Quick help with AC issue please

So firstly, you have a leak. And if it only lasted 3 weeks from your buddy filling it, a good one at that. You'll need to find the leak before refilling otherwise you'll keep running into the same problem. A common failure point is the rigid to rubber hose that runs from the compressor to the condenser. (runs up the front of the engine bay near the back of the radiator) The factory freon fill has dye in it, so get a black light and find where the leak is. It might be the compressor leaking too if it is bad. The dye will tell you. Use the black light and shine it on all of the lines all the way up to the firewall. The dye should glow green under the blacklight. If you don't have a black light rub your hand on the rubber hose I described earlier. If you get a nice black oily mess on your hand, that hose probably is your leak.

The compressor might still turn if there is a low charge of freon but will make a rattle/growling type noise. There is not enough gas left to circulate the oil efficiently.

Fix the leak, vacuum check the system and have it refilled. Hopefully it hasn't run that long with the low charge and messed up the compressor. Also probably wouldn't hurt to put a couple oz of oil back in.

 

I just got under it and checked to see how the clutch spins by hand. It is very loose feeling with no resistance as I turn it. I turned the part I have highlighted in green here

 

I just tried this on my buddies truck. His was very firm with good resistance. I got home and tried mine and mine is very very loose feeling with no resistance as I spin it. I spun the green part

 

It's probably easy to spin because there is no/low pressure in your system. The video you posted showed your clutch engaged and spinning, so you have a leak somewhere that you need to fix.

 

If you want to see what the dye looks like under a black light, pull off the caps for the ports where the pressure gauges attach. There is usually some residual dye in these from connecting/disconnecting the gauges. It's fluorescent green in color. (at least mine was)

 

I didn’t know if the ability to spin it freely was any indication of the compressor being good or bad

 

I apologize, I was on the road today to Winnipeg.

You were spinning the correct part.

So there is a pressure switch in your system that would prevent the compressor clutch from engaging if you are low on a charge. The fact the clutch still engages tells me that it still has enough of a charge to do something. But the fact is doesn't get cold and was making such loud noises tell me the compressor is done. Only other thing I would do in addition to call it/confirm it is to have gauges on it to see. A bad compressor would have the low and high side pressure close to each other like say 50 psi on the low and 90psi for the high... on a 20*C day with around 30% humidity, full fan speed through foot/face vents, windows down and recirc off, on a working system, I would expect your pressures to be around 30-35psi on the low side and 140-170 psi on the high side with vent temps between 4*C and 6*C.

I'm not running "conventional" refrigerant in my truck so it's not an apples to apples comparison but just for more context and info if you happen to get gauges to confirm the possible compressor failure. Under a similar environment as above but 32*C and 63% humidity I had pressures of 42psi on my low side and 280 psi for my high side with a vent temp of 6.8*C

 

it’s okay thank you for replying when you can. So yesterday I put gauges on it with the truck off. Just to see the static pressure. I read somewhere that if the static pressure was equal to the ambient temperature than you have enough charge for the system to work. I’m not sure if that’s true or now. The pressure on low and high side read about 90° F which is what the ambient temp was.

I was afraid to turn the truck on and get pressure readings because I didn’t know if 1.) I would get an accurate reading of the clutch isn’t engaging properly 2.) will I cause more damage to the system if the compressor is bad and I engage it to check the pressures?

 

I'd say go ahead and start it with the gauges. If the compressor is already bad, it won't matter anyway. The short time you'll run it with the gauges won't hurt it. You'll know right away as the gauges should split as soon as the compressor kicks on. I still say you have a leak somewhere. Freon doesn't lose its charge over time unless it's leaking. Whether this is caused by the compressor going bad and developing a leak or something else. The dye will tell you where it is.

 

Propane?

 

if my clutch isn’t engaging properly though my gauges won’t read correctly right?

I know when I press the button my clutch is trying to engage I’m not sure that it actually is though

 

"Yes, red tek propane/isobutane blend"

 

Yes, with R134A and ( kind of) R1234y-f the pressure-temperature(PT) relationship of those refrigerants work out to where a properly charged system sitting at ambient temperature should pretty well have it's static pressure in psi equal the ambient temperature in *F
It's not exact at all temperatures but within the temperature range you would be looking to use A/C, +/-10 psi I consider enough of a charge to run the system. This is a PT chart for R134A

Correct. What i'm thinking here is the compressor locked up and internally a part of it broke so the clutch still "engages" and visually looks good but isn't actually spinning anything.

This is a chart that's a rough guide for your running pressures. Don't take it as the Bible, just use it as a guide. Checked with full fan speed, windows down, foot/face mode, recirculation off.


EDIT: it is a good idea to check for leaks too because as mentioned above, low refrigerant can also lead to a failed compressor. If you can't find the leak with dye and glasses, or an electronic sniffer then after the system is recovered and but still together you can charge it with (ideally nitrogen because it's a dry gas without moisture but worse case) compressed air and spray everything with soapy water and look for bubbles. You don't run the system like that though, just check for leaks then vent the nitrogen/air.

Also I did some looking and found a service manual for you. The link is going straight to A/C diag but you can follow the links back to whatever section of your truck you'd like along with TSB's. ...Toyota uses every unit but psi, so you'll have to convert it. https://charm.li/Toyota/2007/Tacoma 4WD V6-4.0L (1GR-FE)/Repair and Diagnosis/Heating and Air Conditioning/Refrigerant/Testing and Inspection/

 

Thanks man I appreciate it! I’m going to read through this. I tried to take my skid plate off this morning and snapped 3 of the 4 bolts, followed by breaking 2 icon bolt extractors trying to remove them. I surrender I’m taking it in to the shop.

 

Yikes, thats no good... i'm not good at dealing with broken bolts but welding a nut to the stud is my most reliable method...
Let us know the verdict from the shop, i'm curious.

 

Just updating like I said I would. Truck needed compressor, condenser, they sold me on an idler pulley and a belt but I think that may have been a rip $1800

 

Snapped just 1 one my skid plate bolts. fun fun.

also my ac was the evaporator. had 2 small leaks in it.

 

oh crap. That’s a hard job isn’t it?