1996 camry needs help with a/c

[forever 2 wheels]

I have a 1996 V-6 camry with 153K miles. The car runs and looks great.The a/c worked fine when the outdoor temp was under 100 degrees, after that it would only cool to 58 degrees. I read on the forum that I should pump down the a/c system and refill to 35psi (low side) and 227 psi (high side). I used a vacuum pump and pulled system down to -39psi. I refilled system with 1.97 LBS of R-134A synthetic and now the low side stays in a vacuum state and the high side reads about 150PSI. Can anyone tell me the reason this happened and how to fix the problem.

[uibalnme]

Take it in for professional A/C service. I did, and my A/C (at max) blows 35* air out of the vents no matter the outside temp.

[forever 2 wheels]

Wish I had the funds to take it in. I also need a set of tires and some brakes. I thought I overlooked something. I would like to make repairs myself if possible. Do you know what they did to fix yours and what the costs were. Thanks for your advise.

[new echo owner]

You may have a stuck expansion valve.

How did you recover the old refrigerant?

A/C system pressure changes with temperature, did the instruction say what was the outside temperature when those pressures were taken?

There are other factors that can affect the efficiency of the A/C, and they are not necessarily internal of the A/C system, blockage of the A/C condenser, or the radiator fan not switching to high speed are some.

N.E.O.

[forever 2 wheels]

Update on the A/C in the 1996 Camry! I stopped by the local AAMCO shop today to get some prices. They treated me very well and offered a free A/C check. I did not have the car at the this time so they quoted me 1.8 hours labor plus parts to change the TXV. I felt good about the cost and called my wife with the news. The TXV is located in the blower housing under the dash on the passenger side of vehicle. I will take it in for service soon and let you know how things turn out. Thanks to everyone for sharing all the information on TOYOTANATION.COM!

[xtremeskier97]

What the heck is the TXV?

[new echo owner]

Thermo Expansion Valve, maybe? Just a guess.

N.E.O.

[forever 2 wheels]

You are correct N.E.O.. Has anyone ever changed one out? What was the outcome? Thanks

[new echo owner]

As long as they use factory parts and replaced all the seals, depending on the mileage maybe the receiver/dryer, they usually work great.

N.E.O.

[forever 2 wheels]

Update: Driving in Az. at 100+ outside temp. the A/C was not doing very well, blowing at 78 derees. I drove the vehicle last night with outside temp at 84 degrees and the A/C was blowing cold (45 degrees). I will try it again today.

I have been looking at other A/C threads and they end up spending more then they had planned. Can anyone recommend a good A/C repair company for a quote or should I take it to the dealer. I am going to have AAMCO look at it first. Thanks for the quick responses.

[Kep]

I'm just beginning a similar project. My compressor failed and I am pulling out the evaporator and condenser to flush them and then flush out the rest of the plumbing.

So far my research has suggested that whenever you crack the system open you should evacuate it (to remove the last trace of water vapor) and add in the weight of the 134a that you need. (Evidently 134a systems' gauge readings are not as helpful as the R12 systems' were.). As you have it open longer and longer you are advised to replace the receiver dryer. In Houston it is always very humid so I would replace the receiver dryer every time I opened it. In AZ you may be able to get away without doing it if you don't have it open "too" long.

It took me about two hours to disconnect the battery (don't want the air bag to deploy!), remove the glove compartment, unplug the air bag (I've been driving the car with all of this disassembled), remove the blower motor (had to disconnect some of the "computers" there), open the evaporator case, disconnect the "freon" lines, remove the evaporator and plug the two open lines on the firewall and evaporator (I bought a lot of corks from my hardware and used tape and rubber bands to hold them in place all over the engine while I am driving around.). Removing the TXV was a cinch.

I was/am concerned that the two different oils that I knew were in my system had caused the compressor to fail so I am particularly concerned that I flush all of the old oil out. I was also concerned that there may have been trash in the system from when the compressor failed but I have been lucky, there doesn't seem to be any. Note 1: only use one type of oil. Toyota recommends PAG 46 as does the replacement compressor that I bought. Note 2; just use regular 134a and Pag oil. Don't fall for the various "improved" stuff. If you get their data sheets the improvements are usually just some oil additives (remember note 1?). Note 3: If you find a black residue in the system when you break it open do a lot more research. My understanding is that you will need to clean or replace the entire system.

Lord Anonymous posted some pictures on a French Forum that may give you an idea of what to expect if you remove the evaporator and expansion valve. http://www.forum-auto.com/forum2.php...0&new=0&nojs=0 (If you go into google's language section you can have it translate the web page. It is pretty good.)

I really encourage you to get a copy of the Toyota Shop Manuals for the car. It has a lot of excellent information, testing and troubleshooting guides.

Did I mention that you may want a copy of the Toyota Shop Manuals?

Kep
PS - the Toyota shop manuals are very helpful.

[forever 2 wheels]

Thanks Kep. I have had problems with my computer the last week and could not post. Thanks for all the suggestions and as an update on my A/C, it is still working well as long as the outside temps are under 90 degrees.
I had a larger problem arise with the brakes. My son said he could hear them making a noise. I did not want bigger problems so I started on the brakes. The repair book said to change all 4 brakes at the same time. I put the car on stands and installed Raybestos brand pads. The only problem I had was with a lug nut installed with an impact. They cross threaded the nut and it took about an hour to resolve. I will return to the A/C as soon as the funds present themselves.
Just a note to all trying to save a buck and buy quality parts with good customer service, Penny Pincher Auto Parts at 2401 W. Van Buren St. in Phoenix, Az. has helped. For my needs Auto Zone has to order everything and Napa prices are a bit higher than I can afford at this time. Just my opinion.

[new echo owner]

Did they put in the correct amount of R-134A, too much will actually affect the system's performance. Instead of going by the a set amount, charge it up to the lower spec range and than add little by little until there is no bubble in the sight glass off idle, around 2000 RPM.

N.E.O.

[forever 2 wheels]

Great suggestion. I will get on that ASAP. We are feeling the satisfaction of making repairs ourselves! Thanks N.E.O.