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Compressor Failure?

superchargingmachine on Thu July 22, 2010 12:00 PM User is offline

Year: 2001
Make: Lexus
Model: IS300
Engine Size: 3.0
Refrigerant Type: R134A
Ambient Temp: 85
Pressure Low: 90
Pressure High: 110
Country of Origin: United States

I seem to have had a compressor failure. While driving down the road I thought I heard the compressor kick out and the air went from ice cold to no ac. Further inspection showed the clutch spinning and the AC fan running. I took it to the shop and they put gauges on it. Without the car running the high and low side were equal at 100-110psi, from memory. Turning the car and AC on showed the low side pull down just slightly and the high side not change at all. The mechanic turned the car off and rotated the compressor by hand and said it's the compressor. His conclusion was that it took no force to rotate the compressor so it must not be making any pressure. Does this sound like a valve failure?

The compressor was a Lexus re-manufactured unit I installed 2 years ago. When I bought the car the AC didn't work and there was a hole in the side of the compressor.

bohica2xo on Thu July 22, 2010 12:16 PM User is offline

Ouch. Of all the cars to do that on - twice.

With a previous compressor failure on that car, flushing is very important. The Replacement Compressor for that vehicle is more than a thousand dollars. The last thing I would want is to take out the replacement part with some debris from the previous failed compressor.

Spend the 260 bucks on a new condensor, it is cheap insurance.

B.

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"Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the act of depriving a whole nation of arms, as the blackest."
~ Mahatma Gandhi, Gandhi, An Autobiography, M. K. Gandhi, page 446.

superchargingmachine on Thu July 22, 2010 12:40 PM User is offline

I just had the condensor replace less than 6 months ago due to a minor fender bender. But, is that the most likely place for crud to wind up?

Does the mechanics diagnosis make sense anyone who knows more about these compressors?

Edited: Thu July 22, 2010 at 12:43 PM by superchargingmachine

bohica2xo on Thu July 22, 2010 1:36 PM User is offline

Reman compressor, then a failure after a collision repair. Anything else?

Was the condensor replaced by a body shop? Was it a new part? Was the dryer serviced at that time?

B.

-------------------------
"Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the act of depriving a whole nation of arms, as the blackest."
~ Mahatma Gandhi, Gandhi, An Autobiography, M. K. Gandhi, page 446.

superchargingmachine on Thu July 22, 2010 2:35 PM User is offline

The condensor wasn't actually ruptured the bottom frame of the condensor was bent. The body shop said it would be best to replace it. I don't know if they replaced the dryer and filter but they are mounted right in the side of the condensor so I'm guessing they would have. It looks to me that the condensor was a new unit.

I installed the Lexus re-manufactured compressor the first summer after I bought the car and realized I didn't have AC. I replaced the dryer and filter at that time. I had a shop evacuate the system and recharge it. The shop also added the oil to the system. The original filter and dryer that I removed were clean, with no sign of contamination. The AC worked great for at least 2 years after that.

The way the part failed just seemed strange for a mechanical failure. I would have expected some noise or degradation in performance but this was like someone turned the switch off. I'm just wondering if anyone else has experienced a similar failure before I buy another rather expensive compressor.

superchargingmachine on Fri July 23, 2010 9:01 AM User is offline

Bump - Has anyone had a failure like this?

Update - I just bought a cheap used compressor off CraigsList. I should have it early next week. I will post the results. I plan to change the dryer and filter unless I find debris in the system when I tear into it.

Edited: Fri July 23, 2010 at 9:52 AM by superchargingmachine

superchargingmachine on Mon August 02, 2010 3:00 PM User is offline

I swapped out the compressor over the weekend. The old one is definitely not pumping anything. You can rotate the unit and it doesn't make a sound. Do these compressors have some sort of valve plate in them? Can they be replaced?

Edited: Mon August 02, 2010 at 3:03 PM by superchargingmachine

1stbscout on Mon August 02, 2010 10:21 PM User is offlineView users profile

Working from memory here.... isn't the compressor a vane type on the Lexus?

if it is it does not have a valve plate.

TRB on Mon August 02, 2010 10:55 PM User is offlineView users profile

Compressor Type DENSO
Part Description COMP 7SBU16H PV6 4.75 LEXUS GS300 3.0L 98-04
Compressor Model 7SBU16H
Clutch Diameter 121mm
Oil Type PAG 46


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