maachine

hey guys. i have an '02 tacoma. 4 door 3.4L.

for starters i got a funky smell coming out of the climate control. i'm sure its mildew. cant find any info on the cabin filter. found a few websites that sells them but cant find info on where it's located. does my truck even have a cabin filter?

i do plan on emptying a can of lysol into the ducts to clean it out. just want to get rid of or replace the filter if there is one.

secondly, it seems like my AC is running all the time. even with the button showing "off", it still blows pretty cold. and when i turn the fan switch to off, i can hear the compressor disengage. just curious if anyone knows anything about this or has had the same experience.

Discombobulated

Pretty sure you have a filter of some sort, and I'm gonna say no on the Lysol idea find the source of the mildew smell before you cover the smell up for a while. I'm sure someone will chime in on the cabin filter location?

maachine

well i live in southern louisiana. my AC is always on. so i'm sure there is condensation and water build up over time. i know the drain isnt plugged cause there is always a water spot on my driveway after driving. i'm also guessing the filter (if there is one) probably has stuff growing on it by now.

i have found info on how to eliminate the smell. a few people on some forums have said the lysol thing worked out well in the end. but if anyone has other suggestions i am open. i'm trying to avoid tearing the dash apart to clean every thing.

maachine

nevermind, i finally found some information. 3rd gen does not have an air cabin filter. no wonder i couldnt find a cabin filter on the local autoparts' website. i did find a few write ups on how to remove the fan and clean it out, seems easy enough. i'll give that a shot. also i found that having the recirculate on will cause a lot of condensation build up while running the AC. which is why i have a smell.

anyone know anything about my AC compressor always being on? any insights or knowledge?

KZN185W

iTrader: (1)

the compressor shouldn't be on all the time. check the glass view port of the tank/receiver with the a/c on. If you see a lot of bubbles, then you need to recharge the refrigerant. you might also like to check on the thermistor inside the evaporator case, but you'll need to remove the assembly beofre you can open it so it's better to bring that to an a/c shop

maachine

i know the refrigerant doesnt need to be recharged. i check the pressure on it a few times a year. its good.

thank you for the response, i get it checked out.

KZN185W

iTrader: (1)

if there's no leak, then there's no need to recharge the refrigerant. However, a small leak can happen and over time, it will result in reduced refrigerant such that the compressor will need to be pumping all the time

brianh699

If your truck has defroster linked AC the AC will run as long as the defrost or foot/defroster is selected, may be why your AC runs constant.

maachine

ya i know about the defroster. i'll check the pressure today just to double check. i've noticed that it hasnt been doing it lately. but a cold front has come through and i havent touched the AC button in a while. i think it only does this if the AC has recently been on.