jacked_72

Realized I posted this in the wrong year forum, so I posted it in the right year. Sorry.


I bought my daughter a 88 V6 (3vz) 4runner recently. The AC was not working, so I was going to try charging it up to see what we had. It is a R12 system, so I got the retro fit fittings and the the pag oil and started in. I put a vacuum on it and then started the charging. Happily, I saw the compressor clutch engage after, but immediately it started shooting sparks; compressor was siezed.

Ok, got a new compressor (and oil) and accumulator/dryer. I flushed condenser and the lines. I did not flush the evaporator because the expansion valve is in that unit and the flush solvent I used said not to flush the expansion valve. Vacuumed the system, then charged it.

The car does not have a sticker to say how much freon the system holds. I went on line and saw that the 1988 4runner holds something like 29 oz. Doing the 80-85% reduction for 134a, I put in 24 ounces of 134a. The system was definately cooler than ambient, but not by any stretch cold.

I did some readign of FSM for Toyota and read for one of the later years that manifold guages should be reading in the 22-35 psi range on the low side and something around 200-225 on the high at 1500 rpm. I hooked my guages back on and saw that while my low pressure was around 50psi at idle, at 1500rpm, the reading was something in the low teens. So I added additional 134a until I got 30psi at 1500. High side was around 250psi at 1500rpm.

Adding the additional 134a definately assisted with the cooling. Driving at 1500rpm, the AC is cooling to about 30 degrees below ambient. At idle, its doing very little cooling. So, it kind of sort of works, but it's definitely not working as well as it should. The sight glass on the dryer does not show bubbles, but rather a whitish (frothy?) substance going by.

I'm trying to decide where to go from here. My possible culprits are (1) the expansion valve (I did not replace the expansion valve when I replaced the compressor), (2) wrong charge amount (I have no sticker and am just going off of internet information, which could easily be wrong) and (3) dirty evaporator coils, since I didn't pull out the unit to clean the fins.

I'd appreciate it if anyone has any suggestions as to what the problem may be and if anyone still has a sticker on their car saying what the freon charge should be, please let me know. Thanks.

FrankTorres

According with Toyota R12 A/C system retrofit AC002-98 2nd revision

1988 V6 4Runner oil (pag46) quanity is 100cc (3.38 oz.)
R134a charge is 700cc (23.67 oz.)

I would have defiantly removed and flush the evaporator w/ a new expansion valve. Also you may have too much oil causing restriction.

This is my evaporator in our FJ80 after about 18 years...