MAN842

Hello Razor, Sorry for the late reply; here's a link of a video of a 3UZ specialist in New Zealand, speaking about the AC system of the 2004-2006 models.

Hey James, Nope, I've had to leave it as I am quite busy with work 😞. I should start looking back into it before summer too. I did some reading and found out that when the AC system runs low on gas, it is detrimental to the AC compressor on these 2004-2006 LS430's. They are a direct drive system so they're sort of constantly on. When the gas leaks, something-something lack of lubrication something-something compressor kaboom 😀. My rear AC pipes have been blocked off just before I brought the car. I am assuming that it had a major gas leak that may have knackered my compressor. I look for used AC compressor in the UK that works (for the 2004-2006 model as they're unique) so I can scratch it off the list, and it seems I would have a higher chance of being struck by thunder as they seem to be the first part to be stripped from a breaking car XD. So James, my advice is, if your rear AC is capped off recently, it may indicate your AC compressor is knackered. Hopefully someone on this forum can confirm if this hypothesis makes sense or is bs.

yeah it does seem like mine could be a compressor fault aswell :,) I'm still going to contact one of the garages recommended here; I may be in luck and have something like a pressure switch sensor fault XD

Yes I have checked the condenser. It was looking fine. I still gave it a wash just in case. With regards to the two sensors, I think if I put the AC settings to MAX COLD, it should bypass the sensor readings and give maximum cooling? (btw AC still does not work at MAX COLD) so I think they're not an issue?

I shall look into them too. Thank you for the link, Howard 🙂

Thank you Mark! I will call them up and arrange a diagnosis ASAP

Hey Malcolm, thank you for your kind words. It's a 2nd gen LS430. I have to wind the windows down aswell :D. I may need to go abroad with the car, which is why I kinda wanna fix the AC, if I can, ASAP. If not, my family will be in for a nice ride of 40°C air slamming into their faces at 80mph 🙂.

Hello everyone! I have brought a Lexus LS430 with around 150,000 miles a few months ago. As the weather was very cold back in my initial ownership, I thought the AC was functioning, but as I am currently getting baked driving around in this heatwave, it clearly isn't. I have written down what I have done with this car in the following wall of text, so that it may help narrow down to the potential problem: When I press the AC button, I can hear an audible drop of RPM from the engine, as if to show the compressor is functioning. I went to KWIKFIT for a re-gas. The machine showed that it passed the leak test and was charged with around 900g of refrigerant. Still did not work. Whilst looking through the past service of the car, I found out that the car had its rear AC pipes capped off and filled with 700g of refrigerant. I took it back to KWIKFIT to drop the refrigerant to 650g; the AC still did not blow cold. I took the drivebelt off and moved the AC compressor pulley, which was moving very freely without any sounds/resistance. I ran the onboard AC diagnostic test and received the only code of "00", which means no fault? I recently had the "Change A/C Filter" code on the dash, way before noticing the AC not working. I took out the filter and reset the code to see if AC would work, but no luck. I did the timing belt and water pump change myself on this car as soon as I brought it. During the works, I did have to loosen the bolts holding the AC compressor and move it slightly out of the way. Could I have pinched a line or whatnot? I have taken the car to an AC specialist. He mentioned that it seemed the magnetic clutch was stuck on, therefore needing a new compressor. But after research, I find out that the LS430 AC Compressor does not have a magnetic clutch; it is a direct drive type. It seems he misdiagnosed the problem, which making me fairly hesitant on moving forth with what he said, as I don't want to ball out major ££££ to make a repair that does not fix the issue. I have visited further garages for second opinions and have been met with inconsistent thoughts. I am quite stuck with this issue. I thought it could be a common issue with the LS430, which can be solved easily. Is there anyone who experienced a similar story with my car? I am quite a handy person, so if there are a couple certain things the problem could be, I may be able to fix it myself. I just need some guidance. Also, is there anyone that can recommend me an AC specialist that has some experience with the LS430 models? I live in Potters Bar and would commute quite a remarkable distance to have a solid diagnosis :D.