This 2003 Toyota Camry came in with the complaint that sometimes the a/c would stop blowing cold air. Just before it stops blowing cold air the green light under the a/c button will start flashing. I hate to say it but I do not even bother diagnosing this problem anymore. I just go to my parts cabinet and grab a compressor clutch relay and install it.
The relay is in the underhood fuse box.
The lid liner has it listed as “MG CLT”, an abbreviation for magnetic clutch. You may need to click on the picture below to enlarge it.
The magnetic clutch relay is the short white relay in the center of the picture below.
A simple extraction.
The new relay.
The new relay installed.
The a/c is back working as designed with no problems.
You know at the beginning I stated that I do not even bother testing these anymore but I actually do. It just does not involve tools. First I have to induce the problem to confirm it exists. To do that I set the a/c to full cold and the blower to the lowest position. Roll the windows up and let the engine run while I go about my business. I listen in the back ground to see if the compressor stops cycling off and back on. When I notice that it has failed to come back on, I install the new relay. Operate the car under the same conditions and confirm the problem has been corrected.
Part number?
The part number has changed many times since this article was written. I do prefer whatever the newest part number from Toyota is as compared to the aftermarket relays. The aftermarket relays cost around 10 bucks and generally last a year or two. The genuine Toyota relays usually cost between 15 and 25 dollars but seem to last 3 to 5 years.
Thanks for posting this Sparky. I am so hoping this does the trick. The only difference with mine is the green light stays solid even when it stops blowing cold. I’ll let you know how it goes. Again, thanks for giving me hope!
Wow, you are awesome! Had this problem on my Camry. Changed the relay and now the a/c works like a champ! Thanks!