Hello every one

it's been a long time since I last posted.

anyway yesterday the A/C was on as always here and while I was on a fast highway doing around 95 mph, suddenly a loud screeching noise was coming from under the hood and the A/C light on the screen was flashing . the car kept going and rpm's were OK but soon the air coming out of the A/C vents was hot . I turned the A/C off and kept going.

after a sweaty drive to a number of mechanics and they all agreed that the A/C compressor has failed and needs to be replaced completely.

one shop showed me 2 other new lexus's (ES350 and an LS460) with the same problem, he said that the new compressors while being very complex with many different sensors , they are unreliable as opposite as previous toyota/lexus compressors.

anyway , I have 3 options which I would like you guys to help me out with.

1- Buy a new compressor from the dealer ( 880$ ) !!!!!! and install it at a good mechanic shop for ~290$ .

2- Buy a "first class" A/C compressor made by denso for ~580$ and install it at a good mechanic shop for ~290$ .

3- I found a guy who said he could modify a very good condition toyota compressor (probably off an avalon) to fit my car , whole job will cost 480$ . but it is risky as there will be electrical modifications.

I am gutted about this , as I found the compressor will cost a lot lot less from any american lexus parts seller.

 

See if you can find the part here (http://is.sewellparts.com/oem-catalo...S350-2008.html) and hopefully you can find/order/ship the part for less...

 

My advice: buy the part yourself, and take it to a good mechanic who has a competitive price.

 

Was it the compressor or the clutch that failed?

 

answer all of this ^ guys questions, he could definitely help you out.

 

Denso is probaby the manufacturer for lexus a/c compressor

 

Don't just automatically trust what the mechanic has to tell you as gold. Do some looking around in the engine bay yourself; listen and look for signs of something amiss. Did you simply throw a belt? With the belt loosened or removed from the A/C pulley, is there "play"/wobble? Are all the electrical connections to the unit attached and in good non-freyed condition? Does the A/C system hold pressure? After all "free" DIY options are looked over, look into replacing the compressor with an OE spec Denso unit.

GL!

 

LOL!!!!

character x 10

 

I feel bad about your situation. I would buy a Denso compressor and take it to a good mechanic. Forget the dealer. My Lexus better last, I bought it for reliability. If it fails, I am just going to trade it in for a Honda. I don't want any bull**** from my car. Good luck and let us know of your decision.

 

if the compressor seized up there could be a chance metal shavings got into the system. if that is the case you will need to replace all ac components but lets hope its the clutch/coil

 

I had this same issue in my 4runner and it was the a/c relay..as long as the a/c light flashes and air is coming out of the vents, then most likely it is just a relay..the relay itself is less than $100 online..i'm not too sure what the part number is but if you search "a/c light blinking" you will find some useful info..i too thought it was going to be an expensive repair but it was not and it was very simple to just find the relay in the engine compartment and replace..good luck with the repair..

 

Go find a used low mileage ac compressor

What part of KSA are you in? Im in Dhahran/Khobar area right now

 

Thanks all for the comments and suggestions/advise, appreciated .

I'm strongly getting towards option # 2 , Guess it's my only safe option . considering it's new.

Thanks but Its actually a bit expensive at that site, besides I'm gonna have to pay for shipping which will be atleast 100$ from past experiences.
Actually there is no belt , the compressor simply wont start , it tries to but it's like it's jammed and the car vibrates hardly so I quickly turn it off avoiding more damage.
but interesting is that lately I tried turning it on , it did but took a long time and the car was shaking too but the air is still hot and A/C light still flashing, I showed it to mechanics in this conditions and they are still saying it has to be changed.
Compressor
you're quite right , all mechanics said that they will have to clean the whole A/C system including pipes to make sure whatever caused the problem won't do it again, but I don't think replacing will be needed for other parts.
yes but it is HOT air that is coming , and there is refrigerant still . but I will still look into that for sure! I hope it just that.
Riyadh , I went yesterday to the junk yards here , Found too IS's both with the compressor already taken out ! I guess it's a common problem . I did find one but it was more expensive then the NEW Denso one , so I think I'll pass.

I'll give an update later on.

 

OK so what probably caused the A/C compressor to fail was the A/C system radiator , it was leaking and the mechanic was saying it was clogged by dirt and debris. any way the biggest problem is that I couldn't find an IS radiator , it would take too long to order it and the only solution was to fit a GS radiator . it is 95% identical to the IS radiator except for the two holes that are used to attach it to the engine radiator from top, it had to be slightly modified but now it's sitting comfortably and tight.

I got the Denso Compressor ( which is not OEM as i understand ) but is designed for the 2nd Gen IS.
first thing i noticed was air is coming out of the vents much stronger than before. A/C seems to be doing it's job fine right now.

 

A remanufactured ac compressor for a gs450h is $1500 yikes