hey all,
all of a sudden my AC stopped blowing cold air, i tried increasing the fan speed and waited for several minutes. It does n't cool the car anymore, i pulled the AC filter inside the glove box, it was dirty but i am sure it is not the only cause for not blowing cold air.

if anyone had this issue let me know where to start looking for leaks or should i take it to a Lexus dealer(they suggested flusing AC system and changing filter $$400 procedure).

i want to know what went wrong !

thanks

 

Is your compressor running?

Any bubbles in the sight glass?

 

Is the AC light blinking on the controls? When my compressor went this light was blinking...

 

This happened to me recently. Condenser got a hole punched in it. Check the condenser (looks like the front of radiator) which hangs down past the bumper a few inches. Mine had tons of fins punched in by rocks / bugs / etc, but looks for any area where the rails are busted or knicked. You may also see some greasy residue emanating from the area. Cost of a new condenser for me was around $450 installed at my general mechanic. Dealer would probably have been 2.5X the cost. The condenser getting damaged by road debris seems to be a common problem.

 

well, i don't see any lights blinking.. when i turn on the fan and then AC switch, it comes up fine.
its blows very mild cold air and not really as it should, this tells me that condenser is okay..

where is this sight glass? i will check for bubbles!!

 

I will check my manual tonight.

Sometimes, these things are electrical in nature.

 

hey did that code check for AC, i.e holding on to AUTO button and Recirculate button at the same time and then starting the car..

it shows code : 00, which means AC is normal

guess what, i plugged in the refrigerant with the guage and it showed 125 psi(way high in RED zone, normal is 45-60 psi), i wonder what happened..

i think i am all set for getting whipped by the dealer, HAHAHA

 

Seeing that it is high and looking in my manual right on the first page of the AC section, it mentions that if the system is overcharged with refrigerant is causes problems such as insufficient cooling, poor fuel economy and engine overheating

That sight glass has that green little **** with the H on the front of the condenser and a small circle window. It is located on the top part and in front of the condesner. You cannot miss it when you open the hood.

 

i just checked the sight glass, it does not have bubble, i wud say it does not have any lquid too(coz i shaked the car). there were no visible damages other than bugs and small fins in the radiator grill, no leaks.

so hoping its not a bad condenser, anyway i have taken an Appt with dealer, i will post the response..

 

hello, i had the same problem in mine years ago. i brought it to the dealer 5 times before me and one of the techs figured it out. i had several very high powered and very high drawing amps on sub/mids/highs and when the amps would draw to much power the car would go into 'emergency' mode basically and kill all not vital equpment to make sure that the car would keep running safely. i put a 3 farad capacitor in and problem stopped.

dont know if this relates to you but thought i would offer my 2 cents

disco

 

no, i don't have a after market stereo,
i took it to the dealer and they simply filled refrigerant and it is working fine, i believe they also put Dye which will tell them about leaks if any...

thanks to all.

 

Good idea for all of us to check that sightglass now as summer's heat is coming on. Many times you can see a few little bubbles in the refrigerant before you have a problem. Get it checked by a qualified A/C specialist with a set of gauges and the knowledge to use them. It takes only a few minutes and can save you a TON.

If you are refilling your A/C more than once every two years, get your service tech to run over the system with a "sniffer" that can pinpoint the tiniest leak in only a few minutes. Leaks generally occur at fittings, around the compressor seals, or in the gauge ports in the pressure and return lines. They have been known to occur in the heat exchangers too, primarily in the condensor (due to impact of road debris), but the evaporator coil is not immune. A few minutes with a sniffer probe will locate the problem before it becomes a real issue.

A reminder too, if your A/C stops blowing cool air, cycle the "auto" button a time or two, with the engine running. The green light should go off and cool air start to circulate again. RX 300s are susceptible to the compressor kicking off if splashed in a deep puddle.

If you cannot restart the compressor, SHUT THE A/C OFF. If you have leaked out a significant portion of your referigerant, you've also lost the compressor's lubricant - and running the compressor "dry" is a shortcut to an EXPENSIVE repair. Get your A/C professionally serviced ASAP.

 

This is where you check the bubbles.

 

Thanks for the pic Lexmex - my RX 300 was traded about three years ago and pressing the camera lens to my forehead while thinking about that sightglass wasn't producing any usable pictures.