Mitsuguy, Thanks for the advice. I'll go to my HVAC buddy who's helped me in the past. Should've gone there first. May have to get back to you depending what he says.
Scott

 

same problem with me did you get to solve this problem yet?

 

i got quote to replace the expansion valve 600 dollar job

is there a diy way to get this done?

 

Sure, the same way the technician would do it... pretty sure it involves removing a good portion of the dash, at minimum everything above the passenger footwell, glove box included... would be worthwhile to pay for a single use subscription to Alldata or one of those to get the exact instructions...

Thats really not that expensive (for a retail shop) though when you consider they have to evac and recharge the system... the rest of it is getting to the expansion valve... 5 hours shop time I would imagine...

 

i have access to alldata

but i have basic mechanic skills

but i was curious if this would be a common diy er

 

common, not at all... most people don't have access to one specific tool needed - an a/c machine, or at minimum a vacuum pump and a proper set of manifold gauges to replace the refrigerant...

now, if you can get ahold of that stuff, its all pretty basic stuff...

 

I have a rx300 and the ac quit blowing air all of a sudden. Before it happened it was as cold as ice. thanks

 

it quit blowing air completely, or it quit blowing cold air... there is a huge difference between the two... does it work on heat?

 

yesterday ac fan quit completely and would not come back on. it would not blow any air at all. it was very cold upto that point

 

Sounds like it may be the same problem on my 1992 Lexus SC300.
It was charged with freon and worked for one day then died.
No 12 V DC to the Compressor. I am going to check that Mag, CLT Relay.

Thanks.

 

Blower motor is not working.

 

With a similar problem I learned a bit when the AC blower in the Caravan quit early Monday. The compressor was working well and if I switched off the "recirculate" button I could get a breath of cold air out of the vents at 70mph. It wasn't a fix, but it was good news . . . the expensive stuff was working.

Looked over troubleshooting charts from several online sources and after taking a lot of readings with the volt-ohmmeter on fuses, switches, resistors and relays, discovered a bad commutator on the fan motor was probably the cause, having stopped on a bad segment. Reading a little further I found one online tech on a Dodge site who recommended slapping the motor (mounted behind the glove compartment with the shaft looking up) on the bottom with an open palm to restore operation . . . then a flurry of responses saying not to try it for fear of damaging the motor further.

Well, that concerned me, and after I put the part on order (RockAuto.com), I drove over to my neighborhood garage to see if the guys would install it for me. It's a simple fix, requiring removal of only six screws to drop the blower assembly, slip the new one in, plug it in, and make up all the screws again. I'd do it myself, except if I manage to wedge my bulk between the front seat and the door frame, it's going to take the jaws of life to get me out. I've had experience in this and it's a little embarrassing to have friends come over to extricate me from my work.

While talking to the mechanic and making a deal for his installation, he asked if I'd slapped the fan motor yet. I said no, with so many cautions against it, I was a little reluctant to try. He said he'd had a Caravan come in several months ago and the brute force treatment worked. I had nothing really to lose at this point so he crawled in, smacked the fan motor, and turns the key. The blower hummed to life and has worked fine all week. In our 100°+ temperatures it's been a lifesaver. Funny how sometimes the crude fix actually works . . .

The new blower arrived this afternoon and I'll take it over tomorrow morning and let him install it - it's not a good idea to gamble on that armature stopping on that bad commutator segment again, risking some real damage to the wiring and connections. Meanwhile this evening we continue to play commutator roulette. Very carefully.
____________________________

Update: Replacement complete, $60 labor, $43 parts (including shipping). After a couple of months listening to that old blower roar, I spent a good deal of my Sunday driving trying to turn the blower to a higher speed. It was cooling just fine (you didn't want to sit directly in the blast of air from the AC for fear of frostbite), especially on a 102° day, but the system now operates as quietly as that of the Lexus.