Puzzling Intermittent A/C

Hello all, I've got a 1995 2.4L Taco that has an A/C that'll work about 50% of the time. If it does choose to work, it'll stop blowing cold air after about 20 minutes. (but then sometimes it'll be good for a few days) When it does blow cold air, it's really cold!

I've changed the compressor, thermistor, and receiver drier. When it blows warm air, I can still hear the compressor cycle on/off.

Thanks in advance for all your help.

 

Maybe the system needs to be recharged?

 

Try checking your low pressure switch might not be reading right, allowing the line to freeze up.

 

Thank's Buggys! Never thought of that ; I'm gonna try that. Um, do you know where it (low press switch) is located on my 95 Taco? Thanks again All!!!

 

haha whats funny is my 08 does this religiously its a good thing i hardly ever use my a/c, only when the girls in the truck

 

See if any lines are freezing before the restrictor. Sounds like to me, you have a dirty ac condenser.


AlaskanTaco

 

Awesome! Dirty condenser sounds like an easier fix. Do you just blast water through it from the front grill?

 

Gahhh don't you dare blow water through that condensor, moisture is what helps contaminate ac systems. On your 95 taco i believe the LP switch is under the dash area near you ac core in the ac box kinda hard to explain. What you can do is follow the ac metal hardlines through out the engine bay and look for the switch if you can't find it there, then proceed to look on the inside of the firewall under your dash area. Also when you do replace the switch have the ac system evacuated and refilled properly, usually a good ac guy will suck it down a couple of times and then refill with freon. Good Luck

 

Thanks for the info Buggy! Do you think I should replace receiver drier since I'll be opening system to replace LP switch? And what I meant by blasting water thru condensor was rinsing it (since it lives infront of radiator) with a garden hose. Thanks again, I'll let you know what happen's.

 

Yes definitly replace the drier as that is what usually collects all the contaminates or shall i say that's usually where everything gathers on the ac system. The drier is cheap @ $25 bucks from the dealer but make sure you dump about 1 ounce of the correct pag oil into it before bolting it in. If you are just washing the fins on the exterior of your condensor then your fine but don't run water through the ac lines. Good Luck and let us know how it goes.

 

Another thing that is easy to check is to make sure your fan is working properly. Not sure if that has electric fans or fan clutch but if has fan clutch make sure clutch is good and if has electric fans make sure they are on when you notice the problem with a/c to eliminate that as a possibility.

 

Thanks Buggys and ao6902. Great help. It's funny you mentioned the fan clutch; a year ago my truck overheated due to broken fan clutch. I replaced it with a Checker's/O'Reilly, seems to be working ok. But thinking back - that's about the same time my A/C started acting up. Any idea's of how to check fan clutch w/o c/o fingers?

 

Jump the relay?


AlaskanTaco

 

You should be able to kinda tell visually. If it is spinning as fast as the motor when you rev. Other wise, stick something other than ur finger in there to try and stop it...just be careful.

 

I don't think that this is a good idea at all. No offense intended.

 

Finally got around to fixing the A/C. I replaced; evaporator, expansion valve, receiver/dryer, a/c hoses (2ea.), and added low visc PAG oil. And found, while taking it all apart, that it was just a badly clogged evaporator. Looked like a piece of a cardboard box and a plastic grocery bag totally covered the intake side of evap. Works great now.

Thanks People of Tacoma World!!!