P0535: Air Conditioning Evaporator Temperature Sensor Circuit
What to do
Driveable. If the air conditioning cools well at first and then goes warm with weak airflow, that is the evaporator icing up, and it is the characteristic symptom — mention it.
What this code means
A circuit fault on the evaporator temperature sensor. The evaporator is the cold heat exchanger inside the dashboard, and its temperature is monitored for one specific reason: if it falls below freezing, condensed moisture turns to ice on the fins and blocks airflow completely.
So the sensor exists to cycle the compressor and keep the evaporator just above freezing. Without a trustworthy reading the module either refuses to run the compressor, or runs it and lets the evaporator freeze — which presents as air conditioning that works well for ten minutes and then blows warm with almost no airflow.
Likely causes
Start here
- Faulty air conditioning evaporator temperature sensor · specialist
- Corroded or loose connector · moderate
Less common
- Broken wire in control circuit · moderate
Symptoms
Components involved
Information, not instruction
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Have anything you intend to act on checked by a trained person against the manufacturer's own procedure for your vehicle. Nothing here replaces that procedure.
Community experience
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