1995 Toyota Corolla Automotive AC will not stay on

THEQUIETSHADOW

MEMBER
1995 TOYOTA COROLLA
4 CYL
FWD
AUTOMATIC
190,000 MILES

My AC in the car will work fine for about 30 seconds, then will get warm. An employee at an auto parts shop checked my fluid level. It read normal for a short time, then read low. He filled it for me, but it didn't solve the problem, just made it a little quieter.
So on a normal day, I will tun it on and it will work, then about 30 seconds later it starts to make a grinding like noise and it warms back up. We check the pipes and it seems that the pipes are getting cool, just not the air in the car.

Also, I don't know if it's related to the problem electrically, but when I'm at a red light and my turn signal is on, the car's idle fluctuates. Only when the turn signal is on.

5 Replies

KHLOW2008

MECHANIC
41,814 POSTS

Hi TheQuietShadow,

Thank you for the donation.

When the air started gfetting hot, did you check if the compressor and cooling fans were working then?

Where is the grinding noise coming from?

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Sunday, July 11th, 2010 AT 3:50 AM

THEQUIETSHADOW

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3 POSTS

I did check them. The noise is comeing from the compressor. It only makes the sound when the a/c switch is on, but it is more of a whiring sound.

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Sunday, July 11th, 2010 AT 11:45 AM

KHLOW2008

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This indiactes the compressor is failing. Check if the noise is only from the compressor clutch.

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Sunday, July 11th, 2010 AT 2:19 PM

THEQUIETSHADOW

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3 POSTS

I have and it is. Also note that when the parts salesman was filling the gas for me, when he tipped the can upside down it seemed to silence the sound, untill he tilted the can upright again. I'm thinking that I want to take it in to have it refilled, but I don't want to pay another $100 and not have the problem solved. Do you have any suggestions on this or anything else?

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Sunday, July 11th, 2010 AT 6:09 PM

KHLOW2008

MECHANIC
41,814 POSTS

Insufficient freon would not cause any noise from the compressor. I am not sure why the noise disappears while refilling.

I would suggest getting a pressure test done for both the high and low pressure lines to understand the state of freon levle in the system before proceeding further.

Unless we understand what is causing the problem, otherwise it would be a waste of money to be moving around without any clear idea of what we are doing.