5th & 6th Generation (2002-2006 & 2007-2011)Toyota Camry Discussion for years: 2002-2006 & 2007-2011
Topics of discussion range from fuel economy, safety, modifications, performance all involving America's favorite family car, the Toyota Camry.
hey guys, the 'rents have a 05 camry le, and are having a/c issues.
the compressor tries to cycle on, but shuts down within a second or 2.
refrigerant level is good, and dont seem to have any leaks in the system.
when it tries to cycle on, it seems like the motor bogs more than normal till it shuts itself down, and while driving you can definetly feel it cycle on and off.
im thinking the clutch or pump itself is going bad, but am wondering if there is somthing else i should be checking before i go ahead and get a replacement pump.
thanks!
Well, hummm... If it is cycling on for just one or two seconds then I don't know how you can see normal pressures. It doesn't have time to get there. What you are describing is the low pressure valve cutting off the compressor. If you trace the refrigerant lines between the compressor and the the firewall you will find a valve with two wires attached. Pull the electrical connection off and short the two wires with a paper clip or something for a few seconds and see if the compressor then continues to engage. If it does, and you are certain that the system is properly charged, then the failure is with the low pressure cut off valve.
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2007 V6 Camry LE, Built TMMK 27 September 06
"People who think they know it all are particularly irritating to those of us who do."
when you turn on the a/c, do the cooling fans come on...? if not, then the head pressure will be too high and this will cause the cut-out switch to shut down. it "could be" a bad compressor clutch. it could be that the power is being shut off, maybe from the high pressure switch as i said, or it could just be a bad pressure switch. you would need a service manual to find where this switch is located. you might be able to jump it, to confirm whether or not the clutch is bad, or if its popping off due to the cooling fans not coming on automatically when the a/c is turned on.
and if you did you a pressure gauge, but the compressor shuts off after a few seconds, this may not be enough time to make a good diagnoses. you might actually have a leak, inside the dashboard, under the engine, where ever the lines go. if its a bad evaporator, since its inside the dashboard, that as you know will entail a very arduous removal of the dash for a better look.
He said that the compressor only kicks on for a second or two, so the pressure isn't getting high enough to trip the high pressure cut off. The cooling fans might not even be coming at this point. Clutches generally work or don't work. Sometimes they will begin to slip when under a load. The OP's is cutting in and then out in a couple seconds. The OP says the system is properly charged. I actually doubt it and suspect he is just low on refrigerant.
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2007 V6 Camry LE, Built TMMK 27 September 06
"People who think they know it all are particularly irritating to those of us who do."
sorry, i should have given a little more detail.
at a cold start, i turned on the a/c and it did engage, and work for a while, with normal fan operation and all (prolly 5-7 minutes, this is when i checked the pressure.) after inquiring with the 'rents, ( i thought maybe mom was just going crazy...lol) they said that it was worse during and after driving, so i took it out for a ride, and thats when the symptoms i discribed in my first post became apparent.
i will try to make it over to theyre house today and check the low pressure valve. thanks for the help so far guys!
So, as the interior temp goes down over time, so does do the high and low pressures, so at a point the low side pressure is too low and it trips the switch. Check the suction side over a few minutes, rev the engine some and watch as the pressure drops. See if you can note the moment the compressor kicks out and what the pressure was. If this is the scenario, add a few ounces of refrigerant. You might have a very slow leak. Check around the valves with soapy water for starters. A perfectly good system can loose a little refrigerant over time--an ounce or two a year.
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2007 V6 Camry LE, Built TMMK 27 September 06
"People who think they know it all are particularly irritating to those of us who do."
just to follow up on this, i talked to a toyota tech friend, who suggested it was the a/c magnetic clutch relay.
16$ later, all fixed.
thanks for the help guys.
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