Toyota Repair: A/C for our 98 Camry, freon, plastic cap

Question
Hello, our A/C is not putting out cold air in our '98 Camry.  What is the cause of this problem typically and how much should I expect to pay for a repair?

Answer
That's a hard question to answer simply because of the many things that could be wrong with the system, the most common cause for not cooling is that the refrigerant has leaked out, the compressor will not engage because there is not enough freon pressure. You can check this yourself by removing the plastic cap on the low pressure service valve, it's located on the larger of the freon lines near the firewall then carefully push the center of the valve stem to see if any freon escapes, freon will freeze anything immediately so be careful not to let it get on  your hands, if no freon comes out you can get a recharge kit at most auroparts stores it will take about 1.4 pounds but keep in mind that this is only a temporary fix and the leak should be located and fixed. If there is freon in the system I would recommend having a certified a/c technician diagnose and locate the cause because it will take some special equipment to check the pressures in the system or to find a leak.