Dear all,
I would greatly appreciate input on an air conditioning problem on my 2010 Toyota Corolla with only around 65,000 miles on it and an automatic transmission. I received this car new and never had any work done on it except for basic maintenance. (PS. I am still getting around to switching out the transmission fluid and coolant.)
So last summer 2021, I noticed the air output was not as cold as it used to be. So I did a lot of homework, and decided that it was best for a mechanic to take care of it for me. I brought it to a mechanic who was a friend of a friend. He recharged my air conditioning and put some tracer fluid in it. The air conditioning was ice cold afterwards. I recall that he told me that the air conditioning had 0.7 out of 1.0 lbs of refrigerant. After a few weeks, the air conditioning blew less cold, so I brought it back. The mechanic was unable to find a leak and also noted that the air conditioning was still cold so advised me to continue to wait and bring it back for another inspection. I brought it in for another inspection at around 2-3 months and the mechanic was once again unable to find a leak.
It has been around 6 months since I took it in for an inspection. The air conditioning still blows somewhat cool, but it does not blow cold.
What should I do?
Should I just tell the mechanic that if they are unable to find the leak to just recharge the system for me?
Or should I leave it alone?
Should I go to another mechanic for a second opinion?
Does the forum community have any idea what may be going on?
Thank you in advance.
It's very likely you have a leak. If it could not be found with uv dye it is likely in the evaporator where it can't be seen, though sometimes you get lucky and some dye will drip out with condensation from the drain tube. An electronic detector would be another way to find an evaporator leak.
You need to take the vehicle to an automotive AC specialist to diagnose and fix the problem. As good as some mechanics are, most are not certified in automotive AC systems.
In addition to the previously mentioned good advice, make sure the
- air inlet (cowl) is clear of debris
- A/C evaporator core is unobstructed
- cabin air filter (if installed) is clean
- temperature blend door is operating correctly
Got it. Thank you both for your input.
For what it is worth, I am based in New Orleans. If you know any good shops in the area, please let me know! Beyond online reviews, I have no way of determining if an A/C repair shop is honest/good.
Got it.
Thanks!
I will do my due diligence. It will take a bit of time due t scheduling... However, I will update you all in this thread. Thank you all once again.