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Engine & DrivetrainDiscussions about the engine and drivetrain of your vehicle.
This is a discussion thread titled "AC clicking noise", within the Engine & Drivetrain forum, part of the Technical & Vehicle Assistance Forums category.
I just recently took delivery of a New 2005 Double Cab SR5 model. I notice that when I have my AC on the 2 lowest settings the AC compressor clicks on and off often as I am driving. Kind of annoying I took it to the dealer and they said this was normal. Has anyone else experienced this problem? Other than that I am very happy with my Tundra. Thanks.
Automotive air conditioning systems are required to cool a very high load very quickly. So, when the heat load is lessened after some minutes of cooling, or it is relatively low such as the early morning commute, the system is not stressed. The automotive HVAC system is required to deal with extraordinary heat (140 F after a day soaking in the sun) and a little heat but a lot of humidity like we have in the summer mornings.
The compressor circulates a gaseous refrigerant to absorb heat from the interior and pump it to the exterior. Two heat exchangers, the compressor, and a thermostatic valve make up the basic system. The heat from the interior is absorbed in one heat exchanger located in your dash, pumped around by the compressor, and shed quickly by the other heat exchanger in front of your radiator. When the interior is cooled to the desired temperature, the compressor turns off. When the thermostat signals that the heat has returned to the interior, the compressor comes back on and the cycle repeats.
Repetitive cycling at light load is very normal. The system is so capable of shedding large heat loads that light loads are taken care of very quickly. It is a balancing act to decide how often to turn on the system. Too often and the compressor lubricant can be carried out of the compressor. Not often enough and the occupants feel too much heat. Trust that the Toyota HVAC engineers have decided on a reasonable balance.
Automotive air conditioning systems are required to cool a very high load very quickly. So, when the heat load is lessened after some minutes of cooling, or it is relatively low such as the early morning commute, the system is not stressed. The automotive HVAC system is required to deal with extraordinary heat (140 F after a day soaking in the sun) and a little heat but a lot of humidity like we have in the summer mornings.
The compressor circulates a gaseous refrigerant to absorb heat from the interior and pump it to the exterior. Two heat exchangers, the compressor, and a thermostatic valve make up the basic system. The heat from the interior is absorbed in one heat exchanger located in your dash, pumped around by the compressor, and shed quickly by the other heat exchanger in front of your radiator. When the interior is cooled to the desired temperature, the compressor turns off. When the thermostat signals that the heat has returned to the interior, the compressor comes back on and the cycle repeats.
Repetitive cycling at light load is very normal. The system is so capable of shedding large heat loads that light loads are taken care of very quickly. It is a balancing act to decide how often to turn on the system. Too often and the compressor lubricant can be carried out of the compressor. Not often enough and the occupants feel too much heat. Trust that the Toyota HVAC engineers have decided on a reasonable balance.
Extremely informative post--thanks for the information!
I just recently took delivery of a New 2005 Double Cab SR5 model. I notice that when I have my AC on the 2 lowest settings the AC compressor clicks on and off often as I am driving. Kind of annoying I took it to the dealer and they said this was normal. Has anyone else experienced this problem? Other than that I am very happy with my Tundra. Thanks.
The actual clicks you hear are from the A/C relays on a circuit board located in the dash just below the radio/stereo. I have tried wrapping them with foam etc. but it does not help dampen the noise. I think Toyota is known to have a lot of noisy relays.
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AC clicking noise
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