Blinking A/C light, 02 ES300

[njbok]

Tonight noticed that "A/C" light was blinking. (I leave the climate control
on AUTO all the time.) I have never seen this light blink before - It's
always on steady. I played with the thermostat to check the heat and
cooling. Heat worked ok, but A/C was just blowing fresh air.

Checked the 10A A/C fuse and it's good. Belts are ok. The book, of course,
doesn't mention this condition. Has anyone ever seen this ? I know the A/C
isn't working, but I figure maybe this blinking light might be a more
specific indicator of what might be the problem (like maybe something
cheaper than a new compressor.)

I've never had a problem with the system before.

I DID make the mistake yesterday of telling a friend that I've never had a
problem with the car other than the hesitation/firmware trans problem. Don't
ever tell anyone that you've never had a problem with anything.

[Ray O]

Post by njbok
Tonight noticed that "A/C" light was blinking. (I leave the climate control
on AUTO all the time.) I have never seen this light blink before - It's
always on steady. I played with the thermostat to check the heat and
cooling. Heat worked ok, but A/C was just blowing fresh air.
Checked the 10A A/C fuse and it's good. Belts are ok. The book, of course,
doesn't mention this condition. Has anyone ever seen this ? I know the A/C
isn't working, but I figure maybe this blinking light might be a more
specific indicator of what might be the problem (like maybe something
cheaper than a new compressor.)
I've never had a problem with the system before.
I DID make the mistake yesterday of telling a friend that I've never had a
problem with the car other than the hesitation/firmware trans problem. Don't
ever tell anyone that you've never had a problem with anything.

The only question I see in your post is if anyone has ever seen the blinking
AC light - I have.

Answering the unasked question of why the light is blinking and how to make
it stop blinking...

The light is blinking because the AC system has detected a difference
between the engine speed and the AC compressor speed. As a safeguard, the
system de-energizes the AC compressor to prevent damage to the system.
Differences between the AC compressor speed and engine speed can happen if
the AC compressor drive belt is slipping, or if there is something wrong
internally with the compressor. The belt can slip if it has been in service
for a long time, like over 60,000 miles, or when driving through a deep
puddle.

Turning the AC compressor off and back on should re-cycle the system. If it
does not, then the problem still exists; the belt is still slipping, there
is a problem with the AC compressor speed sensor, there is a problem with
the compressor, or there is a problem with the AC amplifier.

[njbok]

On 4/7/07 10:23 PM, in article
c1a66$4618522e$47c2b532$***@msgid.meganewsservers.com, "Ray O"
<rokigawaATtristarassociatesDOTcom> wrote:

The belt can slip if it has been in service

Post by Ray O
for a long time, like over 60,000 miles, or when driving through a deep
puddle.

Thanks Ray. I haven't gone thru any puddles but the car has about 77k, and
the belt is the original. I tried shutting system off & on, but still light
blinks and no AC. I'll have to check/replace belt, I suppose, and hope it's
not the compressor.

Thanks guys.

[Ray O]

Post by njbok
On 4/7/07 10:23 PM, in article
The belt can slip if it has been in service

Post by Ray O
for a long time, like over 60,000 miles, or when driving through a deep
puddle.

Thanks Ray. I haven't gone thru any puddles but the car has about 77k, and
the belt is the original. I tried shutting system off & on, but still light
blinks and no AC. I'll have to check/replace belt, I suppose, and hope it's
not the compressor.
Thanks guys.

Hopefully, it's just the belt.

If a new belt does not solve the problem, check the AC compressor speed
sensor for a 2002 V6 Camry at http://oregonstate.edu/~tongt/camry/index.html

Good luck!

[JL]

Post by njbok
Tonight noticed that "A/C" light was blinking. (I leave the climate control
on AUTO all the time.) I have never seen this light blink before - It's
always on steady. I played with the thermostat to check the heat and
cooling. Heat worked ok, but A/C was just blowing fresh air.
Checked the 10A A/C fuse and it's good. Belts are ok. The book, of course,
doesn't mention this condition. Has anyone ever seen this ? I know the A/C
isn't working, but I figure maybe this blinking light might be a more
specific indicator of what might be the problem (like maybe something
cheaper than a new compressor.)
I've never had a problem with the system before.
I DID make the mistake yesterday of telling a friend that I've never had a
problem with the car other than the hesitation/firmware trans problem. Don't
ever tell anyone that you've never had a problem with anything.

Can't help you, but when I run through a big puddle in my 05 RX330, the
AC light blinks and I have no AC.

[St. John Smythe]

Post by njbok
Tonight noticed that "A/C" light was blinking. (I leave the climate control
on AUTO all the time.) I have never seen this light blink before - It's
always on steady. I played with the thermostat to check the heat and
cooling. Heat worked ok, but A/C was just blowing fresh air.
Checked the 10A A/C fuse and it's good. Belts are ok. The book, of course,
doesn't mention this condition. Has anyone ever seen this ? I know the A/C
isn't working, but I figure maybe this blinking light might be a more
specific indicator of what might be the problem (like maybe something
cheaper than a new compressor.)

Ray will probably have more authoritative information, but one of the
commonest causes of poor cooling is low refrigerant level, much cheaper
to rectify than a new compressor.

[Ray O]

Post by St. John Smythe

Post by njbok
Tonight noticed that "A/C" light was blinking. (I leave the climate control
on AUTO all the time.) I have never seen this light blink before - It's
always on steady. I played with the thermostat to check the heat and
cooling. Heat worked ok, but A/C was just blowing fresh air.
Checked the 10A A/C fuse and it's good. Belts are ok. The book, of course,
doesn't mention this condition. Has anyone ever seen this ? I know the A/C
isn't working, but I figure maybe this blinking light might be a more
specific indicator of what might be the problem (like maybe something
cheaper than a new compressor.)

Ray will probably have more authoritative information, but one of the
commonest causes of poor cooling is low refrigerant level, much cheaper
to rectify than a new compressor.
--
St. John
insert pithy quote here

Yes, one, if not the most common cause of poor cooling is low refrigerant
level, but the blinking light indicates that the AC compressor is not
energized.

[Steve Larson]

It's a relay, my 02 ES300 did the exact same thing. Had the work done at
the local Toyota dealer, they said the 2002 Camry had the same problem with
a quirky relay, but they never notified customers of a recall. I suspect it
might have been an unadvertised recall, but I just haven't followed up with
Toyota yet to seek a reimbursement. The Toyota part number on my invoice is
90987-02028. The part cost $64, total job out the door was $116.

Post by njbok
Tonight noticed that "A/C" light was blinking. (I leave the climate control
on AUTO all the time.) I have never seen this light blink before - It's
always on steady. I played with the thermostat to check the heat and
cooling. Heat worked ok, but A/C was just blowing fresh air.
Checked the 10A A/C fuse and it's good. Belts are ok. The book, of course,
doesn't mention this condition. Has anyone ever seen this ? I know the A/C
isn't working, but I figure maybe this blinking light might be a more
specific indicator of what might be the problem (like maybe something
cheaper than a new compressor.)
I've never had a problem with the system before.
I DID make the mistake yesterday of telling a friend that I've never had a
problem with the car other than the hesitation/firmware trans problem. Don't
ever tell anyone that you've never had a problem with anything.

[Ray O]

Post by Steve Larson
It's a relay, my 02 ES300 did the exact same thing. Had the work done at
the local Toyota dealer, they said the 2002 Camry had the same problem
with a quirky relay, but they never notified customers of a recall. I
suspect it might have been an unadvertised recall, but I just haven't
followed up with Toyota yet to seek a reimbursement. The Toyota part
number on my invoice is 90987-02028. The part cost $64, total job out the
door was $116.

Lexus/Toyota did not notify customers of a recall on the relay you describe
because there is no recall on it.

There is no such thing as an "unadvertised recall."

[Steve Larson]

Maybe not, but the Toyota dealer told me Toyota had a bunch of problems with
that relay and they made a change to the original part. The dealer also
stated that the only recalls affecting safety are proactively communicated
to the customer. As far as there being no such thing as an "unadvertised
recall", our difference may just be in the terminology I chose, which is
merely symantics. Considering this is not a safety issue, I was not ruling
out the possibility that a recall, or at the very least a TSB, could exist
for this issue.

His A/C will be cooling quite nicely once he replaces the defective relay.

Post by Ray O

Post by Steve Larson
It's a relay, my 02 ES300 did the exact same thing. Had the work done at
the local Toyota dealer, they said the 2002 Camry had the same problem
with a quirky relay, but they never notified customers of a recall. I
suspect it might have been an unadvertised recall, but I just haven't
followed up with Toyota yet to seek a reimbursement. The Toyota part
number on my invoice is 90987-02028. The part cost $64, total job out
the door was $116.

Lexus/Toyota did not notify customers of a recall on the relay you
describe because there is no recall on it.
There is no such thing as an "unadvertised recall."
--
Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

[Ray O]

Post by Steve Larson
Maybe not, but the Toyota dealer told me Toyota had a bunch of problems
with that relay and they made a change to the original part. The dealer
also stated that the only recalls affecting safety are proactively
communicated to the customer. As far as there being no such thing as an
"unadvertised recall", our difference may just be in the terminology I
chose, which is merely symantics. Considering this is not a safety issue,
I was not ruling out the possibility that a recall, or at the very least a
TSB, could exist for this issue.
His A/C will be cooling quite nicely once he replaces the defective relay.

Special Service Campaigns, or recalls, are generally issued only for items
that will affect a vehicle's compliance with Department of Transportation or
emissions requirements. The NHTSA has specific rules regarding SSC's
including notifying all known customers of the affected vehicle and tracking
completion specific vehicles that have had the SSC performed. If enough
customers do not have the SSc performed within a specified time line, a
second notice has to be sent.

I checked, and as i noted previously, I could not find any TSB's issued
regarding this condition.

Considering the part cost $65.00, my recommendation would be to test the
relay before replacing it.

[Steve Larson]

Then shame on Toyota for poor corporate behavior for not having a TSB on
this. They've been in trouble recently with the Japanese government for
underreporting defects.

Post by Ray O

Post by Steve Larson
Maybe not, but the Toyota dealer told me Toyota had a bunch of problems
with that relay and they made a change to the original part. The dealer
also stated that the only recalls affecting safety are proactively
communicated to the customer. As far as there being no such thing as an
"unadvertised recall", our difference may just be in the terminology I
chose, which is merely symantics. Considering this is not a safety
issue, I was not ruling out the possibility that a recall, or at the very
least a TSB, could exist for this issue.
His A/C will be cooling quite nicely once he replaces the defective relay.

Special Service Campaigns, or recalls, are generally issued only for items
that will affect a vehicle's compliance with Department of Transportation
or emissions requirements. The NHTSA has specific rules regarding SSC's
including notifying all known customers of the affected vehicle and
tracking completion specific vehicles that have had the SSC performed. If
enough customers do not have the SSc performed within a specified time
line, a second notice has to be sent.
I checked, and as i noted previously, I could not find any TSB's issued
regarding this condition.
Considering the part cost $65.00, my recommendation would be to test the
relay before replacing it.
--
Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

[njbok]

Steve, if only I could fix my hesitation/jerking trans with a simple relay,
huh ? ..........

Actually, I'll have a report on that soon. I'm trying something new now, and
should know the results soon.

Walt

[Steve Larson]

:-) Hey, if you find that trans fix, count me in!!

Good luck with the repair, hopefully it's something simple.

Post by njbok
Steve, if only I could fix my hesitation/jerking trans with a simple relay,
huh ? ..........
Actually, I'll have a report on that soon. I'm trying something new now, and
should know the results soon.
Walt

[Ray O]

Post by Steve Larson
Then shame on Toyota for poor corporate behavior for not having a TSB on
this. They've been in trouble recently with the Japanese government for
underreporting defects.

If the problem with the relay is a common as you say, then I wholeheartedly
agree.

The problem may be because they no longer have me there diligently writing
reports about that stuff ;-)

[Steve Larson]

Hey, if that's what it takes, then start writing... ;-) I've only ever
owned Toyota/Lexus cars since I started driving 27 years ago. I have a
personal interest in seeing their continued success. For anyone who has
seen my rants on the ES tranny characteristics, that's why I've been so
passionate about that issue. I just want to see them continue to make
quality cars.

Post by Ray O

Post by Steve Larson
Then shame on Toyota for poor corporate behavior for not having a TSB on
this. They've been in trouble recently with the Japanese government for
underreporting defects.

If the problem with the relay is a common as you say, then I
wholeheartedly agree.
The problem may be because they no longer have me there diligently writing
reports about that stuff ;-)
--
Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

[Ray O]

Post by Steve Larson
Hey, if that's what it takes, then start writing... ;-) I've only ever
owned Toyota/Lexus cars since I started driving 27 years ago. I have a
personal interest in seeing their continued success. For anyone who has
seen my rants on the ES tranny characteristics, that's why I've been so
passionate about that issue. I just want to see them continue to make
quality cars.

When I was a district service manager, we were required to write a minimum
of 3 product reports per month. One report was a specified report on
something that the engineers wanted to know about, like the body panel gaps
on 5 year old cars, and the other 2 could be on almost any subject. I
usually wrote about a problem I saw on a customer's car, and what was done
to fix the problem. Those kind of product reports often resulted in TSB's.

[Elmo P. Shagnasty]

Post by Ray O
There is no such thing as an "unadvertised recall."

Oh, yes there is.

It's called "things the mfr knows about and will take care of for you,
but you have to ask--they won't offer".

[Ray O]

Post by Elmo P. Shagnasty

Post by Ray O
There is no such thing as an "unadvertised recall."

Oh, yes there is.
It's called "things the mfr knows about and will take care of for you,
but you have to ask--they won't offer".

Automaker are prohibited from having "Unadvertised recalls," "things the mfr
know about and will take car of for you, but you have to ask--they won't
offer," "secret recalls" etc.

Any coverage from an automaker outside of its warranty coverage would be
purely on a case-by-case basis, as a gesture of goodwill.

[Elmo P. Shagnasty]

Post by Ray O

Post by Elmo P. Shagnasty
It's called "things the mfr knows about and will take care of for you,
but you have to ask--they won't offer".

Automaker are prohibited from having "Unadvertised recalls," "things the mfr
know about and will take car of for you, but you have to ask--they won't
offer," "secret recalls" etc.

Sure they are. Uh-huh.

And yet, Honda is happy to take care of things they know about if only
you ask.

Trust me when I say this: there is no way I will ever pay for a
transmission repair on my 02 Odyssey. Ever. Honda will take care of it
for me. All I have to do is ask.

Anyway, automakers take care of customers all the time, on things the
automakers know all about yet don't advertise. Go ahead, stick your
head in the sand and say "but they're prohibited from doing so". That
may or may not be the case, but the reality is the automakers do have
secret warranties, no matter what they may actually call the situation.

[Ray O]

Post by Elmo P. Shagnasty

Post by Ray O

Post by Elmo P. Shagnasty
It's called "things the mfr knows about and will take care of for you,
but you have to ask--they won't offer".

Automaker are prohibited from having "Unadvertised recalls," "things the mfr
know about and will take car of for you, but you have to ask--they won't
offer," "secret recalls" etc.

Sure they are. Uh-huh.
And yet, Honda is happy to take care of things they know about if only
you ask.
Trust me when I say this: there is no way I will ever pay for a
transmission repair on my 02 Odyssey. Ever. Honda will take care of it
for me. All I have to do is ask.
Anyway, automakers take care of customers all the time, on things the
automakers know all about yet don't advertise. Go ahead, stick your
head in the sand and say "but they're prohibited from doing so". That
may or may not be the case, but the reality is the automakers do have
secret warranties, no matter what they may actually call the situation.

As a district service manager, I was the person who authorized goodwill
repairs for customers whose warranty had expired. Customers would insist
that the factory should cover a repair if:

A) The failure was a common one - "they all do it so therefore I should not
have to pay"
B) The failure was an uncommon one - "none of the other ones broke so
therefore I should not have to pay"
C) The failure was an inexpensive one - "the repair is cheap so the factory
should pay"
D) The failure was an expensive one - "the repair is expensive so the
factory should pay"

If the factory is going to extend warranty coverage for a component or
assembly, it will issue an SPA, or special policy adjustment, like Toyota
did for oil gelling, and notify customers by mail. If there is no SPA, then
coverage for out of warranty repairs is known as goodwill coverage, and is
determined on a case-by-case basis. The factors that the district service
manager (and some dealerships if authorized by the DSM to do so) considers
when deciding whether to offer goodwill coverage are whether the customer
has mentioned the problem while the vehicle was still in warranty; whether
the vehicle has been properly maintained; the nature of the problem; and
whether the customer would likely purchase another vehicle from the same
automaker when it is time for replacement. If you pretty much want to
guarantee that you will not receive goodwill assistance, say "this car is
junk and I'm never buying another one again - no what are you going to do
for me?" or "this dealer is incompetent - I'm never coming back again." One
would be better off asking for assistance politely and saying that goodwill
assistance would preserve your confidence in this brand and dealership.

[Steve Larson]

Toyota stepped up to the plate for me on my 1988 Celica, back in 1994. I
had some repairs related to the starter/flywheel at an aftermarket Toyota
repair shop. When I bought my 1994 Celica, someone at the dealership told
me informally about a possible recall or TSB or something, related to my
flywheel. I mailed a letter and a copy of my repair invoice to Toyota USA.
Bottom line, they reimbursed me for the repair, along with the entire repair
bill, which also included unrelated work. I've always been mindful of that
amazing customer service experience. They exceeded my expectations in every
way possible.

Post by Ray O

Post by Elmo P. Shagnasty

Post by Ray O

Post by Elmo P. Shagnasty
It's called "things the mfr knows about and will take care of for you,
but you have to ask--they won't offer".

Automaker are prohibited from having "Unadvertised recalls," "things the mfr
know about and will take car of for you, but you have to ask--they won't
offer," "secret recalls" etc.

Sure they are. Uh-huh.
And yet, Honda is happy to take care of things they know about if only
you ask.
Trust me when I say this: there is no way I will ever pay for a
transmission repair on my 02 Odyssey. Ever. Honda will take care of it
for me. All I have to do is ask.
Anyway, automakers take care of customers all the time, on things the
automakers know all about yet don't advertise. Go ahead, stick your
head in the sand and say "but they're prohibited from doing so". That
may or may not be the case, but the reality is the automakers do have
secret warranties, no matter what they may actually call the situation.

As a district service manager, I was the person who authorized goodwill
repairs for customers whose warranty had expired. Customers would insist
A) The failure was a common one - "they all do it so therefore I should
not have to pay"
B) The failure was an uncommon one - "none of the other ones broke so
therefore I should not have to pay"
C) The failure was an inexpensive one - "the repair is cheap so the
factory should pay"
D) The failure was an expensive one - "the repair is expensive so the
factory should pay"
If the factory is going to extend warranty coverage for a component or
assembly, it will issue an SPA, or special policy adjustment, like Toyota
did for oil gelling, and notify customers by mail. If there is no SPA,
then coverage for out of warranty repairs is known as goodwill coverage,
and is determined on a case-by-case basis. The factors that the district
service manager (and some dealerships if authorized by the DSM to do so)
considers when deciding whether to offer goodwill coverage are whether the
customer has mentioned the problem while the vehicle was still in
warranty; whether the vehicle has been properly maintained; the nature of
the problem; and whether the customer would likely purchase another
vehicle from the same automaker when it is time for replacement. If you
pretty much want to guarantee that you will not receive goodwill
assistance, say "this car is junk and I'm never buying another one again -
no what are you going to do for me?" or "this dealer is incompetent - I'm
never coming back again." One would be better off asking for assistance
politely and saying that goodwill assistance would preserve your
confidence in this brand and dealership.
--
Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

[Ray O]

Post by Steve Larson
Toyota stepped up to the plate for me on my 1988 Celica, back in 1994. I
had some repairs related to the starter/flywheel at an aftermarket Toyota
repair shop. When I bought my 1994 Celica, someone at the dealership told
me informally about a possible recall or TSB or something, related to my
flywheel. I mailed a letter and a copy of my repair invoice to Toyota
USA. Bottom line, they reimbursed me for the repair, along with the entire
repair bill, which also included unrelated work. I've always been mindful
of that amazing customer service experience. They exceeded my
expectations in every way possible.

If you are a happy camper and are going to continue to buy Toyotas because
Toyota paid for an out-of-warranty repair, then the goodwill assistance did
its job. ;-)

[Elmo P. Shagnasty]

Post by Ray O
As a district service manager, I was the person who authorized goodwill
repairs for customers whose warranty had expired. Customers would insist
A) The failure was a common one - "they all do it so therefore I should not
have to pay"
B) The failure was an uncommon one - "none of the other ones broke so
therefore I should not have to pay"
C) The failure was an inexpensive one - "the repair is cheap so the factory
should pay"
D) The failure was an expensive one - "the repair is expensive so the
factory should pay"
If the factory is going to extend warranty coverage for a component or
assembly, it will issue an SPA, or special policy adjustment, like Toyota
did for oil gelling, and notify customers by mail. If there is no SPA, then
coverage for out of warranty repairs is known as goodwill coverage, and is
determined on a case-by-case basis. The factors that the district service
manager (and some dealerships if authorized by the DSM to do so) considers
when deciding whether to offer goodwill coverage are whether the customer
has mentioned the problem while the vehicle was still in warranty; whether
the vehicle has been properly maintained; the nature of the problem; and
whether the customer would likely purchase another vehicle from the same
automaker when it is time for replacement. If you pretty much want to
guarantee that you will not receive goodwill assistance, say "this car is
junk and I'm never buying another one again - no what are you going to do
for me?" or "this dealer is incompetent - I'm never coming back again." One
would be better off asking for assistance politely and saying that goodwill
assistance would preserve your confidence in this brand and dealership.

Many on the 'net (usually younguns) trash-talk about the "stealership,"
but I consider dealer service (at least with my Honda dealer) to be good
insurance. I've got files yay thick of their service orders over the
last 25 years, I've sent my parents to them with good results, and they
know it.

I have saved quite a bit of money because I am a good customer and I
know the service manager--not because of confrontations, but simply
because I've been with them so long. Interestingly enough, so has he...

My last "deal" was two-plus years ago. Van was 6-8 months out of
warranty for time, but was still within the 36K miles of warranty. Idle
air control valve went bad. $300 repair. I say, this isn't right--I've
never had this part go bad, and no Honda part should go bad like this at
this young age.

It's 7pm (I love night service). The service writer was new, but my 20
year mechanic was there. He told the service writer to call the manager
at home and ask about this. A minute later the service writer came back
and said "don't worry, we'll cover it". End of story.

Yep. The manager knew who I was all right, and didn't hesitate. And I
don't hesitate to send work their way, as well as sales (there's one
salesman there I'd send anyone to).

I have many stories like that.

[Ray O]

Post by Elmo P. Shagnasty

Post by Ray O
As a district service manager, I was the person who authorized goodwill
repairs for customers whose warranty had expired. Customers would insist
A) The failure was a common one - "they all do it so therefore I should not
have to pay"
B) The failure was an uncommon one - "none of the other ones broke so
therefore I should not have to pay"
C) The failure was an inexpensive one - "the repair is cheap so the factory
should pay"
D) The failure was an expensive one - "the repair is expensive so the
factory should pay"
If the factory is going to extend warranty coverage for a component or
assembly, it will issue an SPA, or special policy adjustment, like Toyota
did for oil gelling, and notify customers by mail. If there is no SPA, then
coverage for out of warranty repairs is known as goodwill coverage, and is
determined on a case-by-case basis. The factors that the district service
manager (and some dealerships if authorized by the DSM to do so) considers
when deciding whether to offer goodwill coverage are whether the customer
has mentioned the problem while the vehicle was still in warranty; whether
the vehicle has been properly maintained; the nature of the problem; and
whether the customer would likely purchase another vehicle from the same
automaker when it is time for replacement. If you pretty much want to
guarantee that you will not receive goodwill assistance, say "this car is
junk and I'm never buying another one again - no what are you going to do
for me?" or "this dealer is incompetent - I'm never coming back again."
One
would be better off asking for assistance politely and saying that goodwill
assistance would preserve your confidence in this brand and dealership.

Many on the 'net (usually younguns) trash-talk about the "stealership,"
but I consider dealer service (at least with my Honda dealer) to be good
insurance. I've got files yay thick of their service orders over the
last 25 years, I've sent my parents to them with good results, and they
know it.
I have saved quite a bit of money because I am a good customer and I
know the service manager--not because of confrontations, but simply
because I've been with them so long. Interestingly enough, so has he...
My last "deal" was two-plus years ago. Van was 6-8 months out of
warranty for time, but was still within the 36K miles of warranty. Idle
air control valve went bad. $300 repair. I say, this isn't right--I've
never had this part go bad, and no Honda part should go bad like this at
this young age.
It's 7pm (I love night service). The service writer was new, but my 20
year mechanic was there. He told the service writer to call the manager
at home and ask about this. A minute later the service writer came back
and said "don't worry, we'll cover it". End of story.
Yep. The manager knew who I was all right, and didn't hesitate. And I
don't hesitate to send work their way, as well as sales (there's one
salesman there I'd send anyone to).
I have many stories like that.

Yup, a service manager will go to bat for a good customer and ask the DSM to
help cover a repair. OTOH, a service manager is not going to try very hard
for someone who rarely, if ever gives him business ;-)

Now that I am on the other side, I use the dealership for all services I do
not perform myself. The local Toyota service dept. is open until midnight -
very convenient!

[njbok]

Well, here's the latest on my blinking AC light:

I tried pressing the windshield DEFROST button (which also starts the AC) -
and that made the AC light come on steady, and AC worked !

Then I shut off the Defrost, and tried the AC button again - It worked this
time.

I couldn't figure out how pressing the Defrost button (rather than the AC
button) made it work.

Now, after reading Steve's post, I remembered that I had lightly tapped on
each relay with the screwdriver handle before trying the Defrost button.
Tapping on the relay (I don't know which one is for the AC), might have done
it, so hopefully, I won't have to spend the bucks - for now anyhow.

I'll start putting a few bucks aside for a new relay :)

Thanks again guys.

[Steve Larson]

Cool! And if it ever goes, you may be able to find one cheaper than what I
paid and drop it in yourself. I didn't know anything about mine until after
I had it serviced. I wouldn't have even known where to look for it.
Hopefully yours will continue to work, and it just needed a little
encouragement...

Post by njbok
I tried pressing the windshield DEFROST button (which also starts the AC) -
and that made the AC light come on steady, and AC worked !
Then I shut off the Defrost, and tried the AC button again - It worked this
time.
I couldn't figure out how pressing the Defrost button (rather than the AC
button) made it work.
Now, after reading Steve's post, I remembered that I had lightly tapped on
each relay with the screwdriver handle before trying the Defrost button.
Tapping on the relay (I don't know which one is for the AC), might have done
it, so hopefully, I won't have to spend the bucks - for now anyhow.
I'll start putting a few bucks aside for a new relay :)
Thanks again guys.

[DaveW]

On Mon, 09 Apr 2007 16:56:39 -0400, "Elmo P. Shagnasty"

Post by Elmo P. Shagnasty
Oh, yes there is.
It's called "things the mfr knows about and will take care of for you,
but you have to ask--they won't offer".

I bought a new '01 IS300 in July '00 when they first came out, and it
was atrocious in the snow. It was nearly undriveable, whether I put
the transmission in Normal or Snow mode. When I brought it in for
service and complained about it, the service dept. told me they had an
upgraded chip for the traction control, but they only swapped it out
under warranty in the earlier models if the owners complained.

[Steve Larson]

Similar thing with my 02 ES, I had a bunch of rattles in the right side door
panels when it was new. The dealership said they would look at it, and they
ended up padding it, but they never mentioned that it was a known issue.
Turns out that there was a TSB on that issue. I just wonder how many people
just lived with the rattling, thinking it was normal or too much trouble to
bother with.

Post by DaveW
On Mon, 09 Apr 2007 16:56:39 -0400, "Elmo P. Shagnasty"

Post by Elmo P. Shagnasty
Oh, yes there is.
It's called "things the mfr knows about and will take care of for you,
but you have to ask--they won't offer".

I bought a new '01 IS300 in July '00 when they first came out, and it
was atrocious in the snow. It was nearly undriveable, whether I put
the transmission in Normal or Snow mode. When I brought it in for
service and complained about it, the service dept. told me they had an
upgraded chip for the traction control, but they only swapped it out
under warranty in the earlier models if the owners complained.