Lackluster AC performance

Welcome to Tacoma ownership. The AC undoubtedly SUCKS while at a standstill.

The main issue is that the clutch driven fan is not capable of spinning fast enough to move the CFM required to shed the heat demand the AC is generating. Electric fan equipped vehicles not only can move more CFM, but they have two of them to really get some underhood air moving.

I have experimented with raising the RPM at idle, to removing the rear seal between the cowl and the hood and even hollowing out the hood scoop on my sport model, at the end of the day, the AC just sucks on these trucks. The only time it really gets you nice and ice cold is once you are at around 2000 RPM, cruising on the highway or similar.

 

a 40-45F drop in temp is about the max a 134 system can do after the air goes through various ducts and such. There may be other things, like amount of greenhouse and such that affect perceived AC performance or the system is not moving enough air, which if it moved more air across the evap (or cond. in the case of fans) it might need a bigger evap core, and probably in turn, a bigger system overall. I have also had an issue with a door in the HVAC ducting not shutting very well and drawing in warmer air but it was cabin air (I think) so it should eventually make little difference. My wifes Forester's AC feels inadequate but the pressures and outlet temp show that it's doing about all that it can, so on full sun days I just have to deal with my leg/side being warm or close the sunroof shade since that thing is about 3/4 of the entire roof and really lets some heat in when its sunny.

 

You have a ton of bugs in the grill? Maybe get a professional to clean the AC coil? I'd start there.

Tinting def helped my AC feel stronger

 

I made them with flat bar stock. But really, get tint first and see where that gets you