If I remember right, the TSB included a test to see if the AC was already blowing cold enough. I think it was a specific temp they were looking for (as opposed to a delta) Makes sense the warmer the day the less chance you'll get below that temp. I'd wait, or call the next dealer down the road

 

Does anyone know up to what month of production the XB airconditioner was affected by this TSB.

For instance, did they start produciing the Xb at the factory with the new a/c system say...... in November 2004?

 

Nope. Neither TSB specifies a test. All the TSB says is that there has to be is a "specific customer complaint".

The TSBs are available here:

http://www.club-swat.com/~scion/files/

The ones you want are the ones with the prefix "AC..."

 

I wonder if there's a downside to the new compressor, like reduced power and increased fuel consumption. I'm guessing they didn't make it standard equipment on 2005's for that reason.

 

whats wrong with your free 4/60 unit

 

Bwaahhh haa haa...wait, that stopped being funny when I was like 15.

Anyway, I called my dealer and they told me that I need to come in at my convenience. Does anyone know how long they will need my car? I can't really afford to go without a car right now.

 

Well, my guess is that they are upgrading the Echo AC system to something more like a Corolla or Camry, so it will probably use a bit more power. However, I see no difference between my summer and winter mileage, so the AC doesn't seem to have a significant effect.

 

I just got back from the dealer and here is what I learned.

The parts listed in the TSB are NOT UPGRADED parts. They are the exact same as what's installed in the factory. The TSB is for those vehicles with defective A/C from the factory. The parts won't make properly functioning A/C systems work better, only fix the ones that aren't. In other words, Toyota is saying it's a parts manufacturing problem, not an A/C system design flaw.

What is "working properly" you might ask? I did. Their standard is that the pressure in the cooling lines should be up to spec and air COMING OUT OF THE VENTS should be 45 degrees. They checked my A/C, and even on a morning when it was only 70 degrees outside, the best my system could do was 52 degrees.

So the dealer is ordering up the parts to fix my A/C and will do the work under warranty.

 

punk, let us know, im VERY interested to knwow the outcome of this, as i am considering getting this done as well...


thanks
C

 

Has anyone in the greater Boston, MA area had this done yet? Which dealership did the work?

In the TSB the radiator support gets new "packing" which appears to be shims. What is that supposed to do and even if one doesn't opt for the full service do these "packings" make sense?

 

RETURNING AND REPORTING

Got a call last week from the service guy saying the parts were in. We set up the repairs for today.

I pulled up at 8:00 AM and the guy was waiting for me. I didn't even need to identify myself. The paperwork was ready and I signed it. He took me to the loaner car guy (covered under warranty service) who handed me the keys to a Matrix XR. Away I went.

Even though the job requires replacing about a dozen parts, including the compressor, condenser and heater box, they called at 1:45 to say it was done.

I drove back to the dealer, gave the keys to the Matrix back to the loaner guy, checked in with the service rep, and a guy brought my car around, all ready to go and cranking out genuinely chilly air. (I'll have to put a thermometer on it to see if it's the specified 45 degrees.)

All in all, a painless experience.

So, Charlotte area Scion owners, based on that experience, I recommend Town & Country Toyota. So much more professional than the folks at Lake Norman Toyota who took 7 hours to do a spring install and alignment and then tried to claim that was normal.

 

That dealer is saying that every compressor, condenser, and associated part that is being replaced on each affected car is defective, but those on the next car down the assembly line were fine? That is a pretty big stretch! How did all those defective components manage to find each other on individual cars?

Condensers and compressors are expensive, and there's no way that Toyota would replace them as a set without a very good reason. All the ancillary work specified by the 27-page TSB also contradicts the dealer's assertion. If they are just replacing defective parts, why the extra work?

Edit: The parts may not be "upgraded" in that they are the same as the parts _currently_ installed at the factory. However, I'll bet that they _are_ different than the parts installed on early Scions!

I've learned that any statement by a representative of the dealer needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

George

 

I just checked mine today cuz the a/c performane is way weak but to my surprise i got 45-46 degrees. so damn.

 

I set up the thermometers and got the following data:

Outside Air Temperature 67F

Controls set to maximum cold, fresh air.

With blower set on lowest speed, outlet temperature varied from 48 to 50.

With blower set on highest speed, outlet temperature varied from 52 to 54.

Considering the low OAT, I have a definite feeling of AC weakness.

 

yeah geourge sounds like ya could stand to go in for the tsb.

 

i'm in the duncanville area - i have a black cherry pearl 04 xb. my a/c wasn't blowing cold enough either and i had the tsb done and got the new parts that you listed in your original post. i noticed it wasn't blowing cold enough and told them to take a look at it and they ended up changing the parts out. they didn't say anything about qualifying for it up front or anything - i just told them my problem and i got it done.

 

If you set the A/C to max, you should use the recirculation mode. Most A/Cs do it automatically, but not the xB.

 

With the low OAT, it didn't matter if the system recirculated or not.

 

Well, I asked that it be checked and it was - on a day that had a peak temp under 70F later on, it allegedly tested "OK" by blowing 46F air out it's vents in the early afternoon. (And yes, mine is within the S/N range covered by the TSB...)

No corrective work was done 'cause the tech felt that 46F output with the outside air in the 60's and the car not warm from being in the sun or whatever was just fine.

I'm more used to vehicle air that could get frost on the vents...

When we get to consistant warmer temps I'll give it another try, I guess.

 

Any chance this TSB will apply to the tC too? I have no complaints about our '05 xB but the A/C on my tC is not quite up to the task. I have tinted windows which should reduce the solar heating and make it easier on the A/C, but the Texas heat beats it every time, and its only in the mid 90's. I'm scared for when it gets up to 115... for weeks on end...

Also my tC A/C once made my cd player quit working, when I got the CD out it was wet with condensation! But its only happened once so maybe it was just a freak thing. The cd player has worked fine since.