Hi everyone, I'm new to this club and I'm glad to see all your posts. I want to ask if anyone have replaced ac compressor on 1st gen Rx 300? I ask this because when I turn on my ac, the engine makes the squealing sound. The clutch engages and air con works. Any suggestion for parts replacement.

 

Welcome to ClubLexus.

Belt squeal implies the belt is loose, specially when the AC works. If the belt has been slipping a while, it may have developed a sheen and would need to be replaced. Shop will charge 1/2 hr labor to do it for you. A new belt from Toyota/Lexus needs to be set at a certain tension. You can run the new belt for about 1/2hr and then use the twist method to set it again. I rely on my belt tension gauge.

I am all in favor of DIY projects but AC repair (if needed) needs special skills and tools with a higher chance of injury. It is also hard to gauge the skill level. Pardon me if I jumped to the wrong skill assessment based on the question you posted.

Salim

 

Hi Salim,
I replaced the belts 2 months ago because of the same problem. Both of them were cracked and after replacement the noise went away until this time. Anyway, I tried to check the tension and I noticed that it's not that tight. So today, I applied a few more tension and made sure all the bolts are tight. It worked, no more squeal and ac works on all speed. Thank you for your advice. I hope it will stay quiet and wont give me trouble. That save me some repair considering I'm planning to bring it to my mechanic tomorrow for diagnosis. Have a great week and appreciate your expert advice.