2016 a/c probs !

[kjnarmyfj]

ok. soooo .. while driving around town at slower speeds my ac blows cool but not a un comfy cool just I know its not like it should be cold . but when I pick up speed for a bit or hit the hwy it gets cold A/F . went see local mechanic who I know pretty well and worked at a Toyota dealership , he hooked it up and it showed the high pressure 400, low like 48 . he said it might be over charged so he sucked out and re filled the system back to factory spec . started it back up and it blows about 2 deg colder now but same basically . he thinks compressor might be taking a dump . or the expansion valve . called get a price of compressor from dealer $700 parts guy was like I never had to order a compressor for 200 weird . what's y'all input ? my trd 4 runner would freeze you on low , same with every yota I have had .

 

[bloc]

ok. soooo .. while driving around town at slower speeds my ac blows cool but not a un comfy cool just I know its not like it should be cold . but when I pick up speed for a bit or hit the hwy it gets cold A/F . went see local mechanic who I know pretty well and worked at a Toyota dealership , he hooked it up and it showed the high pressure 400, low like 48 . he said it might be over charged so he sucked out and re filled the system back to factory spec . started it back up and it blows about 2 deg colder now but same basically . he thinks compressor might be taking a dump . or the expansion valve . called get a price of compressor from dealer $700 parts guy was like I never had to order a compressor for 200 weird . what's y'all input ? my trd 4 runner would freeze you on low , same with every yota I have had .

Does the electric fan in front of the condenser come on under these conditions?

And I assume no other engine cooling issues? Like water temp creeping up at stop lights and such? (might point to a failing fan clutch, which could cause what you describe)

 

[ty240]

I drive a 2016 and have problems on occasion as well. No cold air, and the air barely leaks from the vent, regardless if turned on low or high. It'll be like that the entire day (multiple shut off and starts) and then work again the following day. Dealer hasn't been able to replicate the issue and won't repair anything based on video. That, and the occasional freezing of the screen, keeps me hoping for an alternative to the stock HU.

 

[kjnarmyfj]

Does the electric fan in front of the condenser come on under these conditions?

And I assume no other engine cooling issues? Like water temp creeping up at stop lights and such? (might point to a failing fan clutch, which could cause what you describe)

no other issues, im pretty sure the fan is on im dbl check the electric fan

 

[KenB]

Does the electric fan in front of the condenser come on under these conditions?

The electric fan is a good suggestion and also check for a dirty condenser. Sounds like a condenser cooling issue.

The condenser is in front of the radiator. You’ll need to pull the skids, grill, electric fan, and horns to get good access with a garden hose. Not hard, I just did it on my 2013. It was filthy. Didn’t solve my A/C issue totally, but it certainly needed cleaning and it eliminated it from the list of potential issues. You can try cleaning the condenser without disassembly, but you really can’t get much access. Mine was caked with cottonwood fluff in the space behind the fan and along the bottom edge of the condenser. Neither problem area was visible without taking it apart.

HTH. Ken

 

[kjnarmyfj]

I drive a 2016 and have problems on occasion as well. No cold air, and the air barely leaks from the vent, regardless if turned on low or high. It'll be like that the entire day (multiple shut off and starts) and then work again the following day. Dealer hasn't been able to replicate the issue and won't repair anything based on video. That, and the occasional freezing of the screen, keeps me hoping for an alternative to the stock HU.

wow id call Toyota

 

[kjnarmyfj]

The electric fan is a good suggestion and also check for a dirty condenser. Sounds like a condenser cooling issue.

The condenser is in front of the radiator. You’ll need to pull the skids, grill, electric fan, and horns to get good access with a garden hose. Not hard, I just did it on my 2013. It was filthy. Didn’t solve my A/C issue totally, but it certainly needed cleaning and it eliminated it from the list of potential issues. You can try cleaning the condenser without disassembly, but you really can’t get much access. Mine was caked with cottonwood fluff in the space behind the fan and along the bottom edge of the condenser. Neither problem area was visible without taking it apart.

HTH. Ken

I pulled the plastic off to get to high pressure side today I have a nozzle I can bend that pretty cool to get to it I will try tomorrow let y'all know ,

 

[wordj17LC]

I drive a 2016 and have problems on occasion as well. No cold air, and the air barely leaks from the vent, regardless if turned on low or high. It'll be like that the entire day (multiple shut off and starts) and then work again the following day. Dealer hasn't been able to replicate the issue and won't repair anything based on video. That, and the occasional freezing of the screen, keeps me hoping for an alternative to the stock HU.

I am having the same issues. Had the hvac system updated for the TSB servo issues. No fix. Now I am being told that Toyota engineers suggest to replace the expansion valve. $2500. We will see if that fixes it.

 

[wordj17LC]

I am having the same issues. Had the hvac system updated for the TSB servo issues. No fix. Now I am being told that Toyota engineers suggest to replace the expansion valve. $2500. We will see if that fixes it.

Mine is 2017. 105,000 miles.

 

[AnyMal]

IMO it sounds completely normal not being able to cool very well at standstill in the sun and heat.
Its a big cabin, and you should run the rear in tandem.
How poorly is it cooling really compared to the 4R?

 

[bloc]

I am having the same issues. Had the hvac system updated for the TSB servo issues. No fix. Now I am being told that Toyota engineers suggest to replace the expansion valve. $2500. We will see if that fixes it.

Try having a shop evacuate the system and recharge it to spec. A bunch of people on here report that making a huge difference in cooling efficiency even on vehicles without detectable leaks.

 

[TeCKis300]

That's weird. I find the 200-series has one of the strongest A/C systems able to cool down quickly even in ridiculous southwest heat. Arizona, Death Valley, deserts.

I would say it's not normal.

Any mods on the car?

 

[wordj17LC]

Try having a shop evacuate the system and recharge it to spec. A bunch of people on here report that making a huge difference in cooling efficiency even on vehicles without detectable leaks.

They’ve done it twice and it does help for sure but my issue is the freezing over now. Literally little to no air blowing from vents on high fan and low temp and simultaneously had small flakes of ice/ snow coming out of the front vents. My a/c has some major gremlins that need fixing.

 

[bloc]

They’ve done it twice and it does help for sure but my issue is the freezing over now. Literally little to no air blowing from vents on high fan and low temp and simultaneously had small flakes of ice/ snow coming out of the front vents. My a/c has some major gremlins that need fixing.

Ugh, does sound like a difficult one. Good luck with it.

 

[wordj17LC]

Ugh, does sound like a difficult one. Good luck with it.

Thank you. Will update for sure once the parts come in and can confirm it’s fixed.

 

[mbennett22]

Thank you. Will update for sure once the parts come in and can confirm it’s fixed.

What did you find out was your issue with the system? I am being told that my expansion valve is getting stuck open however at times it will work and then cool the vehicle off like it should.

 

[NKP Garage]

Something changed with the 2016+.

My old 2009 and my previous 2012 both blew really well at idle, at speed, and had great cooling all around.

My current 2017 and a couple of other 2016+ LXs that I test drove all seemed to cool great while driving but when parked and running did not cool as well.

Also, make sure to check your AC for error codes, easy procedure to pull the error codes in the video below. If its an obvious issue that is throwing a code you probably want to fix that first and then start chasing other issues that may not throw an error code.
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[NKP Garage]

Also, make sure its not your recirculation door that is broken. That will cause all sorts of weird issues. Sometimes they break and the repair is very difficult, and sometimes they just pop back into place like mine did:
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[bloc]

Something changed with the 2016+.

My old 2009 and my previous 2012 both blew really well at idle, at speed, and had great cooling all around.

My current 2017 and a couple of other 2016+ LXs that I test drove all seemed to cool great while driving but when parked and running did not cool as well.

Also, make sure to check your AC for error codes, easy procedure to pull the error codes in the video below. If its an obvious issue that is throwing a code you probably want to fix that first and then start chasing other issues that may not throw an error code.
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I do believe the refrigerant type changed in 16 or 17..

 

[achillar30]

I had some untraceable A/C issues on our 2016 LS and it ended up being a short in the whole wiring harness that runs behind the dash.

I doubt it’ll be the same issue with your car. But I learned that even though Lexus makes reliable cars, the higher end models have a lot of expensive parts and sometimes complex issues. If it’s any help I can pass along the info for the extended warranty company I use for all of our cars. They covered my LS repair and it was $9k(!)…photo of the behind dash wiring harness for reference.