Ac recharge??

I have a 2003 tacoma. my ac inst working.
Has anyone had any luck with those cannisters that recharge the ac?
I hooked one up to my truck and tge reading had 0 for psi. Hiw many psi is it supposed to be reading on an 03 tacoma??

 

I suggest that you consider taking your truck to a reliable AC shop and have them check the entire AC system out. You could have a slow leak, a compressor that isn't compressing much any more, a leak in the Schroeder valves (or somewhere else in the system, for that matter), a defective dryer, or some other problem that you won't find by adding a can of refrigerant.

 

This! AC is a whole science unto itself and requires specialist tools and the ability to use them properly.

 

I’ve used AC Pro. It’s simple way to top off a functioning system. Never used it on system at zero.

 

thanks for the reply .
i was going to try the can first. since it was $25.
Was just curious what psi a normal ac works at for an 03 tacoma.? Im guessing around 50?

 

You're welcome! I know that having the AC checked by somebody who knows what they're doing is somewhat expensive, but when they find and fix a problem, it sure is worth it! A year ago I paid around $125 to replace a Schroeder valve. But in all fairness, the tech evacuated the system checked the dryer, used dye to check for leaks, replaced the refrigerant, etc. and that all took a little over an hour.

 

You might as well try a recharge 1st. My wifes 2nd gen has a super small leak and I recharge it once every 2 years. When you buy the ac recharge get one with the gauge. Then make sure vehicle is running, ac full blast and start to fill from the low pressure valve. If at zero psi the compressor won't run till it has some psi. Fill to the middle of green. Now look around the lines, compressor and condenser for leaks. If none are visible than that recharge should last a good amount of time. But most likely you have a small leak somewhere.

 

I had a '92 with the old R-12 system that eventually stopped working after about 10 years. You could no longer buy R-12, and it had no pressure left after some time, so I used a cheap conversion kit and followed the instructions. Pressure for R-134a needs to be in that green zone on the gauge, too much or too little won't work. It worked, and it held. Pissed me off that I drove so long with no A/C in the Central TX heat. I'd just try to get it back into that green zone and see how long it holds before diving in to more expensive repairs.

 

If the system is empty and at atmospheric pressure, a can isn't going to do any good and it needs other help.

If you aren't sure, get a pro that you trust to look at it.

 

I must have missed that day in class

 

Well, you can always apply for the evening session.

 

Sure any some what Mechanical Job has so called special tools

For AC in most cases I got by with the Multimeter Gauges for the Correct Refrigerant and the trusty Vacuum pump

The fancy Refrigerant extracting system since trouble shooting most system were empty it seldom got used

A refrigerant scale seldom left the truck .

All these Tools don`t add up to the cost one of my welders .

 

I didn't know this. The last time I bought a can of refrigerant must have been in the 80s or so. Good info! I'll keep it in mind.

One never gets too old to learn something new, one just gets too old to remember that he learned it...

 

so i used the can. filled it up to about 45 psi in the green on the gauge.
ac is working now but for how long? We will see. at least it kept me cool today on this 95 degree day. hopefully no huge leaks.

 

If you don't visibly see or hear leaks it should last quite a bit. You can hook up the gauge in a few days and see how much was lost.

 

To answer your question, the PSI actually varies depending on the temperature outside (kind of like a tire). I know AC Pro recommends filling to the lower end of the green area just for that reason.

 

Not necessarily. I had a mustang that you couldn't hear or see anything, but within a week it was back to blowing hot air. My issue ended up being an old schrader valve. Luckily the shop I used use the UV dye to see where the leak was coming from.

 

I had warm AC last year, used a recharge can and it worked better for about 8 months. Then it died completely lol. I'm convinced I did it no favors by using that can.

Turned out I had a leaky compressor and needed a new one