bvet4dog

Hey every one,

The rear Ac unit in my 98 4runner limited was leaking last fall. I did not bother changing out the lines because it was getting cold at the time (winter was just around the corner) and all i did was switch out the hoses under the hood to keep the fluid from going to the rear. So now the hot weather is here and i have no AC. When i turn on the ac all i get is warm air. At first i was under the impression that i would not have AC in the rear but would have it in the front. lol i thought wrong zzzZZZzz

Now, the hoses are corroded and i will need to replace them. How much do they usually go for? I'm hoping it's not an expensive fix. Any one run into this problem before and have any tips/advices before i tackle down on my ride? lol. I might go to a junk yard and try find another 4runner sitting in the lot waiting to be molested lol. But i want to do it right the first time around.

thanks

TheDurk

There is no rear A/C in a '98 4Runner. It's just a heater and those are coolant hoses to rear heater core. You can replace those lines with flexible coolant hose for minimal $$. There are write-ups out there. Any used hardline you find probably find will also be getting pretty old, unless you get one from outside the salt belt.

But you still won't have A/C. The two things are unrelated.

bvet4dog

Just to be clear. Can i still have ac blowing in the front even if the hose remains the same to keep the fluids from going to the rear? Here's a pic under the hood

technojunkie

All you've done is bypass the rear heater core. Your A/C should be unaffected, if it isn't working you have a different problem you need to solve.

bvet4dog

Hmm. Sorry if this is such a noobish thread. I'm not familiar with ac/heating unit and i never had an issue with it before. What could be the possibilities why the unit is not functioning?

Thanks for your responses
Nick

TheDurk

Most common:
Low refrigerant pressure, due to leaks or long-term lack of maintenance.
Fuse, wiring, connection or other electrical fault.
Compressor
Clutch
Control/sensor issues.

You probably need a pro. A/C work requires special equipment and knowledge.

4Tard

A/C is a pain in the dick. I ended up throwing money at mine to fix it. You can rent the manifold gauges and vacuum pump at some Autozones. I ended up replacing all the lines, condenser, T/X valve, a few receiver/driers and evaporator. Turned out there was a pinhole leak in the evaporator, which was the last thing I replaced.

About $500 in parts and refrigerant alone. Could only imagine what a shop would charge to do this. It worked just fine after this, though.

But if you can't figure out the difference between coolant lines and A/C lines, you do not need to be touching your A/C system. You can hurt yourself badly with this stuff; pressures of over 200psi on the high side.

TheDurk

Yeah, that's why I said go to a pro. Had you done a UV test to hunt the leak?? Since the evaporator is hidden inside you found no leak with the UV and so you started changing other stuff?

I have a '99 BMW with dead A/C (no refrigerant pressure) so I am about to go through this. I am one for two on A/C repairs.

4Tard

Added dye, and you have to purge the system to look at the evaporator no matter what. Of course, I opened up the evap box and it glowed like a jiz covered motel room on 60 Minutes. So I figured I might as well change everything if I'm going to go through all the trouble. 15 years only and a quarter million miles are hard on a delicate A/C system.

A big issue on 4Runners is where the lines go through the core support to the condenser. There is a super sharp edge here, and that wore through a line years ago. Any sort of body lift increases tension here, which speeds up the wear on these lines. I replaced both lines, and split a piece of hose to straddle the inside of the opening, which keeps the lines off the sharp edge.

I'd look at these lines first if you're diagnosing the A/C on a 4Runner/Tacoma. Might get lucky and only be out $75