just said there's nothing he can do and that he told me they didn't know how long the charge would hold. After I explained to him my concern is that the problem is WORSE since I brought it to the dealer and I do NOT believe that the entire charge was lost in 11 days when I've been driving it in that same condition for more than a year without rapid declines in air temp.
It's like they forgot to put something back in or complete some step. I mean, I'm sure mechanics screw up too, everybody makes mistakes. Finally, after I kept on, the S/A did relent a bit and now says he's going to have the service manager call me tomorrow and maybe they can discount the repair...
Discount it to what? I'm sorry but $3800 is just not doable and I feel it is WAY too high!!!
I don't know what to ask for at this point - I want the car to be in the same condition it was in when I brought it in! Give me my cold air on the passenger side! Give me back my money for the recharge! Which they probably can't even do. Finally the S/A admitted that they could have made the leak worse when they did the recharge. That HAD to have happened to cause such a sudden decline in the AC that there is NO cold air whatsoever 11 days after being recharged.
I am just sick about this - as a female, I feel like I'm being ripped off.
I started researching when I got home yesterday and see that UV dye is used to detect leaks - I don't believe the tech actually verified where the leak is - should I at least ask if they used UV to detect the leak?
I have had another axle issue (clicking) going on, but this same dealer cannot diagnose the problem - all they can say is it MIGHT be the axle and we can "start there" for $1200. Nope, $1200 for a maybe is not going to work.
This plays into my doubts about whether all these things are needed to get my AC cooling properly again.
I have another mechanic that works on Lexus vehicles - I plan to go see him after the service manager calls me tomorrow. I don't believe they (dealer) are going to do me any favors.
My 450h has about 84,000 miles on it, I am the 2nd owner and have had it for 6 years next month. Just 4 payments left, naturally!
Please advise - I am so upset about this. I had a bad experience at another dealership years ago and this has really soured me on dealer service depts.
My first post. Thank you so much for any helpful input!
Recently, I went to the dealer for a regular oil change but they had offered a coupon for 15% off service - so I spoke to my S/A about the issue and he suggested evac/recharge with freon for about $200 (w/coupon).
When the S/A called later he says this happened (from the receipt, a lot of this is not my lingo, I don't know cars) "found no codes for AC performed evap and recharge. Recovered .31 pound out of max 1.44 pounds. Found evaporator leaking"
The S/A tells me he doesn't know how long the charge will last and that the system is failing, then gives me an estimate for $3825 to "Evap/Receiver Drier/ExpansionValve Replacements". He explained that parts are much less but this is labor intense and requires removal of the dash, etc etc ....Obviously that was quite the shock and very bad news. I wasn't planning to do anything about it for several months due to the cost and somewhat cooler weather for the next couple of months.
I picked the car up December 1 and it has been cool here in Tampa Bay for the last week, it was very chilly the day I picked the car up. No need to use the AC until yesterday, a mere 11 days since it was "charged", and I find NO COOL AIR at all, from either side. I am livid at this point. The car is in WORSE condition than when I took it to the dealer for service. Now I have NO air. If I hadn't said anything or taken the car in, pretty sure I would still have cold air on the passenger side at least!
I called my S/A immediately and boy did he have a different attitude - he just said there's nothing he can do and that he told me they didn't know how long the charge would hold. After I explained to him my concern is that the problem is WORSE since I brought it to the dealer and I do NOT believe that the entire charge was lost in 11 days when I've been driving it in that same condition for more than a year without rapid declines in air temp.
It's like they forgot to put something back in or complete some step. I mean, I'm sure mechanics screw up too, everybody makes mistakes. Finally, after I kept on, the S/A did relent a bit and now says he's going to have the service manager call me tomorrow and maybe they can discount the repair...
Discount it to what? I'm sorry but $3800 is just not doable and I feel it is WAY too high!!!
I don't know what to ask for at this point - I want the car to be in the same condition it was in when I brought it in! Give me my cold air on the passenger side! Give me back my money for the recharge! Which they probably can't even do. Finally the S/A admitted that they could have made the leak worse when they did the recharge. That HAD to have happened to cause such a sudden decline in the AC that there is NO cold air whatsoever 11 days after being recharged.
I am just sick about this - as a female, I feel like I'm being ripped off.
I started researching when I got home yesterday and see that UV dye is used to detect leaks - I don't believe the tech actually verified where the leak is - should I at least ask if they used UV to detect the leak?
I have had another axle issue (clicking) going on, but this same dealer cannot diagnose the problem - all they can say is it MIGHT be the axle and we can "start there" for $1200. Nope, $1200 for a maybe is not going to work.
This plays into my doubts about whether all these things are needed to get my AC cooling properly again.
I have another mechanic that works on Lexus vehicles - I plan to go see him after the service manager calls me tomorrow. I don't believe they (dealer) are going to do me any favors.
My 450h has about 84,000 miles on it, I am the 2nd owner and have had it for 6 years next month. Just 4 payments left, naturally!
Please advise - I am so upset about this. I had a bad experience at another dealership years ago and this has really soured me on dealer service depts.
My first post. Thank you so much for any helpful input!
12-13-20, 06:10 AM
#6
Driver School Candidate
Quick update - going back through my service records and found that I did have this issue in July 2018.
At the dealer they did this after my complaint about no cold air on driver side
"1/2 lb low on freon 1.50 performed evac and recharge of AC system -evacuated .90 from system- system holds1.44 lb-.50lb freon loss on a R-134 system is normal over time - charged AC system to factory specification-operating properly at this time".
So it took more than 2 years to decline to the same point as what I just experienced in 12 days during cool weather not even using the system....
At the dealer they did this after my complaint about no cold air on driver side
"1/2 lb low on freon 1.50 performed evac and recharge of AC system -evacuated .90 from system- system holds1.44 lb-.50lb freon loss on a R-134 system is normal over time - charged AC system to factory specification-operating properly at this time".
So it took more than 2 years to decline to the same point as what I just experienced in 12 days during cool weather not even using the system....
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