any tricks for keeping truck cooler? AC wise.

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I have this, lived in Texas for 6 years.

Tips:

• Try to park in a way where the sun reflector is aimed towards the sun or the back window is. Try to not park at an angle where the sun is hitting your side windows
  
• These are great for cracking your window (this ensures the interior won't get much hotter then the outdoor temperature), keeping out rain and peeping eyes (when the window is cracked). They also look better then the AVS version
  
• When you first get in turn off the AC recirculate button (this will just recirculate the HOT cabin air and not draw in the slightly not as hot outdoor air, you don't want this), roll down your windows, blast the AC and drive. After a minute or two the hot cabin air will be gone, roll back up your windows and turn on the AC recirculate. Enjoy.
• At the start of spring get the AC refrigerant filled up
  
• Parking in the shade is great

 

Everyone is different. I don’t mind 105 degrees. When I’m outside, working, biking, going for a walk. I’m ok with it.

But when it’s 40 degrees or cooler…..I can’t stand it. Hate hate hate it. Everyone is different

I don’t mind driving with the windows open only but I run the ac for the wife and baby.

 

Does cabin filter still matter if you are using MAX/Recirc?

 

Yes. It sucks in the air from the passenger foot well and goes thru the filter before being cooled

 

I have an A/C related question. My truck defaults to recirculate when I turn on the a/c, I can change to it fresh air mode but anytime anytime I restart my truck it defaults to recirculate again. Is there a way to change that setting so the a/c doesn’t default to recirculate ?

 

You are using MAX AC. You need to click the dial just a tick up from the MAX setting so you are on "regular AC".

 

Thanks for the tip, I’ll check that out today.

 

Apparently on my 2022 I don’t have a MAX AC/Regular setting, I do have an Auto setting which I don’t use. I just read the manual (which I should have done to start with, lol) it says that every time I start my truck it will default to recirculate. Also if I’m using fresh air mode and depending on the outside temp it will switch to recirculate on its own to help with fuel consumption (per the manual). Oh well, it is what it is. But thanks for the reply.

 

3M Crystalline tint. You can even do the windshield in clear and still reap good IR reduction benefits.

 

Yes and no. The primary reason why it runs hot at idle is because there's not enough airflow through the exchanger. If it's hot as balls out, the radiator and AC exchanger need a LOT of air to maintain any hope of efficiency.

It's why it's a miracle of modern science that cars can make it through traffic jams in the dead of summer and not overheat. Back in the day, one had to turn off the AC and suffer or risk the consequences.

 

Has anyone mentioned a quick, easy, and cheap recharge yet? A bottle of freon at the local parts store and about ten minutes and the AC should be cold again...

 

OP here.


Stating this as a un educated man. I was informed by a mechanic working on my ac system of a old car that every car requires a specific amount of freon.

For example (not actual) the tacoma requires 1.5-1.8 lbs of freon. If there is more, or less freon then that, the ac compressor will not turn on. Now i am pulling those numbers out of my butt....but you get my point.

So i dont want to go buy a can of freon and add it in, and have my compressor not kick on anymore since I overfilled it. The smart thing to do, is go to my ac guy, and have him vacuum my system out, and then fill it to factory spec. but I do suspect i do have a tiny leak somewhere.

I noticed that at idle, the ac is barely cold. But as the revs go up, it drops down in temp. So im guessing that means i have a leak somewhere, and am loosing freon.

 

On a 113º day here in AZ - you need to put some sort of shield in your windshield. The direct sunlight makes the dash interior so hot it won't pass cool air through the air delivery ducts for quite awhile.

I did some research of infrared reflective paints and they do exist - makes it possible for USAF to paint airplanes black. Reduces temperatures of exposed surfaces by 20 - 30 degrees. Its not an insulator - its a reflector. Sherwin Williams even sells a house paint with infrared heat reduction capability for mastic or masonry. I'm sorely tempted to paint the large flat portion of the truck roof (many square inches are out of sight) with such a coating. I won't be seeing it - and only bigger trucks will glimpse it.

The science is - that 49% of the infrared wavelengths (delivering heat) are invisible - and a coating that reflects them won't necessarily be visible to our eyes.

 

Industrial Nanotech also sells a similar paint, available at Lowes.

 

I did this to my truck years ago and it makes a world of difference at a drive thru and stop and go traffic

 

So you are taking advice from the guy that makes money from your ignorance. Hey... we've all been there.

The system is pressurized and is full at a specific pressure. You get a gauge with the freon kit that tells you what pressure you are at. If you follow simple instructions you will use the can and most likely have enough freon to do another car. It's really simple to do. Go into your local parts store and ask the counter guy that knows how to do it.

All systems need an occasional recharge. It does NOT mean you have a leak. Since your truck is getting cool/cold AC after running it is not completely empty and it does have pressure. I'd say recharge it and learn something... or pay someone and learn something different.

 

Completely incorrect. The system is full at a specific mass of refrigerant, which is why it is measured in grams and ounces, not PSI. The pressure of that given mass of refrigerant will vary significantly depending on ambient temperature. The entire concept of this type of refrigeration relies on a specific balance of mass and pressure between the high-pressure(hot) side and low-pressure(cold) side, as the compressor turns the evaporated gas from the evaporator(cooling coils in your dash) into a liquid to expel the heat through the condenser in front of your radiator. There needs to be the correct amount of total mass to make sure the proper ratios are reached on each side.

Too little total refrigerant and the system will not have the pressure differentials necessary to provide cooling, and you'll burn out your compressor trying to.
Too much refrigerant and it also cannot maintain that balance properly, you'll burn out your compressor, damage valves/orifices, and even blow fittings and lines.

Will a can of refrigerant fill a system and get it blowing cold(er) again? Usually. But you're taking a blind shot in the dark as far as quantity and most likely over/underfilling it, which is greatly reducing the life of your AC system. The single dinky gauge on the can tells you nothing about the High/Low side ratios, if it's even accurate at all. Many just have a green band they call "good enough." Many of them also contain oil, too much of which will also grenade the compressor and clog lines/valves.

There are very few mechanic-in-a-can fixes that don't cause more harm than good. HVAC techs wouldn't spend crazy money on diagnostic tools and gauges if a $15 NAPA can actually worked.

If pressure in a sealed system is bleeding down over time, there's a leak. Thats just physics. Needing to top it off now and then is not normal, it means something is leaking and needs to be fixed. I've had many systems that never needed a recharge over decades of constant use.

It's also not Freon. Freon was a brand name of incredibly toxic refrigerant that's been banned for 40-odd years now. Not being mean, just saying that anyone who calls it Freon is immediately assumed to know nothing about refrigeration by anyone who knows what they're doing.

 

A/C is a weak point on these trucks and it seems to be worse on dual cabs. My old '09 CX-9 had a massive cabin space and could cool that sucker in no time at all.

 

Is anyone using the full set (front, side, and rear) of Weathertech sunscreens? I've been thinking about pulling the trigger on them to keep the cab cooler when the truck is parked.

 

risethewake: There are very few mechanic-in-a-can fixes that don't cause more harm than good.

Travlr: With only 50 years in the business, behind the counter at several parts houses including three dealerships... and working with a plethora of mechanics, I probably don't have enough experience to comment on the number of mechanics I've seen that can ruin a car once they get ahold of it.

risethewake: Needing to top it off now and then is not normal, it means something is leaking and needs to be fixed. I've had many systems that never needed a recharge over decades of constant use.

Travlr: Yup, you are correct in that many systems won't bleed off as quickly as others. If a 2017 truck needs a recharge, being 6 years old and still making cold air, I don't see that as a problem worthy of a wrench and the resulting issues that may be generated by a premature "fix". But you do you and I'm sure you'll do fine.

risethewake: It's also not Freon. Freon was a brand name of incredibly toxic refrigerant that's been banned for 40-odd years now. Not being mean, just saying that anyone who calls it Freon is immediately assumed to know nothing about refrigeration by anyone who knows what they're doing.

Yup, the old magazine/clip debate. The old silencer/suppressor discombobulation. The old R12/R134a distinction. The old freon/hydrofluorocarbon thingy. It's kind of like using the word perspicacity ironically when you are talking to someone unfamiliar with the word as a tool to bring clarity.

LOL... You like spending money unnecessarily? Cool with me.