QuestionI have a 1989 Toyota 4x4 short bed pick up truck. The air conditioner blows air that is the temperature of the outside air, it is not cold. The on/off button is a small rectangular button with a green light in the middle. You turn on the A/C by depressing the button and turning on the fan. When it was working, and the A/C was on, the green light was on. Now even with the button depressed, and the fan on, the green light does not come on. Because the green light is not lighting, would this indicate that the switch is bad or could it simply need freon or something else? Please advise.
AnswerThe indicator light doesn't come on because the compressor is not engaging, this could be because freon pessure is low or the compressor has a problem, most of the time the pressure is low due to a leak in the system, the best way to go about this is to have a shop check the pressures with gauges and add freon as needed then check for a leak, I also recommend that the system be changed from R-12 freon(at about $55 a pound) to R-134 freon(about $6 a pound) you can even do this yourself, most autoparts places carry the changeover kit, just follow the instructions, the kit may include a bunch of o-rings, throw them away, just install the valves and put in the freon.
One word of caution, all the old freon has to be removed from the system, this has to be done with a machine, it is illegal to release freon into the atmosphere.
