I inherited a '94 4runner recently. It's been a great vehicle (aside from costing more than airfare to drive most places...) except for one thing. The A/C doesn't work reliably.
It either blows very cold, or just blows hot air (not heated, just outside temperature plus a little residual heat from the engine, not like the air is coming off the heater). Also, if it's turned on but not blowing cold, it does still use electricity (the idle speed is higher). Whether it works or not seems to be pretty much random, although it tends to stop working right after I decelerate. Like I'll start it up from a stop and it'll come on, then I'll get on the highway for half and hour and it'll stay on, but it quits once I hit the offramp. There aren't any warning lights or hissing noises or anything like that. Flipping the hot/cold slider back and forth does nothing.
Anyone have any ideas for where to look for problems? I know next to nothing about this stuff, but don't have the money to get it fixed at the shop, unless it's something simple like lubricating a louver or tighening a screw. I'd rather to it myself and learn from it.
Thanks in advance. It's hot as hell and the girlfriend can't take it much longer.
It either blows very cold, or just blows hot air (not heated, just outside temperature plus a little residual heat from the engine, not like the air is coming off the heater). Also, if it's turned on but not blowing cold, it does still use electricity (the idle speed is higher). Whether it works or not seems to be pretty much random, although it tends to stop working right after I decelerate. Like I'll start it up from a stop and it'll come on, then I'll get on the highway for half and hour and it'll stay on, but it quits once I hit the offramp. There aren't any warning lights or hissing noises or anything like that. Flipping the hot/cold slider back and forth does nothing.
Anyone have any ideas for where to look for problems? I know next to nothing about this stuff, but don't have the money to get it fixed at the shop, unless it's something simple like lubricating a louver or tighening a screw. I'd rather to it myself and learn from it.
Thanks in advance. It's hot as hell and the girlfriend can't take it much longer.
