AC Refrigerant Leak

The sight glass in the filter drier was meant for an R12 system.

With 134a the oil is pushed by it and looks like small air bubbles.

Yes you can see air also but you can no longer use it to charge until the bubbles are gone.


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TheDurk said:
You replace the dryer basically anytime you open the system which means there is a possibility for humidity to enter. You would not replace the dryer on its own. There is no need as long as the system remains sealed. The dryer is adequate for its job as sized. A bigger one would not make the system any MORE dry.
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What would be considered the ac system getting opened? (refrigerant loss, replacing part in ac system, etc?)
 
fourfive said:
What would be considered the ac system getting opened? (refrigerant loss, replacing part in ac system, etc?)
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Anytime the system loses positive refrigerant pressure, so yeah, all of the above. In any case, if you lose all pressure, you are going to replace something, be it an O-ring or a compressor, so the system will end up being physically opened so that some moisture gets in. (Don't mention leak stop products; I don't use them.)
 
It shows I don't mind opening our system, simplicity is why, thanks to engineers.
Charge weight is important, Toyota designed system capacity on nice round numbers 2 12 oz cans or 1 24 oz can. In Spec.
Everyday guy doesn't own scales, using guages thermometer ambient temps pressure chart gets deep.
Repairs can be performed with pump and hose, freon can with hose in a pinch.
 
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96RedRunner said:
It shows I don't mind opening our system, simplicity is why, thanks to engineers.
Charge weight is important, Toyota designed system capacity on nice round numbers 2 12 oz cans or 1 24 oz can. In Spec.
Everyday guy doesn't own scales, using guages thermometer ambient temps pressure chart gets deep.
Repairs can be performed with pump and hose, freon can with hose in a pinch.
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Yeah, I laugh every time some AC tech goes all FUD about needing a $3000 machine to measure exact weight of refrigerant (he would NEVER call it Freon.) Sure, spend $3000 when two whole cans is the exact amount we need.

I do have an electronic gram scale in the kitchen I use on the BMW. They never do things the easy way.

You do need the gauges, thermometer, hygrometer and chart to do a good job on diagnosis or a partial refill just to get through the rest of the summer.

I'm no fan of those can/hose combos from Walmart for a partial refill. Those little red/green gauges actually will tell you to overpressure the system compared to Toyota spec, if my math is right.
 
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TheDurk said:
(he would NEVER call it Freon.)

I do have an electronic gram scale in the kitchen I use on the BMW. They never do things the easy way.

I'm no fan of those can/hose combos from Walmart for a partial refill. Those little red/green gauges actually will tell you to overpressure the system compared to Toyota spec, if my math is right.
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No one has ever called me PC, it's frickin freon.

A gram scale for a Beemer, come on what's it really for, my gram scale for measuring powder proud to say, Ha, gun powder.


I don't do top off's anymore, address the need. I prefer a empty system, keep it simple.

2 Runners 20 yr 400k + miles, One failure, 01 where it needs to be for 150k trouble free. I like them odds.
 
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And if the system loses all its refrigerant make sure to have a vacuum pump handy to burn off all the moisture once all the new components are installed and before new refrigerant is added. Usually I like to make sure the system can hold vacuum at least at -28hg, if not -30 for at least an hour.
 
96RedRunner said:
No one has ever called me PC, it's frickin freon.

A gram scale for a Beemer, come on what's it really for, my gram scale for measuring powder proud to say, Ha, gun powder.


I don't do top off's anymore, address the need. I prefer a empty system, keep it simple.

2 Runners 20 yr 400k + miles, One failure, 01 where it needs to be for 150k trouble free. I like them odds.
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If it's 100°F in August and my son's BMW has a slow leak from the evaporator I will top it off rather than 'address the need' which means taking the whole dang dash out with five million wires in 100° heat. I'll wait until fall, thanks.
 
HiluxSurf SSR-G said:
what is meant by double loop? is it a good design? I recently saw an evaporator from a 2012 Hilux. it's wider but the thickness is less than half of the 4Runner's evaporator..
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Double loop loose terminology, double pass through of freon, unlike radiator. Great design.
Hilux - more surface area less thickness, material cost, bean counters and engineers.
 

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TheDurk said:
You replace the dryer basically anytime you open the system which means there is a possibility for humidity to enter. You would not replace the dryer on its own. There is no need as long as the system remains sealed. The dryer is adequate for its job as sized. A bigger one would not make the system any MORE dry.

Remember, no dye system will pinpoint a leak in the evaporator, which can't be seen. I invested in a refrigerant detector, and it beats the crap out of working with dye. Even a cheapo will get the job done. The one I have (TIF) has more than doubled in price, but here is a cheapie. Evaporators are a common fail at the age of our trucks. I just had to do mine which was the first time my system has been open since new. Since I was in there, I did the expansion valve and all O-rings out to the firewall connection, plus the dryer, of course. So I have half a new system.



Amazon.com: Elitech HLD-200 Refrigerant Leak Detector Portable Gas Leak Detector Halogen Leak Detector Car HVAC Freon Leak Detector: Automotive
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Detector arrived today...has its on fancy little aluminum storage case. So...no leaks detected. This doesn't really surprise me everything is still blowing cold and it seems like in the past it went from Antartica to the Sahara overnight...meaning perhaps a sporadic leak. Not sure how I am going to located this...keep the detector with me and when things go south start sniffing...any suggestions?
 
papabeach said:
Detector arrived today...has its on fancy little aluminum storage case. So...no leaks detected. This doesn't really surprise me everything is still blowing cold and it seems like in the past it went from Antartica to the Sahara overnight...meaning perhaps a sporadic leak. Not sure how I am going to located this...keep the detector with me and when things go south start sniffing...any suggestions?
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Did you probe in the drain hose and down the center vent like 20 minutes after stopping the system?

1. Can't fix what ain't broke.
2. I have never heard of an intermittent leak, but I don't do this for a living. But yeah, if it happens, it should be slow enough you can detect it then.
 
TheDurk said:
Did you probe in the drain hose and down the center vent like 20 minutes after stopping the system?

1. Can't fix what ain't broke.
2. I have never heard of an intermittent leak, but I don't do this for a living. But yeah, if it happens, it should be slow enough you can detect it then.
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Definitely didn't wait that long...only waited about 5 minutes. Will give it another trial at 20 min and see.
 
papabeach said:
Definitely didn't wait that long...only waited about 5 minutes. Will give it another trial at 20 min and see.
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Ditto on testing the condensation hose for the AC and the vents themselves.

I'm running down a similar issue, is there a smell associated with refrigerant leaking from the evap core?

Also I notice if I turn the truck off with the ac still "on", I'll hear a hiss for a few seconds after the truck is off. Conversely, if I turn the ac to "off" before shutting down, there's no hissing. Is that a thing?
 
When my 93 Ram popped its EVAP I put it on defrost and set my sniffer on the dash over a vent and within 20 seconds of turning on the ac on max it started beeping and then I started crying.


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The other place a leak may occur is around the compressor shaft, hence to combat the seal drying up amongst other things, the reason for the compressor to run when the heat is used.

Do you have a set of gauges? You need to figure out what the low pressure reading is when the system is on Max cooling, Max fan speed.

If it is going from cold to hot instantaneously, unless the condenser got a huge hole in it, it sounds electrical, either a pressure switch or possibly some FUBAR at the control in the 4Runner if you have a Limited. For example the low pressure switch must detect some refrigerant in the system, otherwise the system won’t turn on.
 
LittleCaesar said:
The other place a leak may occur is around the compressor shaft, hence to combat the seal drying up amongst other things, the reason for the compressor to run when the heat is used.

Do you have a set of gauges? You need to figure out what the low pressure reading is when the system is on Max cooling, Max fan speed.

If it is going from cold to hot instantaneously, unless the condenser got a huge hole in it, it sounds electrical, either a pressure switch or possibly some FUBAR at the control in the 4Runner if you have a Limited. For example the low pressure switch must detect some refrigerant in the system, otherwise the system won’t turn on.
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Compressor shaft seal failure is easy to determine. Look for the oil stripe in line with the belt


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papabeach said:
So...no leaks detected....any suggestions?
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Cardboard.....small leaks sometimes need help showing themselves using sniffers.
Blocking part of condensor air flow will raise system operating pressure, inturn putting more pressure on leaking whatever,
that leak that barely leaks under normal operating pressures.
Cardboard too big blocking too much air, high head pressure switch will shut Comp off, no worries.
Blocking 10-20% of condensor is like driving through 115* Desert heat, system can handle it.
 
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