I have a 97 Taco which I got about 6 months ago and the AC doesnt work. The guy I bought it from said it hadnt worked for a while, So I want to know whats the best way to approach this. Should I put a can of the lubricant first or should I just put the refridgerant in . Dealer is not an option I had a simmilar problem 2 years ago and it cost $250 just to find out my condenser had a leak.

 

Start truck, put AC on. Raise hood and look for the round accumulator (about the size of a beer can) and there will be a small sight glass on top. It is usually between AC condenser coil and plastic grill on the driver side. I suspect you are very low on refrigerant. In about 5 minutes you should see lots of bubbles passing by the sight glass indicating a serious need to add refrigerant. If the compressor clutch fails to engage, the system is too low in pressure and refrigerant to operate. Some claim a can of Freeze works very well to charge their systems. I have not tiried it but if you are on a budget take a look at what they offer.

My $0.02

 

Yeah my AC has been off for about a year now. It was an AZ truck, so I assume they used a lot of AC there!

I was just going to buy a recharge kit myself from the auto parts store and see what happens.

What is this lubricant you speak of ?

 

Well something has to lubricate the pump

I believe one form of lubricant is Ether oil

 

I have been trouble shooting my BMW AC system and this was a very helpful thread. Most everything should apply to any AC system:
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...xpansion+valve

I was able to find a gauge set at Autozone (loaner program).

 

This was on a diff car, but I had a broken line and replaced it after about a year after not having a/c. The a/c compressor require oil esp if they haven't been run in a while, so wasn't sure about just filling the system up with off the shelf stuff.

Took it to one of those Valvoline quick oil changes. They did a pressure test on the system to made sure there were no leaks, then filled the system and added the oil for the compressor for around $100-125 bucks.

In my eyes, it was worth it to know the system wasn't leaking and to lubricate the compressor. Only time someone has touched ANY of my cars in 10 years minus paint and alignments.

 

Mine had a problem with the comressor locking up. I just put a can of R134a w/ sub zero synthetic A/C booter. Not locking up anymore. Making a little bit of noise still but not locking up and making the belt squeel like a stuck hog. I'm about go go pick up another can and finish topping it off. I hadn't used the AC in 2 or 3 years because of that.

 

Well my prievious runner that I had the condensor leak on I had that fixed and put in the can of freeze and found another leak at the pump I then put a can of stop leak and that leaked out, the end result was after all the stop leak I put in it I ended up seizing the lines with the stuff, appearantly your supposed to drain the system of any eccess freon or stop leak, So Im a little reluctant to try anything without researching it first.

 

I know nothing of AC systems. I should read up. Thanks for the link Mr. Goat.

 

X2 on researching the system you have. I am in no way an expert on this, but I did install a new a/c system on my Jeep to convert it to 134a (it gets hot here in Texas!). And I stayed in a Holiday in last night!

There are two different oils used in R-134a systems...I assuming your vehicle is not running R-12 and it should have a sticker showing what it is running and possibly the oil. One of the oils is called PAG oil and it is nasty stuff...you have to be very careful with it, the other is ester oil I believe. The two oils are not compatible with each other and are not compatible with certain refrigerants. You need to know what is in your system before adding oil! OR you can really cause a problem...that is the rule of thumb I learned in my reading about this, an a/c mechanic may have better info on what is used in these systems...I used PAG oil in the Jeep, which I think most 134a systems use.

Do you see a lot of oil on the compressor like it has leaked? Also look at the low points where oil might pool like on the condenser and the evaporator...as if you have a leak here oil will come out with the refrigerant....if you are seeing a lot of oil here then you might need to add it but you will be able to see what needs to be repaired also. There is a way to check the oil level on the compressor, but it is different on each one and the system will have to be empty of refrigerant.

Go to the site glass first...If you turn it on and see oil streaks in the sight glass and no bubbles then you are discharged or very low on refrigerant. However the compressor may not kick on if the refrigerant level is really low so this is not a fool proof way of seeing if there is a charge or not. If you are not seeing oil on the compressor (I am talking about on the outside like it has leaked around the shaft seals or the fitting seals) or where it has leaked out anywhere else the oil charge is probably fine.

You could put a can of 134a with a leak detector dye in it and see where it is leaking. Inspect all the hoses and fittings before you do this to see if there is an obvious place where a hose might have a hole in it...look for oil as a little may come out when it leaks. For instance once the condenser on my Jeep came loose from wheeling and rubbed on the frame...the first thing I noticed was oil leaking out of the condenser...the R-12 was long gone.

By putting the leak detector in you can also see if it gets cold and see if the compressor is working correctly. If you want to check it out first you could buy a manifold set on ebay like I did and check the charge first, but I am betting if it has been that long there is probably no refrigerant left in the system. The site glass will give you a good idea of what is in there. If you have a bad leak, moisture has contaminated the system and you should replace the dryer and evacuate they system before charging it or you will have problems later. I bought a cheap vacuum pump off ebay (a venturi) that works with your air compressor.

In a nut shell if it were me I would turn it on and check the site glass first. Then inspect every component for signs of an obvious leak...the evaporator is the hardest to check. If nothing was found, I would charge it...leak detector if you like and see if it cools down and if it holds a charge...then look for leaks. These systems can leak refrigerant very easily and a slow leak over many years may be the only problem if the previous owner says it hasn't worked for a long time. If you find a major problem...replace the part and the dryer, evacuate and recharge.

The system I put in the Jeep has worked great for about 5 years now...no leaks....no runs...no drips...no errors...you older guys will appreciate that joke. And it is ice cold...

Good Luck!

 

Here are the basics. Freon does not wear out or just seep out needing to be topped off. If you are low, you have a leak. Systems need to be vacuumed to pull a pressure check and to draw out any moisture that has gotten into the system. Pulling a vacuum makes a huge difference in temperature if there is moisture in the lines.

 

Wow now thats some good info, thank you guys for the replies, Im going to check the sight glass now and take it from there. My last runners issue was because I hadnt had the system vacuumed and adding so much stop leak that it plugged up the lines.

 

Let us know what you find...and if the compressor kicks on!

Yeah I would not use any kind of stopleak....it will just set you up for problems later on...and expensive repairs. It's kinda like putting a can of black pepper in the radiator to block the holes (heard an old timer say this once)...you just have a spicy mess circulating through the engine and the hole is still there! I think that works on the theory that the pepper shaker is always clogged up so it should work for a radiator.

 

X2 on checking the evaporator, in spite of its PITA factor. I could tell a long story involving unnecessary hundreds of dollars spent on "leak tests" and recharges and replaced Schrader valves when the only thing wrong was a 5 cent O ring at the pressure switch. Haven't been back to that shop since - if you wind up paying someone for a leak test, insist that they test the ENTIRE system. Some shops won't go deep enough to check the evaporator, but they seem to have no problem charging you for a "leak test."

Keep researching. If you determine that your system is empty, do the repair yourself, leaving the system open for as little time as humanly possible, then have it properly recharged. A/C component replacement is actually pretty simple if you can determine exactly where the problem lies. If, however, you determine that you still have pressure but no A/C, make sure you have it evacuated properly before proceeding.

 

Hopefully yours is just low or low enough for it not to allow the AC to run. When I bought mine in 04, the AC didn't work and it ended up being a wire that had been cut in the harness. I don't know how it happened but it was a PITA to follow the whole harness and look for the cut. Good Luck!

 

Sorry for the delay guys, Well I checked the sight glass and didnt see anything and I mean nothing. So should I do the leak test stuff and take it from there, the only question is if lets say it starts working does that stuff need to be vacuumed out or just leave it in.

 

Did the compressor kick on? I am guessing not....I would try the charging it with the leak detector...it should be fine to leave it in...

After you get it charged to a certain pressure it should kick the compressor on...unless there is an issue with it.