A/C not working in my 1993 Camry

[SecretStuff]

Okay.....I really don't know too much about cars, so bare with me on this. Well, I used to have A/C in my car that worked so good, it was actually, way TOOOO cold!!! I used it last, probably in September. It was working Perfect.....Well It is now getting to the wonderful 90 degree weather here in Arizona, and A/C is a must. I went to use mine the other day, and now it don't work. IT blows out all the wonderful hot air. Really useless when Im trying to stay cool.
What could be my problem, and can I, or someone I know, fix the problem....without having to take it in to get fixed? The car will not be worth too much soon, so paying all that money to get it fixed it not in my budget......
Can someone please tell me what the problem may be, and is it:
-Easy to Fix
-Cheap to fix
-Can we do it ourselves

Thanks for you time and all your help......
God Bless

[AMinHtY]

re gas ur air con

[Joe W]

If your A/C uses R-134 freon (I'm pretty sure it does,but there is a sticker in the engine compartment that says if it is R-134 or R-12) recharging kits are available for 134 but NOT the 12.This is available from any auto-parts store.

[red-in-la]

Unless you have a very late model '93 you have R12 in the car. I have an early '93 and it's R12. (R12 = expensive)

You obviously have a leak and since you aren't saying anything about mechanical or electrical problems I'll go on that assumption.

1st. Call Toyota dealer. Give them your vin number and see if your car qualifies and has not had the EXPANSION VALVE recall from the early '90's performed. If it hasn't had the recall you may be in luck. They will replace the valve & fill the freon for free. This is over $500 at the dealer.

2. If your car doesn't qualify find a friendly mechanic. Toyota Dealer cost of valve is around $175. R12 is AROUND $60 a pound and you will need 2 of them. It's around 3 hours to fix. Valve is behind the glove box, burried.

If you do need R12 check locally for a substitue called FREEZE12. This is a direct replacement for R12, unlike R134. I am running it. It works fine. Do a web search for www.freeze12.com

If you do put in FREEZE12, put in 2 pounds with LEAK detector and run it for a while. Find out where the leak is. Max, $40 to put in 2 can.

3rd. You can not do it yourself / change freon. R12 requires a license to buy and a machine to install. Too much is as bad as 2 little.

Sorry for the grimm info. Hope the Toyota recall works for you. If not RUUUUNNNNNNNNNNNN away from the Dealer. U will be finacially taken out-back and whipped by them.

Good Luck

[smallbaby]

check with you dealer because camry 1993 have recall about this issue. I took my car to the dealer last year and the arnest mechanic at the dealer told me it cost $450.00 to fix it but it will be free because it recall item.

[SecretStuff]

Atually I have come to find out, that even when I do press the A/C button, my compressor or whatever it is, does not even come on no more. I dont get why this would happen, if it was working perfect last time it was hot out. I need to resolve this crap soon, cuz this 90 degree arizona weather is killin me, especially in a black car, that the passenger window does not open either. So it is a bit hott. But I will give my dealer a call and see if my car has that Recallpart on it or whatever you guys said. I appreciate your help and I will let you know how it goes. Thanks

[chuey11]

Most likly r12 if it has not been changed.
need pressure reading
does clutch engage ( also does it engage at night and not in the day)
Need more input!!!!!!

[SecretStuff]

I called the Toyota dealer, and they said that my car does not qualify for that recall thing. Like I said.....when we have the hood of the car open, and I go and push the A/C button.....there is nothing that engages under the hood....the compress...nothing....we hear nothing go on....nothing spinning.....nothing. The car blows hot air, that is about it. But nothing engages, under the hood..... I know nothing about darn cars......so bare with me on this.
If I want to do that Freeze12 thing, to check if it just has a leak. (cuz the Toyota dealer guy told me that I may just be missing some rubber piece (gasket thing) that would cause the freon to leak out...then if the freon leaked out then the compressor would not engage) So if I want to check for the leak.....can someone explain to me how I would go about doing that. Do I need any special tools? Can I do this myself? (well, someone would do it for me..) I dont have to take it to a mechanic to just check for the leak do I? If someone could just give me details about how I could go about checking for a leak.
Might as well try the next thing.....before I go wasting all my life savings on taking it to a mechanic.

[gator2764]

Originally Posted by SecretStuff

I called the Toyota dealer, and they said that my car does not qualify for that recall thing. Like I said.....when we have the hood of the car open, and I go and push the A/C button.....there is nothing that engages under the hood....the compress...nothing....we hear nothing go on....nothing spinning.....nothing. The car blows hot air, that is about it. But nothing engages, under the hood..... I know nothing about darn cars......so bare with me on this.
If I want to do that Freeze12 thing, to check if it just has a leak. (cuz the Toyota dealer guy told me that I may just be missing some rubber piece (gasket thing) that would cause the freon to leak out...then if the freon leaked out then the compressor would not engage) So if I want to check for the leak.....can someone explain to me how I would go about doing that. Do I need any special tools? Can I do this myself? (well, someone would do it for me..) I dont have to take it to a mechanic to just check for the leak do I? If someone could just give me details about how I could go about checking for a leak.
Might as well try the next thing.....before I go wasting all my life savings on taking it to a mechanic.

Freeze 12 is not very expensive. You should have someone put in a 1/4 ounce of dye in the line while you are at it and then look for leaks with a black light after a day or two of running it.