Our AC system SUCKS

New condenser/drier assembly, high and low pressure hoses etc out the door $1064.00. The killer is you need to replace the drier and the drier is connected ( part of the condenser ). My condenser was actually fine it was the drier that had the issue, but it is physically part of the condenser and not separate as it is on most vehicles. Condenser/drier alone was $600.00.

 

My compressor also "clunks" loudly when I turn it on after it has been sitting for a while, not running. An expert in the HVAC industry I know told me it's probably the clutch. We did some research, and apparently it's not possible to buy the clutch and the compressor separately.

I plan on keeping my Taco for a long time, so getting replacing a bunch of A/C parts might be worthwhile...

 

Still cheaper than a new truck...

Did that include refrigerant and the state sales ripoff, I mean...uh, sales tax?

 

Some guys might be more adventurous and try retrofitting bigger components and trying different things, but to me you're pretty limited to what came stock with the truck. Once you change the size of one component you have to change everything else to match the increased displacement . it's not just as simple as throwing a bigger compressor in it when everything else is normal size

 

Is the compressor in the 2.7L any different from the 4.0L?

 

Honestly I'm not sure @Jimmyh might have access to that info

 

And it might simply come down to the size of the passenger cabin on the vehicle. a big stretched-out sedan or a van is going to have the capability for better Cooling. the cab on our trucks is relatively small so Toyota uses smaller AC components to save on efficiency

 

Yes, that was out the door. Cold and shit now.

 

If rockauto is to be believed, they are the same compressor.

 

Looks like the same on both using the Toyota Parts listing.

AC Compressor 88320-04060 $1,254.65

 

If that's where the leak is, I'll replace the parts...

 

I know a guy who lives in Hong Kong, and he is admittedly "not a truck guy." He prefers Rolls-Royces and thinks that it is one thing if the A/C in an old (and rare) Rolls-Royce fails, but it might not be worth it to repair the A/C in an 8-year old Toyota...

I disagree!

 

@LocoLocal

Would you say it's worth it to just keep fixing wear-and-tear items on an old Tacoma instead of eventually buying a new truck? I don't plan on using my Tacoma as a daily driver forever, but I do plan on keeping it forever...

 

I think so. As someone said earlier, cheaper than buying a new truck!

 

Oh shit, son! Subbed cuz my AC is a punchline to a bad joke!

My 98 Jeep Cherokee has sub-Arctic AC, hard to believe a vehicle 15 years newer can't compare.

 

That was me, wasn't it...?

 

The only thing which I would consider upgrading to be a bigger unit would be the condenser itself. That would allow more refrigerant volume in the system as a whole which is what this system needs, even like .3 or .4 lbs more would be a huge help. The compressor doesn't need to be any larger, the system as a whole just needs more capacity.

 

Anyone have like a "how to" for physically cleaning the fins of the condenser? I feel like that may help.

Also, really liking the fan idea... just unsure of how to mount it.

 

I clean mine pretty regularly. I'm no expert. But I always keep a pressure sprayer (the kind you pump to build up pressure) with a 50/50 mix of water and Simple Green around for different cleaning needs. With a cold engine I spray as much of the condensor down as possible and let it sit for a couple of minutes. Then I hose it off with some low pressure water from a garden hose.

I have one of those nozzles that's got multiple setting. One of them has a circular fan pattern that puts out just enough pressure to help clean the coils without damaging them.

I generally do this when I clean my engine....every 2-3 months, or so.

I like the idea of a supplement fan as well. But I'm skipping that idea for a couple of reasons. One...my A/C is quite good. Two...I'm under the remainder of my Platinum Warranty for another 5 years or 78K miles. So I'm reluctant to make those kind of changes....and risk possible warranty denial on something that could be linked to that.

 

BTW.....this was my inspiration for the line insulation. I was cleaning up behind my heat pumps a few months back and thought....hmm....they go to the trouble to insulate those lines. Figure it couldn't hurt trying it out.