hi rob, i replaced all the parts of my 1988 mercury sable's air
conditioning 2 years ago~ it was quite a chore, mostly because of
placement of parts. if the mechanic actually replaces the condenser,
compressor (with remanufactured), evaporator, hoses, pulls the vacuum,
fills with R-135 (I guess that's what they are still using),and checks for
leaks, he will have done a lot of work. i don't know if it's true for the
highlander, but in the sable, we had to remove the entire dash ( not just
pull it back) to get the evaporator/heater core unit out....oh, and by the
way, if you do take the evaporator out, be SURE to change the heater
core....i ended up doing the job twice (my heater core went out
first)....it took me 12 hrs to get the dash in and out the FIRST time~
YIKES~~~ plus, my sable doesn't even have airbags or extra sensors like
the highlander does. you absolutely must have a manual. also, if you don't
have the gauges and vacuum pump (i bought the gauges on ebay, then ended
up buying a good set ($89. Mastercool 89660AZ).. the pump was used, but
good ($98. Mastercool)...you may have to remove the radiator to r&r the
condenser. i had to remove the power steering pump and bracket to get to
the a/c compressor. removing the evaporator was a real chore because there
was almost no room in that part of the engine compartment on the firewall.
pulling the vacuum and putting in the freon was the fun part... oh, you
should have the old r-135 removed at a recycling center (a/c repair
shop...it will cost about $75 just to pull the vacuum & whatever they
charge to reclaim the freon).

some of the parts are probably only available from toyota (hoses). if you
can get toytota parts, do so, as the aftermarket parts seem to have little
fit problems that can turn into major hassles...here are some examples of
discount prices for the sable parts: accumulator $102. Accumulator hose
$52. compressor $290 (Four Seasons), condenser $100.compressor manifold
hose $88. you need NYLOG to coat all the fittings. plus you must pour in
the correct amount of PAG oil.

if this is not enough to daunt you, the whole sequence of how to do this
is like some special secret that i had to buy a book, dvd, and ask
questions just to figure out what to do in what order.

so, in my opinon, if they will use factory parts, replace everything
including hoses and new o-rings (o-rings are cheap), you would have to
value your time at a pretty low rate to come out even. plus, it's a MAJOR
hassle....but kind of interesting, plus i did it cheaper than $1200
including the pump and gauges~~ but i NEVER want to take the
heater/evaporator unit out again !!! (oh yes, be sure to replace the
heater fan when you remove the evaporator....my heater fan started making
lots of noise a few months after i replaced the evaporator...fortunately,
i didn't have to remove the dash, but it would have been a WHOLE LOT
EASIER to have changed it out when i did the evaporator...about $66 for
the motorcraft part through rockauto.com).

jennifer '07 highlander

> Hi group!
> I have another question, since I'm here.
> Our 01 Highlander's A/C system has been threatening to fail.
> I live in AZ and last year the unit was squealing.
> We work it pretty hard here in Phoenix and most of the year.
> Thinking it was a belt, I took it into the dealer.
> The dealer wanted about $1200 to put in a new a/c unit.
> Does this sound reasonable?
> This was last year when he gave us the estimate.
> I didnt want to do it at the time and it is still running, and the
> squealing isn't that bad. ;)
> He said we could use it until it failed completely.
> Thoughts?! Suggestions?
> Love the group!
> I subscribe to the emails!
> Rob
>
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