Help!!! A/c Problem!!! - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

fe519 · 06-20-2004, 03:34 AM

well, heres the deal. I got a 96 and i got this meter because my ac was not as cold as before. when i checked it, it says i was almost low on refrigerant. So I went to pepboys and bought a can of DuPont 134a refrigerant. I hooked everything correctly when filling, to the low side, and filled away. When I was almost done, the car went weird on me. The ac switched to on for about 1 second and switched off and it does this again and again. The motor also seemed to have trouble keeping up and the rpm dropped down to about 300. The gauge says that I did not refill over too. When i took it out for a spin, i can hear the motor clicking and the car losing some power when the ac motor goes on. This is the first time i have done this and i really really appreciate some advice on whats going on.

SmokingTires · 06-20-2004, 03:55 AM

You put the wrong refrig. in it. 134a is for updated A/C. I have a 92' and I was told that mine was out-dated and that it needed to be updated(mine doesn't work as of current). Which I was told would cost $600. As far as I know, yours is the same. You either need to have it updated, or pay the $100+/per pound that it costs for the old stuff.

Nico · 06-20-2004, 03:00 PM

No. All cars before 1990 are on R12. Between 1990 and 1994 manufacturers started to switch to R134 but it only became compulsory in 1994. Toyota only did it in 1994. Saab for instance started with R134 straight away in 1990. What you're talking about is a "retrofit" from R12 to r134, this can be easily done with a "retrofit kit".

As for your problem it definitely looks like an electrical problem.
You may have a bad Idle Air Control motor. It acts like a choke when the engine is cold and boosts the idle, it also boosts the idle when the a/c is on. It might also be a bad a/c amplifier (kind of "computer" located just besides your ecu, behind glove box). Last possibility : you have a bad connection : check all your a/c plugs, especially the ones near the receiver dryer, compressor, and the ones going to your fans, you can also spray them with some wd40.
I hope this helps