Ac Failure

[21gg]

Well after a nice weekend at Brooklands my AC packed up on the way home, the cars going in for service in a few weeks so I'm leaving it till then.

  Needless to say the cars 6 month out of warranty but I've had plenty done in warranty so cant complain. After wiping the fault code (which my reader couldn't read) the car runs fine but stops immediately when the ac button is pushed. It makes a little squeak before stopping. I'm thinking when the ac clutch engages, if the compressor is seized then it may explain the symptoms.

  So naturally I started looking at compressor prices..... £1500 + vat list!! Funnily enough though there are plenty of Toyota V6 ones in the states for a lot less. Has anyone looked into this or found the equivalent Toyota part no? I had a quick look at mine but its impossible to see without taking the under tray etc off which I've not had time to do yet.

 

Cheers

 

Gav

[21gg]

Had the car serviced and they have confirmed that the compressor is buggered. The lotus price is £1500! However It looks like Ive identified the exact toyota one and have got one on its was from the good old USA for a lot less. Just have to wait and see now!

 

Gav

[Ryanmt]

Interested to see how you go on with this as I suspect mine may be going a similar way. Please keep the thread updated :-)

 

Do you have any info on the part you have ordered? I read a thread on lotustalk that said the main body is used on quite a few other cars but the clutch is possibly bespoke to the evora?

[Ryanmt]

Just did some googling

 

Heres some pics of a compressor of a Camry

 

http://imgur.com/a/VQ6GO

 

2007-2011 Camry - 6 cyl
2007-2012 Avalon - 6 cyl

 

Does anybody have some pictures of the one on the evora they could post up? Even just an underbelly shot might be useful.

I found a pic of the evora engine on wikipedia and it looks different to the camry one -

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/Lotus_Evora_engine.jpg
 

Edited May 22, 2014 by Ryanmt

[Brendonian]

I've only just seen this thread. Strangely, my air-con failed on the same day, but on the way to Brooklands. I'm led to believe my problem is a leak. Hoping it's not the compressor at that price!

[21gg]

Mine had a seal go last year so hopefully it will be that. I've found two compressors, one oem denso and a second which is a 'random' manufacture. The only difference between the two seem to be a small bracket which is a separate part in the lotus part list and presumably can be removed from the original. Here is a picture of the non oem one.

 

http://techchoiceparts.com/Content/parts/original/162455_o.jpg

 

I have had a boroscope down and confirmed that it is the one with the separate casting/adaptor? bolted on and confirmed the casting code on the side of the oem one. It doesn't look like the one in the parts book or on the engine picture link above.

 

Ive just got to wait for its arrival from the US now and get it fitted before I can confirm part numbers etc. I don't want to post duff information up as I suspect it may become more useful and relevant the more Evora's come out of warranty!

 

Gav

[Brendonian]

Lotus Silverstone have had a look at my car, and it seems that the pipes around the receiver-drier are badly corroded, and there's at least one leak there. They ran out of time to fix it this week, so they're going to do an estimate for me next week. Not sure if the pipes are accessible without removing the front clam.

[21gg]

Well it arrived today, looks right as far as i can tell, £240 all in. Booked in for fitment on the 18th, fingers crossed.

 

Gav

[superdavelotus]

That's a good find, do you have a part number?

 

 

[21gg]

I do but don't want to post it until I'm sure it fits, I will find out tomorrow.

Gav

[21gg]

It FITS! I will post up part number etc later when I get home.

 

Gav

[21gg]

Here we go:-

 

Lotus Part Number                                          A132E6349S

Toyota/DENSO  Part Number                          8832042120

UAC Part number                                            UAC CO 10856C

 

FROM A  USA TOYOTA RAV 4 3.5L V6  2006-2012

 

The non oem (UAC) one was $160 + p&p + duty, in all £240 (off USA Ebay). The lotus unit is £1500!

 

Gav

Edited June 19, 2014 by 21gg_

[21gg]

Added to the the sel0c techwiki, I think!

 

Gav

Edited June 19, 2014 by 21gg_

[Brendonian]

Can we assume it not only fits, but also works as intended?

[21gg]

Yes, it fits and works fine (probably cursed it now!), no complaints from chris neils when fitting so all good. 

 

Gav

[Brendonian]

Excellent! A great result for you, and the whole Evora community.

[Al]

Just been catching up on well overdue Evora reading as have been too busy to read every post this last few months. 

 

The squeak you mentioned in an early post is a very good indication that the AC clutch is going.  I have heard it on 2 cars now followed by a change of either or both clutches and compressors.  I would usually hear it when starting the car to put into garage and the drive is slightly uphill.  Start and quiet, and then soon after squeak started as I slipped clutch as moving slowly into tight garage.  The squeak was the AC drive belt slipping.  One car only required new belt and AC clutch. Seems the car starts with the AC clutch disengaged to reduce start load

 

Another symptom is shortly after starting up when your dash is warning free a spanner warning lamp then comes on and wasn't going out until car was warned up and been driving for a bit. Of course that can come up for a multitude of things but dealers first guess was right with other symptoms.

 

Anyway good news that you have found a solution as my car is now out of warranty although compressor will hopefully get me close to the 6 year mark if the first managed 35 months! Fingers crossed

[Ryanmt]

Might not always be the clutch going can be the compressor itself siezing too from running dry. Im not sure if the evora aircon has a pressure switch in the system? If you run the aircon without any gas + oil in then it kanckers the compressor + fills the system with garbage

Ive got a new denso one to go on that i brought back from my trip to the usa. (Thanks to Gav). Going to fit it myself but will get an aircon specalist to vac the system first and do a full clean. After fitting ill get them vac test again clean then gas.. hopefully itll be working then. Just in time for winter