AboutTed Ritter Expertise I have more than 26 years experience as toyota technician, I will be able to answer most questions related to the toyota product line up to the present year models, I specialize in difficult to diagnose problems but when posting a question please keep in mind that some situations require the used of special test equipment and diagnostic procedures especially as the newer models become more technologically advanced, so without actually having the car on hand I may only be able to try to steer you in the right direction and in some cases may have to refer you to the toyota dealer but at least you will know what you may be dealing with. Please don't hesitate to ask any questions, I will have an answer for you in most cases. When posting a question keep in mind that I reside in the US, although I get questions from all over the world I may not have an answer for models that are not sold in the US, I will do a reasonable search to try to match your model to the US model,please refrain from asking about diesel powered vehicles, I have no information for them. In most cases I will not answer questions about major modifications of OEM components, engine swapping or aftermarket products,please post a question not a statement, please provide enough basic information such as year, model, what engine and if anything has already been done to fix the problem, the more information I get the more I can help without having to ask you more questions.
Experience Toyota technician since 1979,expert in electrical systems,OBD systems,engine repair, driveability problems,EFI systems,ASE certified,Toyota master technician. Certified Hybrid Vehicle technician.
Education/Credentials Toyota master technician, ASE certified in eight catagories, Hybrid vehicle certified.
Question Hi Ted .. I have a 04 Toyota 4 Runner SR5 6 cyl. 4 WD with about 40,000
miles ...The A/C has always operated fine and without any issues up until this
past few weeks it didn't seem to be as cool as it should and after inspecting I
noted that there were bubbles in the sight glass which led me to believe that
the system was low on freon, I added freon to the point that the bubbles
cleared and I noted the aluminum low pressure line from the firewall was
noticeably colder and sweating however the outlet air vents in the dash were
only, at best , producing cool air but far from adequate cold air, I also noted
that the heater hoses both supply and return from the firewall are quite hot
however I don't know if this is normal or if for some reason the heater is also
operating at the same time as the A/C ... I can't locate a in line valve for the
heater to verify if it is open or closed and at this point I am baffled! Any help
or advise will be appreciated. Thank You, Quentin
Answer The heater core has hor coolant going through it all the time, this is normal, the cold air/hot air is directed internally with air blend doors, it may be a problem with the controls on the dash, it uses a pushbutton array for the controls which controls the air blend doors and the air flow through servos, don't have a quick answer, if it's auto a/c it will have a self diagnostic system which can be accessed at the dealer using the diagnostic tool.
