Blinking Air Con Light

[Toby_The_Van]

Hi all,

Just wondering if it's just us that is unlucky or if it's a common thing...

We bought a brand new 2006 ascent station wagon. Runs great cept for the air con light. At first it never worked, you'd turn the aircon on and the light would just blink and it would never get cold. After a few 100kms it started to work more frequently. Took it back to Toyota at 1000kms and they could not reproduce the problem

1500kms i got fed up and took it back to toyota again. This time they claimed they spent some time turning it off and on and it worked for them. They checked that the gas was topped up and nothing was leaking. So fine, drove it home and guess what? stopped working 1/2 way home

Mind you all this happened in the middle of winter so have not used the aircon much at all. Now that the weather is getting warmer we are using the aircon more and more and it seems to only work 50% of the time. Usually this is the case: Turn it on first time and it works. Run around, stop the engine. Turn it back on and the aircon light will blink.

So what do I do now? My wife says, make it blink then drive it to Toyota. The problem is that Toyota will only look at it during the week and not the weekend which means we have to take time off bla bla... I mean this will be the 3rd time we take it in complaining of the same problem, normally as a service organisation, would you not take note?? We are also thinking of taking it to another dealer...

What are your thoughts? any advice?

Cheers,

Toby_the_Van

[kelvinsw]

Hi all,

Just wondering if it's just us that is unlucky or if it's a common thing...

We bought a brand new 2006 ascent station wagon. Runs great cept for the air con light. At first it never worked, you'd turn the aircon on and the light would just blink and it would never get cold. After a few 100kms it started to work more frequently. Took it back to Toyota at 1000kms and they could not reproduce the problem

1500kms i got fed up and took it back to toyota again. This time they claimed they spent some time turning it off and on and it worked for them. They checked that the gas was topped up and nothing was leaking. So fine, drove it home and guess what? stopped working 1/2 way home

Mind you all this happened in the middle of winter so have not used the aircon much at all. Now that the weather is getting warmer we are using the aircon more and more and it seems to only work 50% of the time. Usually this is the case: Turn it on first time and it works. Run around, stop the engine. Turn it back on and the aircon light will blink.

So what do I do now? My wife says, make it blink then drive it to Toyota. The problem is that Toyota will only look at it during the week and not the weekend which means we have to take time off bla bla... I mean this will be the 3rd time we take it in complaining of the same problem, normally as a service organisation, would you not take note?? We are also thinking of taking it to another dealer...

What are your thoughts? any advice?

Cheers,

Toby_the_Van

where r u? I knew Sydney City Toyota open on Sat. But you will have to make a booking. You can find out a list of services center from Toyota site or yellopages. Call them out if you want to get it fix.

[neK]

Thtas the problem with intermittent faults, it never happens when you take in for warranty.

Maybe get a video camera and film it while its happening to prove to them you're not lying?

[Saiya]

If you have a digital camera with a movie mode feature you can record the light as soon as it start blinking. That way you have proof.

Go in and show them on your camera screen that the light is blinking. Try and taking the video as long as possibe that way you have proof to show them.

If they still cant find it explain to them what "Intermittent" means and if they still dont fix the problem tell them you'll report the issue to the Department of Fair trading showing them the video.

There just probably trying to palm you off because they want to go though as many cars as possible a day.

[neK]

I dont think they are trying to palm you off, but they cannot fix something they do not know and cannot see. Its like computers, unless the component is actually stuffed, you'll have a hard time trying to fix and diagnose it.

[Saiya]

I just dont think theres spending enough time on the car to see the fault. So instead of spending more time looking at it they give up and tell the customer they cant see the fault.

[NIKICH]

When the problem happens again, ask a local mechanic out of the goodness of their heart if they can see that the problem is occuring, then ask if they can write something up saying that the problem is occuring and that they have witnessed it...

[Toby_The_Van]

Sorry forgot to mention that I live in Sydney and I have asked about saturdays but 2 separate service centres have said they can't look at this type of problem on Saturdays. They are good though in that they offer to drive us home etc but it's just the hassle.

Take a movie!!! Brilliant! why didn't I think of that??? :P I think that's exactly what I will do. Thanks! :)

Edited August 25, 2006 by Toby_The_Van

[MT]

its the compressor shorting out or something similar

[Rolla Boy]

When the air con light flashes, it's one of two things...

1 - Gas level is not correct, check and top up if necessary...

2 - Air Conditioning Compressor Magnetic Clutch Relay problem... Replace the Relay...

Let me know how you go...

[stockstivo]

Eliminate things, short out the AC pressure switch this will then leave the compressor and wiring as the only culprits. Could be a broken wire somewhere or faulty connector. Undo all the connectors ( AC pressure sw, compressor, AC ECU and thermistor wire ) and reconnect them.

Good luck

[Toby_The_Van]

Hullo all,

I finally took it to Noble where we bought Toby from and Rolla Boy was right, it was the relay. It's working great now! third time lucky

Thanks guys! I hope this is the last of the aircon problems forever <_<

[Toby_The_Van]

The saga continues!!!

After replacing the relay it worked for about a week. Now the aircon turns on and goes very cold for about 10-15mins. However when it turns itself off it does not turn back on! instead warm air blows out. Light stays on this time and does not blink.

You can hear the relay switching itself on and off, on and off continuously without success. The whole car lurches forward in a sort of bunny hop when it does this by the way...

Anyway Toby's with Toyota again today (4th visit complaining of the same thing: aircon problems!) so touch wood he should be fixed!!

[CHA54]

sounds like a stuffed AC compressor if it has that much of an effect on the engine when it switches

[Toby_The_Van]

sounds like a stuffed AC compressor if it has that much of an effect on the engine when it switches

Well I hope not... I got it back from Toyota and they said it was a stuffed thermostat. It was stuck on too cold and therefor not switching the aircon back on. When it did try to switch back on, it was turning back off because of the thermostat?

Anyway, only 30 degree days in sydney will tell!!!

This is pretty sad from a brand new corolla! haven't even done the first service yet! Blardy Denso

Edited October 11, 2006 by Toby_The_Van

[JJCRU23R]

i noticed my aircon blinking for the first time about a month ago. no such incident happened since... but least i may know the source of the problem now thanks

[Miklos73]

I have a 93 Camry which has a flashing A/C light. I took it to an auto electrical repairman near me today (we've used these guys for many years) and he reported that there was no flashing light.

Only after about half a day did he finally notice the A/C light would flash. He gave it a regas (he said it was at 550mg's(?), supposed to be 850). The regas cost $145! That's a lot! Then there was the labour, $52 for half an hour labour. So it's $197 I paid all up. Which is all fine and dandy, however...

The A/C light still flashes...he said the air con blows so cold now...but I won't know this until I fork out MORE money on this 15 year old junker...

He said it's a fault he cannot fix, and I would have to take it to a Toyota dealer... Damn this sucks!

Edited March 6, 2008 by Miklos73

[Rolla Boy]

sounds like a stuffed AC compressor if it has that much of an effect on the engine when it switches

Well I hope not... I got it back from Toyota and they said it was a stuffed thermostat. It was stuck on too cold and therefor not switching the aircon back on. When it did try to switch back on, it was turning back off because of the thermostat?

Anyway, only 30 degree days in sydney will tell!!!

This is pretty sad from a brand new corolla! haven't even done the first service yet! Blardy Denso

Yeah, there are some problems with the thermo switches... Air con gets too cold and it freezes up the TX Valve if the Thermo Switch isn't working correctly... I'd say thats what was happening in your case...

If it gets too cold, the compresser will switch off, temp will rise a few degrees and it'll switch back on again... It usually switches off at around 4 degrees and back on anywhere from 5 - 8 degrees...

[Keisari]

I took my celica to a mechanic for the 200k major service. The air conditioner never really worked on cold because the compressor is buggered, but it was still blowing (I get the blinky light too). Full gas. However when I got it back I tried to turn it on and I stalled randomly at the lights. So next I tried turning it on and revving when I moved off. This time, also randomly, a horrible squealing sound started coming from the engine bay and the power TOTALLY bottomed-out, like i was trying to tow a truck. I've never used it since out of paranoia about snapping my new timing belt or something lol.

I hope to get it fixed before next summer (I said the same last summer), but out of curiosity, any ideas what might be causing this? I didn't take it back because I just picked it up from taking it back for failure to put some of my brakes back on properly... which I was disgusted enough at...