2004 Toyota Sienna Airconditioning in van

MEGHALAYA

MEMBER
2004 TOYOTA SIENNA
160 MILES

Hi, I have a Toyota van 2004. Recently, the ac began blowing warm air, not hot, through the vent on the driver's side. The passenger side vent still blew cool (ac) air. I took it to the mechanic to have it just diagnosed. When I got it back I was told that there's a leak that would need to be fixed. I paid the labour fee and left wanting to think it over whether to have it fixed right away or wait. I decided to wait but to my dismay, I found now I don't have any ac at all. I took it back to the garage and told them so. Then they surprised me with the information that that they drained the refrigerant entirely because there was a leak. They didn't say how big the leak was. They also told me that there's a law that doesn't allow a mechanic to let the vehicle go without draining the refrigerant if there's a leak. We have no means to fix the leak right now and we now have no ac as well. Just tell me please, is this true that there's such a law in Ontario, Canada? I need to know because I can't help but feel that it's a misinformation.

6 Replies

DOCFIXIT

MECHANIC
18,828 POSTS

Canadian law does prohibit adding or leaving freon in system. Shop was doing the right thing. In USA you can put R-134A into a leaking system

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Friday, July 26th, 2013 AT 9:38 AM

MEGHALAYA

MEMBER
4 POSTS

Thanks for your time! My real problem is that I wish that they had communicated that fact to me when I was making the appointment or before they took the actual action of draining it and acting like they did nothing but diagnose it. I'd expected them to diagnose it and let me be the one to decide what I want to do about it.

I have one more question for you, what is the real problem with leaving freon in the system. Is it dangerous/unsafe because 1. It is flammable 2. Environmentally toxic or something else? Couldn't I have had it still in the system until the ac completely stops working. I still don't buy the part where "the law" prohibits the mechanic from allowing the vehicle to leave the shop without draining it first, with or without consent.

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Friday, July 26th, 2013 AT 10:13 AM

DOCFIXIT

MECHANIC
18,828 POSTS

EPA takes freon leaking into atmosphere very seriously freon gas deplets the Ozone lay that protects Earth ie. People, animals ect. From very harmful radiation from the sun. You must have hear this over the past 40 yrs.

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Friday, July 26th, 2013 AT 11:37 AM

MEGHALAYA

MEMBER
4 POSTS

Thanks for your time again! Excellent information about environmental issues related to the subject. I agree that I simply must do my part to help reduce such harmful effects on this planet! I now have only the problem of really understanding what happened - that I took in my van with a problem of airconditioning in one vent just to have the whole ac in my van removed altogether and paid a good sum of money to have that done, too. It's like sending in your child to the dentist for a cleaning and the good conscientious dentist decides spontaneously, without parental consent, to remove the tooth altogether because he spotted a decay in it. If the good doctor had just come out to talk to the parent and tell her/him that that what's needed to be done for the benefit of the child, wouldn't there have been a reasonable response? At this time, law or no law and environmental issues aside, I can't help but feel manipulated to spend tons more money, which I don't have, getting my ac back. But again, thanks for your quick response. I appreciate it.

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Friday, July 26th, 2013 AT 12:22 PM

DOCFIXIT