a/c and speaker question to finish my build (1 Viewer)

[vilasman]

My ac hasnt worked in 2 years. My mechanic has had 2 people look at it and taken it to the dealer.
The dealer wants to change the compressor.
The other 2 mechanics put power to the compressor and it worked. They think the ac lines are clogged and want to replace the lines...
Any thoughts....
And are there any simple solutions to the busted rear woofer speaker...

 

[nukegoat]

Thanks for describing the symptoms and characteristics and previous diagnostics of your ac system in detail. It is excruciatingly clear now that the problem is somewhere in your vehicle.

 

[vilasman]

Ok... summer of 2016 I tried to turn on the ac after work... and it wouldnt come on. It went into self protect mode. Neither the front or the back ac would come on. Heater works fine.
So the mechanic got it a couple weeks ago. I dont think it had any freon in it when he started.
They took the compressor out and put power to it and it starts up. If you put it in the truck and put freon on to it... it starts to work for maybe a minute or 2 and stops.
The non dealer mechanics think that because its been sitting so long... the initial problem was the lines were clogged and its gotten worse with time...
Thats what I know so far
So 1st we are going to try changing the lines. If that doesn't work I'm going to change the compressor... but if I change the compressor should i go ahead and use the new lines even though the old ones may work?

 

[saucebox]

Don't know anything about A/C, but to fix your speakers, just find the right kit at Simply Speakers - Official Speaker Repair Parts Page - Replacement Speaker Parts and Repair. Takes about a day to fix, wait for the glue to dry, etc.

 

[Davio6]

On the a/c, it sounds like you have a leak. A good a/c shop should be able to find it, then fix it, usually by replacing the bad component (hose, valve, etc.). Then he can recharge the system and diagnose the compressor. Connecting the compressor to power only confirms that the clutch works. If you have a big leak, your system would work for a short time, then when gas leaks out and the pressure is low enough, the low pressure switch would turn off the a/c clutch signal and shut down the compressor. I'm just guessing, but I would check for leaks with dye or electronic leak detection. Sometimes you will see a/c oil around a hose, valve or compressor seal, and that can point to a leak.
Good luck,
Dave

 

[Ninja Cruiser100]

Adding to Dave’s thoughts your leak must be really large to cycle down like that. When I had a leak it took 2 weeks.

 

[Davio6]

BTW I don't think lines will get clogged without the condenser and evaporator getting clogged first, since they have much smaller passages. I don't want to second guess the mechanic who worked on the car, but the picture you are presenting just seems a little off. Maybe he miscommunicated the problem. Lines can be flushed, sometimes condensers and evaporators also. Leaks need component replacement or repair. The compressor can fail internally, and spray debris throughout the whole system, but I am not hearing evidence of that yet.
Good luck,
Dave

 

[vilasman]

Thank you! Both for the speaker advice and the a/c advice. The mechanic I'm working with is not a land cruiser or even a Toyota specialist... but so far he has proven to do good work at reasonable prices and most importantly so far he's been honest and hasnt done anything shady. After my last mechanic I appreciate that more than anything else...

 

[bucfl]

Before throwing money at it start with the easy stuff. Add leak detection. I also used Red Angel stop leak. The stop leak was useful in that there was a leak in the evaporator and I was able to see the red/pink liquid coming from the evaporator drip line in the firewall.

Check your pressures to make sure they a reading correctly. That will help in determining where the issue may be.

Search for AC, there are two recent threads that may point to the right direction.

 

[Davio6]

Some people have had good luck with stop leak a/c products. Others have had disastrous results requiring whole system replacement. The safe route is to first find the leak, then repair or replace leaking component.
I'm not sure where the OP is located, but if you're fixing a/c in November, it's probably someplace warm, and there should be a/c specialist shops available.
Good luck,
Dave