5th & 6th Generation (2002-2006 & 2007-2011)Toyota Camry Discussion for years: 2002-2006 & 2007-2011
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My boss has a 2006 camry and the a/c is not blowing as cold as it should...I am guessing that it needs a shot of freon. I looked under the hood for the accumulator/drier to look at the sight glass (like my T100 and my wife's 2000 camry) and cannot find it (the drier). Can anyone tell me where it is located and if it has a sight glass in it.
I do have a set of gauges for the new a/c fittings but have never used them...if I need to use them what should the high and low side be ? The car is a 4 cylinder engine. Thanks in advance for any assistance...it is over 100 degrees here today !
If it is the typical Autozone recharge kit, it will be the low side. The high and low are two different sizes and usually the low side will have an L marked on it. I don't know if there is a sight glass, but hook the gauge up to it and see how many psi it is running with the a/c at full blast and idling. On my 07 it is right up front on the Passenger side midway down the engine, can't miss it. Mine took a bit this year and blows much much colder. Mine is running approx 30 psi and cold.
This has been discussed before so search and find some more complete answers. If it has a sight glass it is not to be relied on 100% of the time because R134a behaves differently than R12 did. Secondly there is no definite pressure value that is good or bad. It varies with the interior temperature, exterior temperature and to some extent the humidity. It can vary quite a bit. You need a chart for this or a/c experience. Third, R134a is not a single gas but a mixture of gases, each of which has a different sized molecule, so the smaller molecule of the mixture will leak out before the larger one will. Since they are there in a specific ratio, if the system is low then it needs to be evacuated to a proper container, have the leak located and repaired, and then refilled with fresh R134a. You can just add a few ounces of refrigerant and it might work better than it did, but understand that you are shooting in the blind this way, and regardless, even if the pressures are dead on, if the ratio of gases is off, it still isn't going to work properly.
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2007 V6 Camry LE, Built TMMK 27 September 06
"People who think they know it all are particularly irritating to those of us who do."
if the system is low then it needs to be evacuated to a proper container, have the leak located and repaired, and then refilled with fresh R134a. You can just add a few ounces of refrigerant and it might work better than it did, but understand that you are shooting in the blind this way, and regardless, even if the pressures are dead on, if the ratio of gases is off, it still isn't going to work properly.
+1
Most car manufacturers are now putting UV dye into MVAC systems at the factory. R-12 was able to be "topped off" with no problem. As was stated, r134a should be evacuated, any leaks fixed, and the correct amount of refrigerant charged back into the system after pulling a deep vaccuum.
And the vacuum process is important for a couple reasons:
1. You want to be sure that there aren't any leaks of any kind, and those very smallest of leaks are hard to detect.
2. You need to boil off any possible moisture in the system and it can take a couple hours of pumping to get it all out of the remote tubing.
3. Pull a vacuum for a lengthy period of time and then lock it down with the vacuum and allow it to sit for some time to guarantee it holds that vacuum.
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2007 V6 Camry LE, Built TMMK 27 September 06
"People who think they know it all are particularly irritating to those of us who do."
Being a chemist...I had a feeling that the story about R134a being a "blend of differant molecules" was not true...so...I looked it up....R134a is 1,1,1,2-tetrafloroethane (that is a 2 carbon chain with 4 flourines attached...3 of them on the first carbon and one on the second) and is most certainly one molecule. But, even if it was not...the lighter molecules would not leak out before the heavier ones...because...the gas is under pressure, and a/c leaks are considered very large openings. Under perfect conditions (very small oriface and no pressure) then gases (made of more than one molecule) behave as you described...in an a/c leak, everything (large and small molecules) would leak out at the same rate. If you doubt me...look it up. 134a is positively a single molecule. You may have been thinking of R410a (a 50-50 mix) or maybe some of the "new R-12 substitutes" which are also blends of several molecules. Maybe someone that sells R134 told you that so you would use more ! I can send you the dupont info sheet on R134a if you would like to see that in print.
CAn anyone tell me where the drier is in a 2006 ??
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