AC not as cold as expected

I have no complaints about the AC in my 06, we have plenty of 90 degree days up here with high humidity, it cools down very quickly.
 
you bring up an interesting point of air measurments at the vent, & i understand what ur saying about the ac system functions, but when the air doesnt get as cold as they like or think it should be ,in they're vec. ,no matter what they drive, will blame it on the ac not being up to par, without giving a thought as how much untinted glass there is, improper seals,insulation, etc. there is. so no matter how much logic, measurements or reasoning are considered, the fact still remains the same, some vec. seem colder inside with the ac on than others. so all im saying is that i for one, was happier with the colder interior comfort in some of my other vec & not so much with the 4r.theres no reason to feel a need to justify it, its like inside a building some people feel comfortable at no higher than 65-70 on hot summer days,(i do) others may say thats too cold & prefer 70+. thats it for me, peace.
 
It is funny that this thread should come up because I find my 2005 Limited's AC inadequate during the hot days. When sitting in traffic, it blows damp/musty air. When I accelerate, the air get cooler but not freezing. If I leave it on LO all of the time, it is a little better. I brought it into the dealer and of course the air was blowing at 30 degrees and everything is working properly. They put dye in the system to track any leaks. The air in my parents 06 4Runner and 07 GX 470 is very nice (GX is like an icebox when the temp is set as high as 74)!
 
looking at the locations of some of the people talking about a/c makes me laugh. From someone in the south where 90% humidity and 100 degree temps are the norm I can tell you that the A/c isn't up to par. The heat index for today is 110. I won't complain about the 4runners heat when it get below 50 if you won't complain about the a/c when it gets above 80.
 
It is funny that this thread should come up because I find my 2005 Limited's AC inadequate during the hot days. When sitting in traffic, it blows damp/musty air. When I accelerate, the air get cooler but not freezing. If I leave it on LO all of the time, it is a little better. I brought it into the dealer and of course the air was blowing at 30 degrees and everything is working properly. They put dye in the system to track any leaks. The air in my parents 06 4Runner and 07 GX 470 is very nice (GX is like an icebox when the temp is set as high as 74)!

EXACTLY Thank you!/

In my mom's land cruiser you can be sitting dead stopped in traffic and it be 110 outside, it blow absolute ice out of the vents even on the lowest fan setting WITHOUT recirculation on.
 
looking at the locations of some of the people talking about a/c makes me laugh. From someone in the south where 90% humidity and 100 degree temps are the norm I can tell you that the A/c isn't up to par. The heat index for today is 110. I won't complain about the 4runners heat when it get below 50 if you won't complain about the a/c when it gets above 80.


Sounds like you might need to get your A/C checked out. I have a house in Orlando Florida where the summer temps are incredibly hot. My 4Runner has never left me hot even in that sweltering heat.
 
My 4Runner's AC is mearly OK. Yes it works, but it won't freeze you either. Maybe I need to look at the evaporator or wherever the heat is exchanged, there's a good chance its covered in mud.
 
I find the only way to REALLY determine what a system is doing is to check the vents with an IR themometer at the lowest fan speed, and base that off of the ambient temperature. Then you can compare other vehicles at the same "base point."
 
I find the only way to REALLY determine what a system is doing is to check the vents with an IR themometer at the lowest fan speed, and base that off of the ambient temperature. Then you can compare other vehicles at the same "base point."

Exactly. But to compare the temps of two different vehicles accurately, the vehicles must be in the same place at the same time. That's what I was trying to explain earlier in the thread, but some people just don't seem to get it.

BTW, fan speed shouldn't make any real difference when measuring output temp. Think about it.....skin "feels" wind chill, thermometers do not. Then again, you can make the argument that a higher fan speed "rushes" the air past the evaporator faster, not allowing the air to be cooled as much as a lower fan speed. So maybe the low speed setting isn't a bad idea.

It is true that not all A/C systems perform exactly the same, but I've compared my 4Runner's A/C output with other cars in my family and the 4Runner seems to be slightly better than average.
 
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My 4Runner's AC is mearly OK. Yes it works, but it won't freeze you either. Maybe I need to look at the evaporator or wherever the heat is exchanged, there's a good chance its covered in mud.

That's a very good point. Anyone that has done some muddy offroad driving could have poor A/C performance due to partial blockage in the condenser. Maybe some of these guys who are complaining just need to take a hose to the front of their 4Runner!
 
My 03 is weak also. Now that we got all the other bs out of the way has any one found an issue to look into? What might cause it to be weak?
I hate taking it to an ac shop or the dealer and ask them to tell me whats wrong. That always means alot more $$$$$.
If some one has some ideas or has fixed theirs pass the info along.
Thanks
 
The most common reason for a "weak" A/C system is low refrigerant charge. Of course there are other reasons as well, but that's definitely the most common.
 
My 03 is weak also. Now that we got all the other bs out of the way has any one found an issue to look into? What might cause it to be weak?
I hate taking it to an ac shop or the dealer and ask them to tell me whats wrong. That always means alot more $$$$$.
If some one has some ideas or has fixed theirs pass the info along.
Thanks

Lets say the outside Temp. is 100 degree's F if inside of your 4Runner can get down to 85 degree's F then the A/C is doing it's job correctly. The Temp. of the air being blown out a vent, should be around 35/40 Degree's F.

That's about all you can really expect as for the cooling of your 4Runner.:bash:
 
As a general rule of thumb, outlet temps at the vent should be between 40 to 50 deg F. Again, this is very general and will depend upon ambient temp & humidity, as well as variations in different A/C systems.

On a 100 degree day, it will take a while for the A/C system to cool the vehicle's interior, but with an outlet temp of approximately 50 degrees, it should eventually feel very comfortable. If the A/C system has to be kept at its maximum setting and the interior still feels too warm, chances are good that the outlet temp is not near 50 degrees and the A/C needs maintenance.
 
Look at your cabin filter and replace it if its dirty. The replacement help in my situation bring the AC performance back to new.
 
I put my instant read meat thermometer int eh 4Runner :P I will start logging AC performance. Today it was 74 degrees and 60% humidity. Outlet temperature at center right dash vent ranged from 38-45 degrees with everything at max.
 

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