A/C only works on the passenger side?

Tiny
CARLOS_
  • MEMBER
  • 2003 TOYOTA CAMRY
  • 2.4L
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 180,000 MILES
I have the car listed above LE model. The A/C only works on the passenger side. On the driver's side it just blows hot air. In the winter the heater only blows out of the driver's side and the passenger side blows fresh, almost cold air. I’ve pulled off and manually checked 3 blend door actuators. They all work fine. I am unsure if I am missing an actuator that I do not know of or if I’m looking at a different problem.
Thursday, July 20th, 2023 AT 5:01 PM

10 Replies

Tiny
JIS001
  • MECHANIC
  • 3,408 POSTS
Hi Carlos, I would recommend you have the refrigerant level checked first. Low refrigerant can cause one side to blow cold and the other side not. Here is a quick link you can review. If you need additional help let us know.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/a-comprehensive-guide-to-understanding-and-fixing-an-automotive-hvac-system-blowing
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Thursday, July 20th, 2023 AT 8:45 PM
Tiny
CARLOS_
  • MEMBER
  • 6 POSTS
I did a flush and recharged the system to its recommended amount. So that’s why this car has me beyond confused.
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Thursday, July 20th, 2023 AT 10:21 PM
Tiny
JIS001
  • MECHANIC
  • 3,408 POSTS
Do you have a scanner to scan the A/C and check for codes and to try and do a servo initialization? If you don't have one try your local parts store. They usually rent specialty tools to the public.
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Friday, July 21st, 2023 AT 9:36 AM
Tiny
CARLOS_
  • MEMBER
  • 6 POSTS
I have a regular scanner for engine codes but I’ll have to rent one of the higher end ones to check the A/C.
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Friday, July 21st, 2023 AT 7:03 PM
Tiny
JIS001
  • MECHANIC
  • 3,408 POSTS
I looked at the diagrams and only see 3 servos. See image below. When you removed the servos did you manually check the blend doors to make sure the move to both directions? Also if you are able to retrieve the codes post then so we can review them.
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Saturday, July 22nd, 2023 AT 8:30 AM
Tiny
CARLOS_
  • MEMBER
  • 6 POSTS
I replaced all 3 actuators now. My friend has the same body style and engine as my Camry his A/C works. We noticed that the A/C line going into the firewall on my car isn’t even getting cold and his is sweating from how cold it is. So, I’m assuming I’m looking at A/C compressor problem.
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Monday, August 14th, 2023 AT 2:08 PM
Tiny
JIS001
  • MECHANIC
  • 3,408 POSTS
You would need a shop to evacuate the system to see how much refrigerant you have. As stated earlier, low refrigerant will give symptoms of one side cold and the other side warm. During compressor failure, depending on the type of failure, the A/C will blow cold air when driving at Highway speeds and then ambient temp at idle. You can connect some Gages to monitor the pressures at 2500 RPM and give us the high and low readings to better direct you to the fault. Let us know. Aldo if you can get any fault codes that would really help.
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Wednesday, August 16th, 2023 AT 2:28 PM
Tiny
CARLOS_
  • MEMBER
  • 6 POSTS
Sorry it’s been a while but I still haven’t found a solution to my problem. As I’ve done all 3 blend doors and the a/c compressor. Still the same issue. Heater only works on the driver's side and A/C on the passenger side.
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Thursday, February 1st, 2024 AT 3:30 PM
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 42,904 POSTS
To me it sounds like the controller has gone bad, you should run the codes using a CAN scanner to confirm. You can get a CAN scanner (Controller Area Network) which will work on most cars from Amazon.

Here is a video to show you how:

https://youtu.be/u-4syLc-ifQ

and

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/can-scan-controller-area-network-easy

Here is how to change the controller out in case a code is stored for it. Check out the images (below). Please upload pictures or videos in your response to the problem so we can see what's going on.

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Saturday, February 3rd, 2024 AT 9:51 AM
Tiny
JIS001
  • MECHANIC
  • 3,408 POSTS
Have you been able to get it scanned for codes to see if you have servo codes? When replacing the servos, if not properly aligned could give you those symptoms but you would get a code for a malfunction? Also when replacing servos, did you check to see if the flaps were not binding or obstructed? I have found pennies and toys stuck in between those flaps. Let us know if you have any pending or current codes for the HVAC system. You would need an advance scanner and not the OBD readers you get from parts stores.
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Saturday, February 3rd, 2024 AT 8:38 PM

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