AC/Coolant enquiry

[CoolguyAT]

Hello everyone-

I have a 1999 Solara V6 SLE. I got an oil change back in June and I noticed right after that the mechanic must have forgot to fill up the coolant reservoir, I had some coolant so I just put it in. Around that same time I started a new job here in Houston and have to park my car in an open parking lot with no shade, so as you can imagine with the TX heat at the end of the day my AC is running full blast.

A couple of things I have noticed -
1.) It takes a good 10 minutes sometimes for the air to get cool, especially if it's been sunny and the heat has been well into the high 90s. When there is shade, it's cloudy, or when it rains my AC gets cool much quicker.

2.) I checked the coolant reservoir earlier since I am driving to Dallas later today and i'd say about half of what I put in back in June has been used up. I have checked for leaks at both work and my home and do not see any signs of a leak.

My question is this - could the fact that my car is sitting out in an open parking lot in the very hot TX heat be contributing to the above issues? Or is it something else that I should be worry about.

Thank you guys!

[campfire9]

Hi. I am a little confused about what you mean about coolant. The radiator has a reservoir in which overflowed fluid from the radiator is captured. This is visible for anyone to see by simply opening the hood. The AC on the other hand is not something that most people think about until it get hot and then you will have to ask an attendant to check. Its not something attendants do as part of their routine.

The sight gauge for the AC is in front of the radiator on the left side. Its a cylinder about 8" high with a small clear window on top. Start the engine and turn on the AC. Take a flashlight and clean the window and check for bubbles passing through the window. I expect you will see lots. Bubbles mean that you are low on what ever the name/number of the freon they are using these days. I can't think of it now. Anyway I'm sure your system will need charging. Now you can do it yourself by going to the auto parts store and get a kit and follow the instructions. You can also take your car to a place that specializes in AC's, which may be the best thing because your seals in the system may be bad and caused the fluid to leak out.

After your system is charged always remember that the freon while cooling also lubricates the seal in the system so use your AC in the winter for a few minutes every other week to keep the seals wet and you wont have to go through this again. For my part my AC runs 100% because I never roll down my windows because of noise and dirt that comes in. This last part is just me.

[dug320]

You are confusing two different things. The coolant reservoir is a pressurize system that cools the engine. You can observe the amount of engine coolant in the reservoir.

10 minutes to start to blast cool/cold air means you have a low level of air conditioning gas (R-134a). As recommended you look at the condenser's window for bubbles when the AC is on. You can look at the window on a bright day (no flashlight required) . You may not see any bubbles until the air feels cold. Bubbles means there is some gas in the system.

If you want to keep the car take it to someone trained in AC repair. If you plan to sell it soon use some sealer and add a can or two to the system.

[CoolguyAT]

Thanks guys - it turns out that I was confused on the two different things. I will go and get the AC checked out.