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Toyota Avalon Climate Control Questions

135

Comments

  • avalong06avalong06 Member Posts: 5
    Hi, on my 06 all you do is open the glove box and take out one phillips head screw on the right side of glove box and gently squeeze the sides of theglove box and lower it down reach in over the top and push in on both sides and remove then filter slides out cost at oreillys about 26dollars very easy good luck
  • mem4mem4 Member Posts: 52
    I have noticed with the warmer weather if you have the Heater/Cooling set to "Off" when you turn off the engine, when you re-start the car the air flow defaults to re-circulation mode. This is really annoying. I'll be driving for a couple of minutes and wonder why it's so hot in the car then I'll realize the air isn't bringing in fresh air because it has defaulted to re-circ. Anyone know of a solution?

    Also, if the car is hot inside and you press "Auto" the A/C doesn't seam to come on by itself, you have to press the A/C button to get air conditioning. Is this correct? Reading the manual I'm not sure I understand what the car is supposed to be doing in Auto if the interior is hotter than the temperature setting.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    You can have the dealer make a c-best setting change so the system doesn't default into recirculate. There is a delay for the blower to come on until the A/C has run long enough to cool the evaporator down enough so the initial air outflow is just a little cool, not HOT.
  • kpraveenkpraveen Member Posts: 22
    I THANK every one for their contribution to this useful AVALON forum.
    My car a/c is not functioning, when i switch on a/c after some time the switch light blinks and i dont see a/c is not working. I checked the manual, it printed that if light blinks then there is a problem with a/c.
    Can anyone please suggest me if i can check some thing before i take it to any dealer so that i dont need to shell my money out if i can fix it on my own.

    Thank you very much for all your time.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    I would first check the A/C compressor electro-magnetic clutch to be sure it engages when powered.
  • missiledogmissiledog Member Posts: 1
    Mayo,
    I have the same problem with my 98 Avalon XLS.
    I took some of the same steps you did with no luck.
    What did you finally do to resolve the problem. I am still
    Looking for a resolution.
    Thanks,

    Missile Dog<:)
  • zndznd Member Posts: 6
    I own a 2002 Avalon XLS with 33,000 mi on it. Two days after replacing the cabin air filter, the AC's green light on the IP went off in a 95-degree day during the Memorial Day weekend. I checked all fuses and belts. They're all fine. The AC was not very cool last summer; one center vent spit out cold air the other didn't. It was the same after the new cabin filter. Is there anyone who knows how to check the refrigerant level, and what the problems my Avalon is experiencing? It seemed to me that there is a circular window (1/2 inch diameter) by the refrigerant bleeder near the compressor. It is totally clear now. Is it supposed to be either green or blue if the refrigerant is full? Thanks for your answers.
  • finfin Member Posts: 594
    Quick guess: have the AC serviced by Toyota or a good independent shop as you need gauges to check system pressure. Sounds like the refrigerant is low.
  • dabatmandabatman Member Posts: 25
    My 98 Avalon needs to be recharged every summer. You can tell if the compresor is working by watching the tach when u turn on the air...
    Recharging the refrigerant is one of the easiest do it yourself tasks.. (IMO)... $20 and 15 minutes by yourself or $100+ to have it done at the dealer
  • kpraveenkpraveen Member Posts: 22
    I had experienced the same problem in my 95 avalon xl. Can anyone please let me know where can i find the guidelines to recharge the refrigerant. It would be great help if anyone can provide that information.
    I drove my car for 1700 miles on memorial weekend and it was without A/C and i felt like boiled. Otherwise, my lovely car runs great even though it has 150K miles on it.
  • deepandeepan Member Posts: 342
    wow whats the matter with the Avalons'.
    i have a 96 XLS and couple of days back a/c doesnt blow cold any more. i used a fewweeks back and it was fine. i know the compressor works so it might need a recharge.

    can the refrigerant be bought over the counter!!! the tap/opening to add the refrigerant is near the firewall on the passenger side. all i need is a CAN?
  • dabatmandabatman Member Posts: 25
    Go to Walmart, Kmart, autozone.... or online...

    http://www.id-usa.com/how_to_recharging.asp

    just make sure the coupling is securely attached... hsould be pretty easy.. certainly save $$$ and... it beats opening windows..
  • deepandeepan Member Posts: 342
    thanks, didnt know that. i will certianly look this up. Hopefully its the same in canada!
  • zndznd Member Posts: 6
    First, a little background about my 2002 Avalon XLS.

    My Avalon had a minor accident in Jan. 2005, when it was 27 months old, and had 25 K miles. The grille and the front bumper were replaced. The car ran just like new. A week later, I pointed out to my wife a few crumbled dissipating fins on the condenser. She insisted that it be replaced. Our insurance company was very generous to have it replaced by the same body shop. The A/C was not fully used until June in Michigan weather. Then, I started to notice the unequal coolness from the center vents. I thought it was the cabin air filter being clogged. We'd parked our Avalon in the garage for over 8 months starting from Sept. 2005, because our son went to college and his car was driven by my wife to work. I started the Avalon's engine infrequently during this hibernation period.

    OK, this was what I've found in the past week.

    After talking to a friend and a guy, a stranger also checking out the A/C refrigerant at a nearby auto parts store, I bought two cans of 13-oz R134a ($30) and a gauge ($18). Yes, a lot of people in an auto parts store would love to share their experiences. The clerks at the counter are also very helpful, too.

    Roll-up-the-sleeve-time: I started the engine, and put the auto climate control to COLD (below 65 degrees). Unscrew the gray dust cap on the feeder on the LOW pressure refrigerant tubing near the firewall, a little below the front edge of the windshield. They are two tubing running out of the firewall on the passenger side, one fat (5/8-inch dia), and one thin (1/4 inch dia). Only the fat one has a feeder. Shake the R134a can well, because it contains not only refrigerant, but also 2-oz of lubricant for the compressor. Use the valve, included in the gauge package, to puncture the R134a can and shut the refrigerant off by turning the valve all the way down. Connect the valve with the gauge, and then push the quick-release connector into the feeder.
    (To be continued ….)
  • deepandeepan Member Posts: 342
    IIRC there are two types R134 and the freon correct.

    the freon was not environmentally friendly so i guess they switched to R134.

    does anyone know which refrigerant a 96 avalon might have.
  • finfin Member Posts: 594
    deepan: R-12 Freon production was discontinued in the US in 1995. Cars sold in 1995 or after generally use R-134 of some type. Look on the compressor or other AC parts for a label that shows what the system uses. Or call a Toyota dealer.

    Freon (made by DuPont chemicals) contained chlorine that was determined to be harmful. R-134 is more friendly to the air around us.
  • zndznd Member Posts: 6
    At this moment, the compressor, located below the alternator - the one with copper coil visible, was not running. The pulley of the compressor is running all the time because it is pulled by the belt. The compressor would run only if the computer sends it a signal through an electric clutch. The sight window on the thin tubing, also on the passenger side between the engine and the radiator, was clear.

    Now I turned on the valve. About thirty seconds after, the compressor kicked in and the green light on the button of the control panel inside the car went on, too. The R134a can was cold and formed a thin layer of frost. Moreover, the sight window showed boiling fluid inside. Everything made sense now. The compressor needed lubricant to run. Without lubricant, the compressor would burn in no time. So, engineers designed a pressure sensor on the thin refrigerant tube to stop the compressor if it detects low refrigerant pressure. Voila, mission accomplished. But, ....

    Two minutes afterwards, the compressor went dead again. So with extreme care, I tried to inspect visually where the refrigerant had gone looking for wet spots. After seeing no sign of leaks in the poor lighting condition, I tried again. (Remember, I bought two cans of R134a. The clerk at the auto parts store said 2002 Avalon needed 28 oz of refrigerant.) Exactly the same thing had occurred. This time I did not use eyes to observe; I used ears, instead. I heard a low hissing sound. It actually was not low; it was just overcome by the engine sound. I turned off the engine and the hissing became so obvious, more so when I rocked the thin tubing slightly. Imagine one blows air over the edge of a piece of waving paper. I still saw no sign of leak; wet spots, that is.
    (To be continued ….)
  • zndznd Member Posts: 6
    My diagnosis at this point was that the hissing sound must have come out at the lower end of the thin tubing connecting to the condenser. That reminded me of the car accident and the replacement of the new condenser. I immediately thought the connection was loose or the O-ring was worn and needed to be replaced. I stopped the chase and called it a day. The stores were all close anyways.

    The next evening, I loosened up the bolt and removed the O-ring (~6 mm dia) at the connector. The ring seemed perfect in shape; it just appeared a little too small to me. I ran back to the auto parts store to purchase two sizes of O-rings ($3 for 8 rings). I installed a new one and made certain the bolt was tightened up. And, without starting the engine and using the left-over R134a, I still could hear the hissing sound. Feeling so frustrated, I started to inspect the tubing more carefully to determine where the hissing sound was. I was totally shocked to find a cut on the side of the thin horizontal tubing a few inches after the sight window. It definitely was the culprit because it was oily there. To me it looked like a saw cut by a 1-mm blade going up and down. But, how did it get there? Was it from the original Denso part? Or, from the body shop used for the insurance work? It&#146;d require a CSI Lab to determine where the cut came from. One thing for certain was that it was not caused by the accident. Because the condenser had barely any damage, let alone the tubing behind it. The body shop did not think the condenser required replacement the first time. Further, the tubing was straight and free of any deformation at all.

    Now I&#146;m in deep trouble. I could not find the replacement at the auto parts store. I thought I could cut the tubing through, but they did not have any parts that I could use to re-connect them &#150; just like the way a plumber would use to solder two copper pipes or clamp two PVC pipes together. I seemed to see a few $100 notes flying out of my pocket.
    (To be continued ….)
  • zndznd Member Posts: 6
    I talked to a friend who has a PhD in Material Engineering about welding or soldering the cut in the aluminum tubing. He said it was impossible for a DIYer to weld the cut for lack of industrial equipment. To remove the tubing running up and down would be a big job, too. According to the gauge, 25 psi is the minimum pressure for the refrigerant; 45 psi would be in the alert zone. The water pressure in our household is in the 40 psi range; clamping seems to work well on the PVC pipes in the sprinkler system. I estimate the refrigerant&#146;s temperature at around 110F. After considering all the factors, I decided to use the clamping method.

    I cut a one-inch section from an old (actually new, it&#146;s never been used) rubber hose that came with our new washer. Cut it open so that it can wrap around the aluminum tubing. Further cut to adjust the fit. I found a product in the auto parts store called Cold Weld consisting of two tubes: one steel paste, and the other hardener. I first cleaned the aluminum tubing to make sure that the oil and dust were removed. I then applied a thin layer of CW on the cut of the aluminum tubing and carefully wrapped the cut-open rubber hose around the tubing at the cut. I used two small (for 1/4&#148; ~ 5/8&#148; dia) clamps so that the rubber hose would hug tightly to the tubing.

    Six hours later, I repeated the R134a feeding process again. After finishing one can of R134a, the pressure on the gauge reached 25 psi, the hissing sound disappeared, and the A/C system seemed to be running normally. I decided to fill it with only one can of R134a; I was afraid the clamps may not hold for higher pressure.

    Three days passed, the A/C had runn as normal for 30-minute drives under 80-plus weather. I&#146;d brought the pressure up to 35 psi after it has been tested for over a week.
  • wig1wig1 Member Posts: 3
    Hi,

    My rear speaker has begun to have thumping noise when certain songs are played on the radio. Is there any way to reair the speaker? Would you suggest toyota dealer or a radio shop for repair or replace.
  • titanfan67titanfan67 Member Posts: 3
    Looking at purchasing a 1998 Avalon XLS. Only problem owner has had is the air quits running cold whenever it rains. Then works fine again whenever it dries up. Took it to Toyota and they couldn't find out what's wrong. Even sprayed inside hood but air worked fine then. Just not when it rains. Anybody else heard of this and know the solution?
  • texasfx35texasfx35 Member Posts: 65
    I have a '07 XLS. A few times over the years, the A/C would stop cooling during rains when we ran through water puddles. Simultaneously, the A/C switch in the cabin would blink. The Toyota dealer tightened the tension on the belt driving the compressor and the problem has never reappeared. Apparently, the compressor clutch can slip on the belt if it gets wet and the tension is not proper.
  • titanfan67titanfan67 Member Posts: 3
    do you have an '07 or a '97? You said "over the years" so did you mean '97?? I would hope you wouldn't be having problems with a brand new 2007 car. Thanks for your reply. If anybody else has had this problem, please reply. Want to see if problem can be fixed before we purchase car.
  • oilslickoilslick Member Posts: 14
    when it gets over 90degrees, it seems like the AC quits working on my 98 Avalon. Has anyone seen this before and what causes it? Thanks.
  • texasfx35texasfx35 Member Posts: 65
    Yep, it is a '97.
  • mvbowensmvbowens Member Posts: 1
    My brother has a 95 Avalon that the ac works and sometimes it doesnt. I think it is the expansion valve on the evaporator. I think you have to replace the entire eveporator.
  • steve326asteve326a Member Posts: 58
    To those who wonder if they have r12 or 134, a way to tell is to look at the hookup point on the low pressure side that you use to recharge it with. The newer r134 is a larger diameter fitting which you push the recharge or gauge hose onto by squeezing the lock ring up then slide it in and release. The older r12 has a screw on fitting just slightly larger than the valve stem on your tires. Sometimes you can spot r12-134 fitting adaptors that were installed if your car ac was converted to r134. :shades:

    Steve
  • captain2captain2 Member Posts: 3,971
    use of r12 for anything has been outlawed since the 90's - car a/c systems are almost universally r134 for quite some time now. System conversion on older cars is also federally mandated.
  • joecassjoecass Member Posts: 1
    intermitingly the blower fan goes out and also the outside are temp. display gose out on instrument cluster at the same time. i was thinking of replacing the heating and air conditioner do to the fact that the outside are temp. desplay gose out. what do you guys think?
  • dedatdedat Member Posts: 1
    Have an 07 Avalon that been back to dealer 3-4 times because when the AC is on the passenger seat heater cycles on and off. Any ideas? Dealer has traced wires checked sensors etc. and appears to be fixed at the dealership until it arrives home
  • mickyjmickyj Member Posts: 2
    Just had the same problem. Lights on the buttons worked but no blower,a/c,outside temp display. Left it at the dealer because nobody else would touch it. He said it was a servo?..and an amplifier??. $830.00!!! wont work with out it.
    Ofcourse it's December, so whatam I suppose to do?
  • fun2drive2fun2drive2 Member Posts: 1
    I am pretty handy mechanically and I need to change the condenser (of course the dryer too once I get the condenser installed)out because of a leak. Can someone direct me to how I do this? I have looked at the car multiple times to see how to extract the condenser.
    Any help as to how to do this or what shop manual is best to detail this?
    I usually work on BMWs and Bentley is the best BMW manual but have no clue about this Toyota...
    Thanks
  • mitch1947mitch1947 Member Posts: 7
    i just purchased a new 2007 Avalon two weeks ago and now the driver's seat heater appears to always be on even though the switch says it's off. Have they found a fix for your problem yet? My other problem is the automatic rain sensor doesn't work properly.
  • iamknottiamknott Member Posts: 82
    I purchased my 2007 XLS in late March. Now that we are finally getting some hot and humid days, I notice that when I turn on the a/c, the climate control automatically goes to recirculate mode until the car cools down. This is the first car I've had (including other Toyotas) that did this. In the past, I've always had to choose recirculate and I'd like to retain that pattern. Is this something that can be programmed out of the Avalon? You might wonder why it bothers me. My car sits outside all day with the windows closed. So, when I get in, the air temperature inside the car is higher than it is outside. Therefore, the a/c is trying to cool hotter air than it has to and I believe that it actually takes longer to cool down the car.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Yes, there is a c-best option (FINALLY...!!!) that the dealer can set that alleviates this problem. You may note that in your owners manual they advise you to drive for the first few miles to "flush" the passenger cabin of HOT air in this instance.

    I have never understood this recirculate "feature". Adverse, WRONG, thinking insofar as I'm concerned.
  • mashoudmashoud Member Posts: 8
    Have a very frustrating problem with heating in a 2001 XLS with automatic climate control (selective for driver and passenger).
    As far as I am concerned, this is nothing but a headache and much prefer the manual system for reasons of simplicity.

    The problem is in the HEATING aspect. When you require heat, only the driver side vents throw out heat and very faint heat on the floor level.
    The passenger side simply freezes..just cold air both on the feet and vents. The problem is, you cannot shut off the vents on the passenger side either and so the car is heating on the driver side and cooling on the passenger side. We have to carry blankets to cover up and stay thawed for the passenger.
    Went to Toyota dealership and they say that some vent is just dangling in the heatt/cool unit under the dash and the whole unit(RADIATOR part no 87050-07111) will have to be changed. The unit costs $2381.90 cdn. and labour added, will cost $3214.35 cdn.
    For a 6 year old car, this kind of thing should never happen. Never a problem in my Audi or my Saab.
    Anyone out there with a similar problem and any diagnosis, please share your genius.!!!????
    Yoyota should be ashamed...
  • mashoudmashoud Member Posts: 8
    Forgot to mention on the above...
    The air conditioning works fine on both sides...plenty of cooling and acceptable temperature control on both sides.
    The problem is just with no heat on the passenger side.
  • todd45todd45 Member Posts: 2
    Hello all,

    I have a 1998 Toyota Avalon XLS in mint condition with 240km on it. We are the second owners and everyting works great except when you start the car the climate system automatically switches to recycled air and will not shut off until you manually switch it to fresh air. We had the problem addressed which worked for about two days and then returned. I am told that it needs a $500.00 part under the dash that tells the damper motor what to do. Does this sound correct to anyone? Also, living in Canada and heating in the winter is very necessary. The car heats up fine it just won't defog the interior windows. I have seen this before on some GM products but never to this extent. I drove it last night and with the exception of the front windshield I could barely see out of the car any where else. Should the defog and defrost function not take care of this? What might be the problem. I am new to this site and may experience difficulties navigating around but I will respond to a read all responses as soon as I find them. Any help would be appreciated.

    Regards
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
  • todd45todd45 Member Posts: 2
    Thanks wwest. I appreciate the input.

    Regards
  • mdealmdeal Member Posts: 2
    Dave,
    I too am having problems changing out a air filter on my 2000 Avalon
    Bought one from auto parts store & the directions that came w/ it
    are diffrent than my year.Instead of a phillips screw for the glove box stop,it
    is some type screw you have to line up w/ a slot to remove.Any help
    would be great.
    Thanks MIke
  • rsh1rsh1 Member Posts: 1
    My husband and I purchased a 2007 Toyota Avalon Ltd in the fall of 2006; overall we are extremely pleased with the vehicle. However, there is a foul smell coming from the air vents when a/c or outside air is on. The dealer says that the recommended fix is to simply spray lysol into the vents from under the hood. Seems to me that only masks a deeper problem. Anyone have this problem?
  • tjc78tjc78 Member Posts: 15,817
    The dealer is right. There is most likely a touch of mold in the ducts. The Lysol will typically cure it.

    2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve

  • amauhryamauhry Member Posts: 55
    Kill the fungi first (any bacteria disinfectant spray may do the trick). If left alone, your situation will reoccur, and then you&#146;ll have to spray more Lysol again.

    Long-term solution: right after using the AC on hot & humid days you should run the blower (AC off) at high speed and in heat mode for about 2 minutes. Use &#147;outside air&#148; mode; not the &#147;recirculated&#148; mode. This will dry the ducts and evaporator fins and coils leaving no room for mold and mildew to grow.

    Amaury
    '08 Limited
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Contrary to the above, it will take at least 10-15 minutes, typically, but up to an hour to raise the temperature of the 10,000 square inches of evaporator vane surface area enough to have the remaining thin film of moisture thereon begin to evaporate into the airstream. The operational "target" temperature of the evaporator is ~34F.

    Absent modifications to the system your best bet is to leave the windows down slight each and EVERY night provided the car is under shelter.

    For a really viable modification go to:

    airsept.com

    And read up on their EED, Electronic Evaporator Dryer.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    The heater core is ALWAYS downstream of the evaporator core so it does no good to turn up the heat when attempting to dry the evaporator. And just how long it will take for the thin film of moisture to begin to evaporate off of the near freezing evaporator vane surface area is a function of the outdoor climate. Your 2 minute "estimate" would imply an OAT of >100F and an Rh of <20%

    And this "condition" is not restricted to HOT and Humid days, most modern day climate control system run the A/C all year around (primarily for dehumidification during the heating seasons) and so the evaporator vanes can be literally "choked" with moisture at any point the A/C is switched off.

    The growth of the microbes leading to the "dirty gym socks odor" is primarily between 60-70F in a dark, moist, "dank" environment. Say in your heated garage at night in the dead of winter.
  • mashoudmashoud Member Posts: 8
    The Avalons are notorious for Heating and Cooling problems and if you write to Toyota, you would not even receive a reply.
    As for the "fungal' problem and the stench, it is more likely that the interior cabin filter is plugged tight with pollen and debris and the stench starts there.
    I would change the filter which is located just under the glove box.
    You would find it black with moss and slime from the moisture.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    "Avalons are notorious..."

    As are LS400's, RX3X0's...

    In point of fact almost all passenger cars of asian origin since they primarily use HVAC designs, horribly FLAWED HVAC designs, by NipponDenso.

    I think I have read that the newer LS430's have a UV light inside the A/C plenum to belay/retard the growth of these microbes.

    Even worse, many US marque are now also suffering, due to this design flaw, as a result of the presence of NipponDenso in our shores as Denso US.

    But.

    Pollen filters undoubtedly help to prevent the formation of mold and mildew spores/microbes through denying them the "food" they need for growth. That isn't to say that an overage pollen filter wouldn't be a heavy contributor to bad odors.
  • amauhryamauhry Member Posts: 55
    Forgot to mention that for an effective killing, the bacterial disinfectant must be sprayed in the evaporator area (the entire core), since this is where most of the fungi are located.

    This also means that you have to do some "digging" in order to have access to the evaporator.

    Amaury
    '08 Limited
  • amauhryamauhry Member Posts: 55
    I haven&#146;t yet seen an HVAC system where the heater elements follow the evaporator coils. I have taken apart my own house HVAC (forced air, upright setup) where the heating elements (heat exchangers by natural gas) PRECEDES the evaporators coils and fins of the refrigeration cycle. This OEM setup is not pure coincidence; the HVAC manufacturer is using the heating season to kill a potential house problem, which could easily develop during winter under the coziness of a non-conditioned equipment room located in a cold, damp basement. True, during winter I know that the air is dryer (I have measured 24% rh in my house; I keep a well-calibrated hygrometer, with NIST traceability, in my basement), but I&#146;m aware of damped basement here in NYC during winter.

    I do not doubt what you&#146;re saying about the arrangement of the heater and evaporator in a car&#146;s HVAC, but I haven&#146;t seen it yet. If you could prove that your arrangement is the rule-of-thumb for car&#146;s HVAC (schematics for example), then I will learn something new and shut up.

    I have never, ever have a problem with foul smell in any of the car I&#146;ve owned because I practice what I&#146;ve explained earlier.

    Amaury
    &#146;08 Limited
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