White dust on dash?

[YarisHybrid2016]

Hi,

My car just recently passed its 5th birthday and 60,000 miles! 😄

It is still running great, but just looking to see if white dust on the dash is a sign of anything, and I came across some troubling search results.

Different, older Toyota/Lexus models can have a problem with the air con evaporator apparently, resulting in a white-colored dust appearing on the dash.

Photos that appeared in the results look similar to what I see on my dash.

Is this a known problem with 2015 Yaris Hybrids?

Apparently the solution is replacement of the evaporator, but this sounds a hideous task, requiring the removal of the entire dash to get at it????

Air con otherwise seems to be working fine, and I have it serviced according to schedule.

I'm more concerned about health (I must be breathing this in?!) rather than anything else.

Fortunately I haven't cleaned the dash in a while, so I'll get some photos when it is light of what it looks like.

[stantheman1]

It's something that happens periodically maybe once or twice a year on a lot of Toyotas and Lexus vehicles of a certain age, I have also read about the issue being with the evaporator and as yet I have been unable to stop it from re-occurring, and like you say the ac and ventilation system work fine. 

When I do see this white 'stuff' on the dash I open all the windows and doors and set the blower to max (making sure that I don't breath any of it in) to rid any more dust from inside of the ducts then I clean the dash down, like I said it this only happens very occasionally.

[john p williams]

8 hours ago, YarisHybrid2016 said:

Hi,

My car just recently passed its 5th birthday and 60,000 miles! 😄

It is still running great, but just looking to see if white dust on the dash is a sign of anything, and I came across some troubling search results.

Different, older Toyota/Lexus models can have a problem with the air con evaporator apparently, resulting in a white-colored dust appearing on the dash.

Photos that appeared in the results look similar to what I see on my dash.

Is this a known problem with 2015 Yaris Hybrids?

Apparently the solution is replacement of the evaporator, but this sounds a hideous task, requiring the removal of the entire dash to get at it????

Air con otherwise seems to be working fine, and I have it serviced according to schedule.

I'm more concerned about health (I must be breathing this in?!) rather than anything else.

Fortunately I haven't cleaned the dash in a while, so I'll get some photos when it is light of what it looks like.

5 Year Warranty ? Take it to Toyota Dealer pronto.

[flash22]

If it hasn't been done change the cabin filter, it's a 2-min job, it only seems to get done if you request it or have an A/C service

[john p williams]

1 minute ago, flash22 said:

If it hasn't been done change the cabin filter, it's a 2-min job, it only seems to get done if you request it or have an A/C service

Details in the Handbook.

[Mooly]

You might find this old thread informative:

https://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/topic/150197-white-powder-coming-from-air-vents/#comments

 

[FPSUsername]

On 10/27/2020 at 11:09 AM, flash22 said:

If it hasn't been done change the cabin filter, it's a 2-min job, it only seems to get done if you request it or have an A/C service

I also replaced the filter after 38k km on the clock. Replaced it with a mann filter (the best one that they produce). Really good results from it, as I used the exact same filter for an Audi where the AC literally smelled like vomit (oddly enough, the old cheap filter didn't stink). Clean air ever since.

[Colin Nash]

My daughter had this problem and had to replace the air conditioning matrix as casing was breaking down. That was a 2012 model Yaris with 60.000 miles. My wife purchased a 2015 hybrid 2 months ago from a main dealer with 16.000 miles in it and within the first week we saw the powder which obviously rang alarm bells. We have just had it diagnosed with the exact same problem. We are waiting to see whether they are going to replace it under warranty. It is a £1000 repair at Toyota. We had my daughters replaced at a local garage for £700.

[Gray86]

2 hours ago, Colin Nash said:

My daughter had this problem and had to replace the air conditioning matrix as casing was breaking down. That was a 2012 model Yaris with 60.000 miles. My wife purchased a 2015 hybrid 2 months ago from a main dealer with 16.000 miles in it and within the first week we saw the powder which obviously rang alarm bells. We have just had it diagnosed with the exact same problem. We are waiting to see whether they are going to replace it under warranty. It is a £1000 repair at Toyota. We had my daughters replaced at a local garage for £700.

It’s nasty stuff too that aluminium oxide, so best keep the vents closed, fan off & windows open for now 

[bathtub tom]

3 hours ago, Gray86 said:

It’s nasty stuff too that aluminium oxide, so best keep the vents closed, fan off & windows open for now 

Yeah, don't want too much in your drinking water. Ask the residents of certain areas of Cornwall (if they've any marbles left). Sorry, that was aluminium sulphate.

[TonyHSD]

24 minutes ago, bathtub tom said:

Yeah, don't want too much in your drinking water. Ask the residents of certain areas of Cornwall (if they've any marbles left). Sorry, that was aluminium sulphate.

So it’s basically a corrosion that happened on the ac matrix and perhaps it’s due to a blockage of the drainage tube, or it’s something else that has caused the issue? If you using the ac in hot days and stop the car there should be water coming out underneath the car near the left front tyre of not then it’s a worrying thing and it’s to be addressed. Interesting happens to low miles cars which probably has ac filter never or rarely changed., and most like been parked under trees. 

[wildtapholer]

This is the 3rd Yaris I have bought the wife now and have never had an issue like has been described until now, we bought this 2015 Yaris from a RRG Huddersfield delivered as we were in lock down and found the aircon didn't work last week when we needed it, had it re-gassed as I expect that would be classed as wear and tear and it then worked great but as others have mentioned the white dust has started to come out of the vents now we are using the aircon, changing the cabin filter was the first thing I changed but it made no difference, should this have been a recall if it is so wide spread.