Review on Standard Relay 35874 by Four Seasons by Jason Robinson

First of all I have 35 years experience in the automotive field and am a certified Air Conditioning Refrigerant Specialist. I'm just saying I understand a thing or two about air conditioning. But I had this problem (a flashing light on the air conditioning dash) with my 2002 Camry. The air conditioning light on the switch was flashing and no cold air came out! I was pretty sure the main AC was working - just a few months ago I just added an extra charge after doing someone else's AC - (although it worked fine, after 11 years they lose a small amount of refrigerant, this is almost normal) and didn't want to waste refrigerant (the pressure gauge shows when there is enough refrigerant). Anyway - since I was pretty sure the air conditioning was fine, I thought it was an electrical problem and googled the problem (yes, even experienced mechanics don't know any of this). They told me to replace the air conditioning cabin filter, it can be repaired. Forget it, if the AC light is flashing and no cold air is coming out, that relay probably needs to be replaced. (As a temporary fix, you can sometimes remove the relay and bang it against a hard surface, which will get you a few more months of service!). I rated Toyota's relay TOO EXPENSIVE. It might be a cheap Chinese imitation - I don't know - but the price is right, which is why I ordered it. Once you get it, you need to find and replace the old one. it's in the underhood fuse box (there's another fuse box under the dash - that's not the one you want!). The underhood fuse box is located on the driver's side under the hood. It has a black lid that lifts and releases if you press the latch properly (look at the latch to find out where to press the latch and don't force it open and the lid will go up and away). . Now we need to find the relay. A schematic may be molded into the fuse box cover itself. Otherwise if you have the instruction manual it will tell you which one. Mine was between two other relays that had to be pulled out first to get to the AC relay. Pull straight up and pull tight - they'll be tight there! When using tools, cover the pliers with a rag, tape or something else to avoid hacking or crushing damage to the working relays. CHECK the alignment of the pins as they are inserted into the box so you can put them back in correctly by bending the pins. (Some people like to smear the contacts with dielectric grease before reinstalling, which is a good idea but not necessary.) Now unplug the old relay and plug in the new one. Install other relays if available. Now start the car and check the operation of the air conditioner, the flashing light should go out and you should now feel cold air coming out. If everything is in order, replace the fuse box cover, check that it is securely fastened and close the hood. If the relay doesn't help, you may have other air conditioning problems. If the blinking of the air conditioner switch does not disappear immediately. Give him a few minutes to work before you give up hope. As a last resort, disconnect the battery cable (with the engine off) for a few minutes and then replace it. This will reset the computer's memory. It's far away, but it might fix the situation. .