A couple of months ago my Yaris was hit just behind the driver side door by a Ford F150, luckily traveling at a low speed. Other than body damage, my car seemed to be fine. After driving the car around for 2 weeks with the damage then taking it in for its 10 day repair, I brought home my wonderful little car. I live in Florida and even though it’s winter, we had a rather warm day, just a couple days after bringing my car back home. I turned on the AC and …nothing came out. So I tried it on higher settings and …still nothing came out until I got to the highest blower setting. Suddenly it sounded like someone had turned a blender on inside my car but some air was making its way out of my blowers. I called the shop that did my repairs and they said “well, you probably just blew a fuse. It’s not accident related so we can’t take care of it without charging you.”
My understanding was that I would not be able to get my blower to work at all if a fuse was blown, and my air certainly worked following the accident and prior to getting repairs done. If a fuse was blown, I’m willing to bet a lot of money that the shop was responsible.
…the fact that they also broke my glove compartment, got paint all over my seat, and made my car smell like a paint store also make me weary of using them again, but my insurance company swears by them.
First of all, any ideas what is wrong with my car? Second of all, how do I fix it?
If your HVAC system is working only on the highest speed, that is an indication that the resistor pack that regulates the speed of the fan is shot. These resistor packs can die in a few years, or they can work properly for the life of the car. It is really very unpredictable.
Is this accident-related?
Probably not, but I have to say that some of the details in your post are…hazy.
Is this the result of a blown fuse?
Absolutely not. If the fuse for the HVAC fan had blown, there would be no functioning of the fan at any speed.
If the A/C was actually working properly after the accident, then it is clear that this is not related to the accident. However, you need to give us more clarity regarding the functioning of the A/C after the accident, and prior to the body work being done.
For instance, in addition to the speed of the HVAC fan, what can you tell us about the temperature of the A/C’s output? Is it as cold as it was previously, or is it warmer than previously? If the system is not as cold as previously, then it is possible for the accident impact to have cracked a refrigerant line–even though those lines are nowhere near the point of impact.
Incidentally, the reason why your insurance company is enamored of this particular repair shop is because they charge rock-bottom rates. The quality of the replacement parts, the “artistry” of the shop’s employees, and their neatness are of no concern to your insurance company. You do have the right to have repairs made by any body shop, so there was no need to go to the shop that the insurance company favors.
If you will clarify the points that I mentioned above, the responses that you get will be more specific and more helpful.
I doubt if it was a fuse.
[i] Suddenly it sounded like someone had turned a blender on inside my car but some air was making its way out of my blowers.[/i]
Someone is going to need to find the source of the noise, I suspect the fan was hitting something and finally broke loose when it was switched on high, but the fan was/is hitting something that is out of place.
What happened was the fan caused too much current to flow and blew out the speed control resistors. Those resistors will need to be replaced They are used to slow the fan when you are using any speed other than high. They should not be expensive and usually not too difficult to get to, but in some cars it is a challenge.
Remember to find where the fan is hitting something and fix that first. That is a hands on thing and we can't do it from here. Maybe someone who knows 2007 Yarus's can give you specific instructions for the resistor replacement. Some cars require a module that may cost a bit, but many can be fixed with just a couple of dollars of parts.And, sounding like a blender could mean that the bearing in the blower motor is worn out. So it may need replacement.
Sorry for the delayed response and the “hazy” details. My post was driven by emotion so I left out a few key points.
I never tried to use to AC between the accident and getting my car fixed so I don’t know whether it was a result of getting hit, the repair work, or just a weird coincidence. However, I certainly did use heat between when I was hit and when my car was repaired, and to the best of my knowledge it worked perfectly. When I drive at a high enough speed, air will come through and it is at least as cold as it was when the entire system worked.
As for the repair shop, I’ve made them as well as my insurance company aware of my feelings and will be switching insurance companies shortly. Well, we all experience our first accident some time then learn from them. Thank you for your help.
If anyone ever looks this up please note, I have a 2007 Toyota Yaris. One day, all of a sudden, I had a disturbing blender noise and diminished AC air. The little air coming through was cold but it sounded so bad. It turns out some stored plastic grocery bag I had in the glove box had fallen onto the blower and was impeding air flow and making the sound. Glove box drawer removed, bag removed. Perfect!
I had much the same thing happen on a '93 Ford Escort.
I had been on the driver to keep his car clean for months, and he came in one day complaining that there was no airflow out of the a/c. I (with him sitting in the car,) reached up behind the glove box and yanked out a giant wad of napkins, and immediately the air flow improved. I said some not so nice words about keeping his vehicle clean, and walked off. 