Ac blows warmer (just a little cool)when sitting still.

2005 Tacoma prerunner v6

Temp blowing at vents 78f

Temp of the AC and engine radiator 165f

Temp outside 90f

Don’t have a temp while driving.

The pressure says “ok” on one of those cheap recharge cans. I never added any.

Not sure if it’s an airflow issue or if it’s something else. Any ideas?

 

is your ac light on? does it sound like the clutch is engaging when you turn on the AC?

 

If you're using a single (low side) gauge on a cheapy can tap, and don't really know what you're doing (that's not a dig on you, but it's not the most intuitive thing to diagnose, and there are potentially serious consequences) you've got a tough row to hoe.

I'm assuming your clutch is engaging if the temp is lower than ambient, so there's step 1... the clutch or compressor aren't broken, there's some refrigerant in there, and there's not an electrical issue with any of the sensors tricking it into not commanding the clutch on.

Step 2 is to get a gauge set, and watch what both sides are doing. Your low side should be 30psi or so running, that's a very rough estimate on my part. If the low side is dipping down to the low 20s and the clutch is disengaging (which it should at that point) then you're low on refrigerant. If the high side is spiking up in the 3-400s and the clutch is disengaging (again, proper operation) then you've probably got a clog somewhere, although that's a lot less likely than just being low. If neither of those are happening and you're just getting crappy temps, then you've got one of a myriad of other possibilities... a high or low limit switch telling it to turn off even though the pressures are OK, a blend door that's heating your evaporator, a compressor that's not compressing worth a damn, or several more possibilities.

The suicide can (preferably sans sealant) isn't totally awful if you know you've got a leak that's not worth fixing and just need to band-aid it every season or so, but you can't really diag an issue with just low-side pressure, especially if you don't REALLY know what you're looking at.

Edit: Forgot to mention, your title is mucho confuso. Are you saying it blows cool sitting still (doesn't sound like it only a 12 degree drop) and warms up when driving? Cuz that would be rather odd, usually works the other way around.

 

Thanks for the reply. I edited the title.

Yes I can hear it engage when I turn the ac on and can hear the engine go under load.

Hmm sounds like it might be too much for me to handle unless I get some proper gauges. Maybe I’ll see if a buddy has some and go from there.

Thanks again for the replies.

 

You'll likely find greater success paying an independent repair shop that does a lot of a/c work an hours diagnostic time. After that, you will know what's wrong. No guess work.

 

Probably just an airflow issue, not unheard of when sitting still with an engine mounted fan. Cars with electric fans always have a fan running when the compressor engages so you don’t have this issue.

Same experience here, not super worried about it.

 

Don't mess with your refrigerant. This is completely normal because sitting still means you're just creating a massive heat bubble around your truck because of your engine's heat, the heat from inside the cabin that's being moved outside, the sun, the road beneath you, and cars next to you. The engine fan does try to blow the away from the condenser, but when it's hot, then it's hot.

As long as your AC blows perceptibly "cold" when you're at highway temps (and it isn't an absurdly hot/sunny day) then your system is fine.

The AC system on these trucks just isn't that great, and this time of year the forum gets flooded with threads about it.

 

My 13, I have to turn the temp down on long drives, will freeze you out. But at a red light on a hot day, not very cold, not enough airflow through the condenser.

Normal from what I've read.