Gabrius

Hey there Scion Life members.
I have a trip coming up that I planned with my wife, her sister, and her sisters boyfriend.
We are headed from Utah to Anaheim, California in May and out of all our vehicles the best option for comfort and gas mileage is going to be my wives 2005 Scion xB.
However there are some problems with it that I would like to get fixed up before we go. I am a DIY kind of guy and can complete most jobs with a little help from a DIY guide.
(I've installed air ride suspension on my MKV GLI, Water Pumps, Fuel Pumps inside gas tanks, etc. Some decently hard stuff in my opinion that I was able to do. Just to give you some of my background.)

Some info about the xB:
2005
115,XXX miles and counting.
Automatic
We have owned it since around September of 2013. We are the 3rd owner.

Issue 1: A/C is not working.

It doesn't blow cold but does blow warm/hot. If I turned the **** to blow air (whether it be cold or warm) the you can hear some type of squeak/rattle start, but once the air is turned off, it stops.

A friend of mine (not a mechanic, but has dealt with A/C on his own none Scion vehicles in the past) looked at the compressor one day as I sat in the car and pushed the AC button on and off and said that the clutch portion of the compressor looked like it was constantly engaged. Which kind of makes sense cause I feel like the gas mileage on it has been pretty poor to what most xB's seem to get.

I have talked with some shops around here and they have given me quotes any where from $1600-$2500. This would be replacing the whole A/C system. They said "All of it has to be replaced because there could be metal shrapnel in the lines that could cause, or already has caused damage to other components of the A/C system."

Is this true?
Does it sound like I need the whole system replaced from what I have explained is going on, or should I just replace the compressor?
Any other tips or information would be great. Especially a A/C system replacement DIY if anyone has a link.

Issue 2: Engine Rattling

The engine seems to rattle quite a bit while stopped, in drive. Seems to be a pretty common issue on these vehicles. I have done some searching and found a few different possibilities.

Air Intake Screws
Engine and/or Transmission Mounts/Bushings.
Serpentine Belt needing to be tightened.

I should be able to do this easily, but thought I might post this here while I was at it to maybe get links to DIY guides or for parts sources.

Other than that the car seems to be solid. If there is any thing else you would recommend doing before we leave on this trip, for this car at 115,XXX miles, please let me know.

Thanks for any tips and information!

P.S. Sorry if I seemed to ramble. I just wanted you to have all the information I have about my vehicle.

tersmurf

Not being negative to everyone so no offense, but it's so strange how on this forum I find so many people with issues with their XBs espeically at low mileage. I consider around 100K low. I'm a first owner of an 06 XB and I've got 204K miles on it. I haven't had one issue with my XB. I don't really baby it at all. I change oil usually every 6K miles. Sometimes 10K. I've never seen the check engine light come on. I do get the over heating light if the A/C is on and I'm idling for a long time. That's usually in the summer too.

The first break down. Just last Wednesday. I was so upset, but I guess it was coming sooner or later. My compressor went out and it was not even the compressor. It was the pully/clutch assembly. So about the compressor Gabruis these compressors are a different type. The clutch is internal. So your a/c clutch isn't always engaged like your friend thought. What he thought is true for most a/c clutches. You will see the clutch not spinning when a/c not on and spinning when engaged. Also you usually hear it click when it engages. Our type is always spinning and doesn't click probably because it being internal. Our compressors are also very light making it easy to remove and install. It's like only 5-10lbs. Got my compressor from O'Riely's for $414. For warranty I have to purchase the expansion valve and drier which costed another $60. Installed it all my self. Recharged my system and it's cold again. Well the system never failed so I expect it to work. Just one can of R134 was enough to charge the system.

About replacing the whole system, you would have to if the compressor broke inside and shreds of metal is in the lines. The shreds of metal will damage the compressor so replacing just the compressor would be a waste. If you're a savvy mechanic or like DIY you should take apart the whole system and see if you can find traces of metal in the lines. Some metal maybe stuck in the evaporator or condensor as those parts have small passages.

My XB doesn't rattle so not sure what it could be. Just let your car idle and listen for the sound outside.