So a few months back in April, I had my AC (R12) recharged. The guys at the AC shop checked it for leaks and said that it was good. According to them, all it needed was a simple recharge.

Now, less than 6 months later, the AC doesn't work again. It worked wonderfully for the first couple months after the recharge. It then started to not work as well. Although, this also happened to be around June, which is when the temperature in my area gets to around 100. So I'm not sure if its decrease in cooling capability was due to a problem with the system, or simply to the hot weather. Within the last month, it has become noticeably worse.

I went on vacation last week, without the truck, and upon returning yesterday, the AC doesn't work at all. It blows warm air.

So what should I do? Could a leak have developed in the last few months? Or was there probably always a small leak that just took a while to deplete the freon? I'm guessing either way I'll have to have it tested again. Just hoping to get some input from everyone. thanks!

 

leak detection is hit-and-miss. Don't take it as proof that there are no leaks. It only means the detector didn't find anything.

 

So would it be better for me to take it to a different place if I have it checked again?

 

i dont know if toyota is the same, but when my dads 94 chevy pickup was leaking out freon, he took it to the dealership, and they put some neon in the freon... showed up under black light, and they found the problem immediately...

 

I would take it back to the same place you saw before. You will pay full price elseware but those guys make cut you a break since they told you it was fixed and apparently it was not.

Unless you had a major leak, they should have found all the leaks when you took it in the first time. With the cost of R12, you might think they would fix the leak and run more die through the system to see if they caught all the leaks but that is just what I would do.

 

The thing is that the leak may be too slow for the detectors to find, yet still leak the freon out over several months. I've got a leak in my MR2 that does the same thing. It's full of marker dye and nothing has ever showed up. But the freon is gone 4 months after it's charged.

 

so do you recharge every 4 months? or do you just live without AC?

recharging that often would be pretty expensive, especially if you are using R12

 

I'm used to heat, so I just don't run the A/C. (Yes, the windows stay closed, and yes it gets well over 100* inside during the summer.)

 

So I just got back from the original shop I had my AC serviced at. Turns out my truck now has a leak in the compressor and in some other line. They said the compressor would need to be replaced, in which case I'd be better off converting the system over to R134. Total cost they said would be around $800.

There's no way I can afford that price. Furthermore, even if I could, it's hard to justify spending that much on an old truck.

Anyways, does what they told me sound right? And if so, is there a cheaper alternative I can do for the AC? It gets in the hundreds where I live, so AC is definitely appreciated!!