We have a 2009 Toyota Yaris that A/C is not blowing very cold. Driving down the road it seems at times it tries to get cold and then 5 min later its not very cold and the temp in the car won't get but a few degrees cooler than outside if we are lucky. Its still way too hot in the car and not as good as it was last year.
If I get the gauges to test the high and low side, is it okay to get the 3 wire set or should I get the 4 wire set? I've never worked on an A/C before, but I want to try to fix it myself before taking to a shop and paying them.
What is your opinion. One of Scottys videos I watched seem to be the 4 way, but he didn't even show how to use it really to add refrigerant. It was like a video from 14 years ago, so I should look to see if he has any more recent ones that are even more informative than that video.
Would appreciate any advice.
Thank you.
If there’s a leak, you’re going to need to find it first. The equipment to do AC work properly costs many thousands of dollars. You’re better off having it done professionally by someone who guarantees their work. Refrigerant costs around $50 an ounce so if you screw up it’ll cost you big.
If I get the gauges to test the high and low side, is it okay to get the 3 wire set or should I get the 4 wire set? I've never worked on an A/C before, but I want to try to fix it myself before taking to a shop and paying them.
It's best if you take it to a knowledgeable AC shop if you don't know what you're doing. Air conditioners operate at very high pressures (the "low side" is around 50-55 PSI, the high side can be up to 300 PSI depending on ambient conditions; for reference, a typical car tire is only inflated to 35 PSI).
My first real bragging right that my stepdad hasn't bested came from my 1999 Ranger. The air conditioner was messed up. I already knew the nuts and bolts of how air conditioners work, as I have a minor in aerospace engineering and we took a course covering thermodynamics. I just didn't have any hands-on experience. I have a head for numbers.
I bought a vacuum pump, manifold gauges, refrigerant with UV dye, and funky sunglasses that help pinpoint UV dye. I vacuumed the system, put in the refrigerant laced with the UV dye in, and ran the air conditioner for a few days. I put those funky sunglasses on and looked at the condenser. It looked like it was taken out by a paintball gun, there were so many holes in it. I took it to a shop who specialized in AC stuff and had them recover the refrigerant that was still in the system. I thoroughly researched what all is involved with replacing a condenser. In addition to replacing the condenser, I had to replace the receiver/dryer, and quickly. There is desiccant in the receiver/dryer, and it will start absorbing moisture from the air as soon as you release the pressure. On top of that, I had to put more PAG oil in the system based on a chart, vacuum the system again, put a reverse scale on the radiator core support and put precisely 20 oz of refrigerant back into the truck. I should have replaced the orifice tube while I was in there, but I didn't. The AC still ran fine. It blew freezing cold afterwards; it can be humid in Ohio, and the air conditioner was so cold, condensation would develop on the windows. It still worked up until the Ranger's frame cracked.
Basically, if anything I said is unfamiliar to you, I would play it safe and let the professionals handle it.
It looked like it was taken out by a paintball gunso it was a tiny, tiny leak eh lol
More than likely, lol, those holes were all over the place. It was the original condenser.