Angelahill

Leaving work today, I turn on my AC. Within 2 mins its blowing hot air, and the AC light starts flashing and check air conditioning light comes on. I drive home, est 15 miles and notice when i get out a smell and look under my car and see fluid dripping under my car. Im waiting on my son to get home and check it now, husband said it smells like antifreeze. Im terrified that this will be expensive. Have a 2007 Lexus RX350.

Mesquite77

May not be expensive. The drive belt (aka, serpentine belt) drives both the A/C compressor and the water (coolant) pump. If it broke or is slipping, you'd have no A/C, no cooling (overheat, antifreeze drip), and no charging. Do not drive more then 10 miles until checked. Belts are cheap, but there may be a pulley or other issue that caused it to break or slip, if it is the belt. If belt is still on, try a short drive with A/C OFF, in case the compressor has seized, which can happen at this age.

DennisMik

^^^^^^^ good advice.

BlackLexRX

Clean out your AC system. Here's how I do mine. I use AC coil cleaner cans I buy from Home Depot to clean the system, this exact can; https://www.homedepot.com/p/AC-Safe-...-921/206740351. You'll also need one of the little straws that connect to spray can holes to concentrate the spray. These cans do not come with those. I've even had to buy another oil type of spray just to get one of these connecting straws. Anyhow, once you have a can and an extender straw; go to your passenger front floorboard. Fm there remove the 2 push pins you can see holding a panel at the front console (under your radio, not the center console). You'll see to plugs there if your kneeling in your passenger floor well looking at the center under the radio on the little wall there just left of where a passenger's feet would be. Inside is your HVAC system. After you removed the panel, look inside and you can see the black rubber drain pipe leaving your condenser and exiting the car below. Gently wiggle this rubber line off its plastic pipe connection to the condenser. Spray the HD AC coil cleaner down the pipe. You will then see liquid on the ground below the car meaning you've just cleaned the drain line. Your system may be leaking onto the floor as it cannot drain all the liquid water accumulated during the AC process down the drain. Then I use a straw type connection to the can and spray the foaming cleaner up into the condenser. Quickly re-attach the rubber drain hose as the coil cleaner just sprayed up into the system will start to leak out the condenser connection to the drain line.


Then I use the remaining 3/4 can behind the cabin filter. To do this, remove cabin filter. Attach the extender straw and with the car running and AC in car circulating, spray the rest into system onto fan coil behind in cabin filter. You'll see more water and gunk leave the system below car. Let car run with AC on for 10 minutes or so. Lots of grime will leave the system as all the coils are being cleaned after this service, you'll see it exit the car on the ground below. After this service, your AC will run much more efficiently and will be much cooler. Mine's almost too cold now.