A/C Noise 94 Camry

Hi Everyone:

I've been having a strange problem with the air conditioning system on my 1994 Toyota Camry V6. The a/c blows cold and seems to works fine, but after about 5 minutes of use it begins to produce a loud whiny noise (similar to a leaf blower) from the engine compartment. This noise only occurs during acceleration, and is most apparent at lower speeds. If I switch off the a/c, the noise continues for a few minutes (and cold air continues to seep from the vents) before it stops.

I can't isolate exactly where the noise is coming from, just somewhere in the engine compartment. The compressor seems to be spinning fine and the a/c is producing cold air - just the noise is troublesome. If its of any relevance, this problem first began to occur after I left the car in park with the a/c running for about 10 minutes.

Any suggestions would be appreciated, since I recently moved and don't know of any reputable/trustworthy mechanics in the area yet...

Thanks,
Paul

Usually the compressor is about to be bad will make a sound, but only when you use the AC, if you don't use the ac than it should not making any sound. It might work ok at this time but soon or later will no longer work.

Check your accessories drive belt to make sure they are tight and clean.

It might be the A/C fan by the radiator. What you're describing is very close to its operational cycle. Disconnect the power plug from it and wire 12 v battery power to it directly. Let it run for 10-15 min and see if it starts to make that noise. If it does, then you've solved your problem. Replace the fan. If is doesn't, it might be because the radiator isn't hot enough. Try the same thing (careful) with the engine running at operating temperature, maybe driving, accelerating, whatever, with the A/C fan running and the A/C off.

If it's not the fan, get a stethescope and listen to the accessories while you hear the noise (if you can get it to make the noise standing still). Might be a bad pulley bearing being loaded when the A/C is on.

Thanks Brian!

After further investigation and trying to pinpoint the source, I think the sound may be the radiator fan. Unfortunately on the V6 Camry, the radiator fan is hydraulic - not electric - so I'm not sure how to test it without running the engine. I did double-check all the belts - there's no apparent problems (wear/tension) or slipping issues.

One other thing I noticed is that the power steering fluid (which drives the radiator fan) is a bit overfilled - about 1/4" over the "HOT" mark on the reservoir. Could this be an issue? Do you think I should try to siphon some out to bring it to level? This problem developed soon after I moved from New York to Arizona - could it be the hotter climate is causing the power steering fluid to expand more than in NY and is causing the fan to be driven too fast??? That's just a guess, but do you think its reasonable?

Thanks,
Paul

Check your accessories drive belt to make sure they are tight and clean.

It might be the A/C fan by the radiator. What you're describing is very close to its operational cycle. Disconnect the power plug from it and wire 12 v battery power to it directly. Let it run for 10-15 min and see if it starts to make that noise. If it does, then you've solved your problem. Replace the fan. If is doesn't, it might be because the radiator isn't hot enough. Try the same thing (careful) with the engine running at operating temperature, maybe driving, accelerating, whatever, with the A/C fan running and the A/C off.

If it's not the fan, get a stethescope and listen to the accessories while you hear the noise (if you can get it to make the noise standing still). Might be a bad pulley bearing being loaded when the A/C is on.

i think you will find it is the a/c compressor.had a few problems with them when working at toyota.the fan is hydraulic and very reliable. the oil level in the p/s is not causing the problem.a solenoid in the back of the p/s pump controls the oil flow to the fan via a fan computer.

Hi Any One Could Help Me I Have The Same Problem With My Camry 94 V6.

PLEASE MAILME AT [email protected]