Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us
Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network
HomeAnnouncements
Discussion Groups
By Brand
BMWChevroletDodgeFordGMHondaLexusMercedes-BenzNissanPeugeotToyotaVolkswagenOther Brands
By Topic
4x4 CarsRVsDrivingMaintenance & RepairCar AudioCollectible Cars
Country Specific
Australian ForumsUK Forums
ArticlesAuto InsuranceBuyingCars & TechnologyMaintenanceMiscellaneousSafety
DMV Resources
Related Topics
MotorcyclesBoatsMore Topics ...

Car Forum / Toyota / Toyota Trucks / December 2006

Tip: Looking for answers? Try searching our database.

2003 Highlander AC/Heat problem

Thread view: 
Enable EMail Alerts  Start New Thread
Thread rating: 
thomaskblair - 23 Dec 2006 20:17 GMT
My 2003 highlander switches between AC to Heat constantly.  It is acting
like the temperature controller is being moved between cold and hot every
few seconds.

Any ideas as to what I should check first?

Thanks
Noon-Air - 23 Dec 2006 21:22 GMT
> My 2003 highlander switches between AC to Heat constantly.  It is acting
> like the temperature controller is being moved between cold and hot every
> few seconds.
>
> Any ideas as to what I should check first?

The Yellow Pages  for a tech to straighten out the mess you made when you
tried to install that new thermostat you got from Home Depot.
Noon-Air - 23 Dec 2006 22:06 GMT
>> My 2003 highlander switches between AC to Heat constantly.  It is acting
>> like the temperature controller is being moved between cold and hot every
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> The Yellow Pages  for a tech to straighten out the mess you made when you
> tried to install that new thermostat you got from Home Depot.

Oops... sorry... wrong group :-)
Bruce L. Bergman - 24 Dec 2006 07:37 GMT
>>> My 2003 highlander switches between AC to Heat constantly.  It is acting
>>> like the temperature controller is being moved between cold and hot every
>>> few seconds.
>>>
>>> Any ideas as to what I should check first?

 First figure out exactly what's it's doing to give you the Hot-Cold
swings, then you can figure out how to cure it - Is the AC Compressor
running constantly, cycling on and off, or not running at all?  Engine
temperature gauge steady of bouncing?  Heater hoses hot (open heater
valve) or not?  Can you see the heater valve linkage to tell whether
it is cycling?  How about the blend doors, Heat/Defrost/Air door or
the Fresh/Recirc door?

 My first thought is the radiator coolant level is way low, and you
have air pockets cutting the heat flow intermittently.  If the cab
temperature control panel is sending signals to the AC compressor and
heater valve alternately, it could be the cabin temperature sensor is
bad and giving it a comfort temperature target that keeps moving...

 Another thing that the dashboard controls like to do is get cold
solder joints between the circuit board and the potentiometers and
switches.  If you can push on one corner of the Fan Speed Switch or
the Temperature Slider and everything returns to normal while you are
pushing, pull out the controls and resolder everything.

 Give us a bit more to work with here.

>> The Yellow Pages  for a tech to straighten out the mess you made when you
>> tried to install that new thermostat you got from Home Depot.
>
>Oops... sorry... wrong group :-)

 You are supposed to restrict the snarky one-liners to alt.hvac,
where the norm is to treat everyone like they're trying to take the
bread out of your mouth.

 Over here, we try to give honest and useful answers...  ;-P

  --<< Bruce >>--
thomaskblair - 24 Dec 2006 13:05 GMT
>>>> My 2003 highlander switches between AC to Heat constantly.  It is
>>>> acting
[quoted text clipped - 39 lines]
>
>   --<< Bruce >>--

When this started the other day, whenever I turned the fan switch on, the
air was immediately hot, but if I turned the temperature control a 1/4 turn
toward heat and back to cold, the air would go back to being cold.  The
constant change between hot and cold does not happen all the time, but the
above does.

Thanks for your help
Danny G. - 30 Dec 2006 17:52 GMT
>>> My 2003 highlander switches between AC to Heat constantly.  It is acting like the temperature controller is being moved between
>>> cold and hot every few seconds.
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> Oops... sorry... wrong group :-)

LOL... the alt.HVAC newsgroup is beyond useless
Tekkie® - 27 Dec 2006 01:05 GMT
Noon-Air posted for all of us...

> > My 2003 highlander switches between AC to Heat constantly.  It is acting
> > like the temperature controller is being moved between cold and hot every
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> The Yellow Pages  for a tech to straighten out the mess you made when you
> tried to install that new thermostat you got from Home Depot.

Wrong newsgroup there Nooner - ha ha ha
Signature

Tekkie  Don't bother to thank me, I do this as a public service.

 
Sign In
Join
My Latest Posts
My Monitored Threads
My Blog
My Photo Gallery
My Profile
My Homepage

Start New Thread
Enable EMail Alerts
Rate this Thread



©2008 Advenet LLC   Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.