Is it me, or is the A/C in the 3rd Gen not so strong??
07-26-2006, 08:46 AM
#42
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On the subject of "servicing" the ac system, the refrigerant side of these systems are hands off unless you have a leak....to check your system's refrigerant health, up in the nose, passenger side between the grill and the condensor, is the receiver/drier (Looks kinda like a soda can with two small lines going to it). On top of this is a sight glass (about 3/8" dia.) - turn your A/C on with fan on high. The sight glass should stay clear as the compressor is running. If the sight glass shows bubbles or is very frothy looking, the system is low on charge and needs to be "serviced" (i.e. refrigerant added). If the system appears full, a dirty condensor core (in front of the radiator) can affect heat transfer and lead to warmer vent temps. A faulty fan clutch will also contribute to warmer temps at idle...... Also, I haven't taken a close look at this, but I know in the past, Toyota used a hot water valve to supply hot water through the heater core - if the valve was partially open, it would lead to warmer vent temps. ( a remote possibility) Good luck and happy cooling...
07-26-2006, 09:04 AM
#43
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An easy way to tell if you are actually low on refrigerant is to locate the sight glass on the top of the reciever/dryer and look for it to have air bubbles whoosing past it or if it is solid. Rev the engine up with the A/C on while looking in the sight glass. Bubbles=Low, Solid usually indicates OK on the charge or you are completly out. I have used maybe a 1/2 can of R134a in the three years I've owned the Runner. My IR temp gun indicates a temp of 38-44* depending on the day. It's been 103 here for the last week!
07-26-2006, 10:26 AM
#45
I just read this thread so I went out to my 2001 Taco and with the AC on and blower on high, I noticed the pulsing bubbles going by the glass window. I can't imagine what a little extra charge would do because right now the air out the vents is 42 degrees on the turkey baister anal probe that is strategically located in the center vent. Mine blows cool fast and stays that way during the red light stops. The R134a stuff seems just fine for this AZ weather.....maybe someplace hotter it won't work as well....like in Hell itself. 
ZUK
ZUK
07-26-2006, 11:31 AM
#46
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Originally Posted by lee
to make my AC cold, i let it get its coldest on regular, then i turn recirc on which makes it a LOT colder
One mistake people make is not running the air in the winter. That should be done several times just to keep the rubber seals from cracking and to help keep everything loose and smooth.Mike
07-26-2006, 11:36 AM
#47
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Originally Posted by Beartracker
One mistake people make is not running the air in the winter. That should be done several times just to keep the rubber seals from cracking and to help keep everything loose and smooth.Mike
07-26-2006, 05:54 PM
#48
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Originally Posted by MTL_4runner
Every time you run the defroster, the AC automatically kicks in so it is not as critical as long as you use your defroster in winter.
07-26-2006, 08:38 PM
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One day I must have been bored, because I found myself reading the owner's manual to my 02 4runner, and it mentioned to turn on recirculate in order to get the best performance out of the AC system. I'm not sure if this is true to all 4runners, but for mine it seems to make a noticable improvement.
Prior to this I was running ouside air only, as I've done with other vehicles I've been in. After turning on recirc, there was a huge difference in the AC's cooling.
It's still not the coldest AC system I've seen, but it's not bad considering my 4runner is black, and the temps have been above 100 here lately. It keeps me plenty cool.
Prior to this I was running ouside air only, as I've done with other vehicles I've been in. After turning on recirc, there was a huge difference in the AC's cooling.
It's still not the coldest AC system I've seen, but it's not bad considering my 4runner is black, and the temps have been above 100 here lately. It keeps me plenty cool.
07-26-2006, 09:09 PM
#52
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just note you don't want to keep it on recirc air. i usually start with outside air and the switch to recirc. if you leave it on recirc you'll get a stale air.
07-27-2006, 09:24 AM
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110 dry weather out here and my 97's AC is not that cold. If I can get it cold recurculate, and let it run for awhile before leaving the garage its fine. I would say mine needs some form of servicing in the near future.
Had a similar issue with my civic but I replaced the electric cooling fan with a newer better one and now the civic blows ice cold air. No matter how hot it is outside. So this got me thinking...
Was working on a sequoia a few days ago and noticed something neat. An electric 10" cooling is installed as a pusher on the front of the radiator. The sequoia also has the standard belt driven puller fan on the other side like our 3rd gens.
I am going to double check today but I am positive that 10" fan is for the AC cause the tranny cooler is mounted next to it. And since the Sequoia has rear AC vents it makes sense.
Had a similar issue with my civic but I replaced the electric cooling fan with a newer better one and now the civic blows ice cold air. No matter how hot it is outside. So this got me thinking...
Was working on a sequoia a few days ago and noticed something neat. An electric 10" cooling is installed as a pusher on the front of the radiator. The sequoia also has the standard belt driven puller fan on the other side like our 3rd gens.
I am going to double check today but I am positive that 10" fan is for the AC cause the tranny cooler is mounted next to it. And since the Sequoia has rear AC vents it makes sense.
07-27-2006, 09:37 AM
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I pulled my "squirrel cage" fan unit out yesterday and it looked exactly like Bob's fan in the tech section. I cleaned the fins real good then sprayed down the motor with some CRC elec. contact cleaner. After the Lysol treatment down the intake cowl everything is fresh, clean and cold!
07-27-2006, 03:20 PM
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Originally Posted by Epic Ed
I have a 97 4Runner and the AC is great, and it definitely gets a work out here in the desert heat.
Ed
Ed
07-27-2006, 06:27 PM
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my AC has recently seemed like it hasnt been working that well. well at least not as good as remembered it being. and i dont even use it much at all, 'cept in the last couple weeks where the heat has been stupid hot, well for vancouverites anyway. about 40 degrees celcius. im thinking i also might need some servicing...but i use it so rarely that i dont bother.
i get better results with fresh air first, then onto recirc air. however, i tried the 'halfway between the two' setting and it seemed to work alot better! veird...
i get better results with fresh air first, then onto recirc air. however, i tried the 'halfway between the two' setting and it seemed to work alot better! veird...
07-28-2006, 07:21 AM
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Originally Posted by d0ubledown
my AC has recently seemed like it hasnt been working that well. well at least not as good as remembered it being. and i dont even use it much at all, 'cept in the last couple weeks where the heat has been stupid hot, well for vancouverites anyway. about 40 degrees celcius. im thinking i also might need some servicing...but i use it so rarely that i dont bother.
i get better results with fresh air first, then onto recirc air. however, i tried the 'halfway between the two' setting and it seemed to work alot better! veird...
i get better results with fresh air first, then onto recirc air. however, i tried the 'halfway between the two' setting and it seemed to work alot better! veird...
Aaron
07-28-2006, 09:47 AM
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My wife loves to run the AC on recirculate and the blower on 1. She likes it cold but not moving because she gets cold. 
It kills me to hear the compressor kicking in all the time and the so I turn the temp to warmer and increase the blower speed which can still keep it comfortable in there.
She always leaves the rec and AC on and wonders why is smells and the end of summer. Explaining the whole moisture in the vents and growing molds doesn't change her habits.
In american cars the Max AC is the same as using the recirculate button.
It kills me to hear the compressor kicking in all the time and the so I turn the temp to warmer and increase the blower speed which can still keep it comfortable in there. She always leaves the rec and AC on and wonders why is smells and the end of summer. Explaining the whole moisture in the vents and growing molds doesn't change her habits.
In american cars the Max AC is the same as using the recirculate button.
