94 3.0 ac slowly heats up

[fastgtfairlane]

got a 94 4runner 3.0. had the vehicle for several years. ac has always blown very cold. few days ago as im driving into work (about 30 min from home) i noticed the air temp coming out of the vents was warm. green ac light still lit. go to leave work and ac blows cold the entire time. this has happened a few times now. ac blows cold for 20-30 min and starts heating up. it sounds like the compressor clutch quits engaging. im actually hvac certified and do residential and commercial hvac for a living so i completely understand how refrigeration works, just not too familiar on a car. it almost feels like either the refrigerant level is low and the compressor shuts off on low pressure, or the compressor could be overheating. possibly sticking expansion valve. after it starts warming up, it wont blow cold again until i shut the car down and let it completely cool off. any ideas on where to start looking?

 

[Ship Pusher]

This sounds like a classic compressor clutch problem. Check your clutch gap clearance with a feeler gauge. I don't have the spec for the gap but once you are able to compare the two readings it should be an easy fix by removing a shim from the clutch pack.

 

[fastgtfairlane]

cool deal ill have to check that out. hard to tell without gauges what its really doing but it doesnt act like a refrigerant issue but more like a mechanical issue or electrical

 

[fastgtfairlane]

Update. So after further investigations from driving, I've noticed the ac blows cold while driving at highway speeds but heats up and shuts off basically at a stop light. After driving home from work today and opening the hood with the vehicle running, I noticed the small condenser fan motor isn't working. I think that is my problem. Any idea how diagnose it. It is supposed to run anytime the ac is on correct?