A\C Issue

Hello all, I just purchased an 02 4runner and its my first time owning a yota! I'm coming from an 09 yukon denali, whom after replacing brakes, tires, water pump, fuel pump, battery, alternator, and a few wheel bearings, (all in 2 years time) decided it was time for the tranny to blow up.
So, I got a car that has way less electronic BS in it (I also replaced like 85% of the sensors in that yukon) and should last forever.
My 4runner has about 250k miles on it, tranny is ultra smooth shifting, idles silky smooth and doesnt leak or burn any oil. (dang yukon leaked oil like it was going out of style) I'm the 3rd owner and previous guy took pretty good care of her. Body is pretty dinged up but beyond that everything electrically works perfect. All windows work, even the rear window and most importantly, the frame is in immaculate shape, it was undercoated every year (and here in michigan its impossible to find nice 4runners with good frames)
Anyways, the only issue I've run into so far, is my A/C. Now, I'm pretty mechanically inclined and do most all my own repairs (except fuel pump cuz my tank was full in the yukon) A\C was working yesterday, blowing nice cool air. Then I turned it off and it started blowing out really hot air from the engine compartment (I'm assuming).
So, today I drove it to the gym and again the air was running fine, turned it off cuz my little girl likes the windows down and again it was blowing hot air even with the fan set to "off".
I'm assuming its something with the Blend door actuator, thats my first instinct, but I figured I'd ask the yota experts incase there was some quirk or something I wasn't fully familiar with.
So what say the experts? Need a new blend door? It looked like on rockauto there were a few options, I have manual evironmental control (I believe anyways lol) though there is an ECT button above the climate center.
A/C button turns green when pressed, btw.
Thank You!!

 

I have a 22 SR5 and can tell you mine does exactly what you're describing. Its so annoying

 

So your saying the AC works. Just when you turn it off? It blows hot air? Just adjust the temp and let it run. I actually think it runs cooler in the engine compartment when the AC is cycling.

 

I had to replace one in the Ford. Its all vacuum actuated.

 

Oh no id definitely be frustrated if it was doing that on something new!

Well, yesterday it worked fine, until I turned it off. Today it blew cold for a short time then switched to hot air. I guess as I type this the first thing I should check is the refrigerant levels before I go into blend doors.
And i did try to adjust the temp control and turn it down but I did not try to change where it was blowing from (head and feet is where its set)

 

My expansion valve failed, easy fix. Then got a reman compressor too. The tech can tell with the pressure machine.

 

appreciate the replies.
A little update:I purchased a recharge kit, thinking that may be it. Before I tried that, I decided to change the fuse. It didn't look blown but I changed it. A/C worked. I changed location, temp, ect, and it worked. Turned car off, came back about an hour later (daughter was at dance class) and the dang A/C didn't work. The next day, I drove to work, A/C worked on the way there. On the way home, in only blew hot air. Today on the way to the gym, it worked perfect the whole way, no issues.
The only thing I could think of would be blend door at this point?
If its out of refrigerant then it would only blow hot air, right? I didn't test to see how much was in there cuz I wanted to return the a/c charge ($60!!!!)

 

Do not use that recharge kit. There is a very good chance it has a leak sealer in it. If it does you will wish you never used it. The sealer can clog up your system and cause multiple things to have to be replaced because of contamination. Shops usually refuse to hook up their equipment to a car that that used it as the leak sealer can destroy their equipment.

 

That is very good info, thank you.

 

It sounds like something that probably has a kernel of truth to it but its been spreading on the net for so long nobody knows where the kernel is anymore.

 

The expansion valve:
Its a small valve, genious invention, it sprays the high pressure fluid through it and creates the coldness. If you are holding pressure, which the machine will show, and the expansion valve does not open, to cool things down. They last about 20-25 years.

 

thank you sr5. If you replace the expansion valve alone, does that require evacuating the refrigerant? Just curious, as it looks like something I can reach no problem, but I obviously wouldn't just evacuate all that refrigerant without the right machine.

 

Yes, So if the system is holding pressure but the expansion valve will not open. The pressure will stay constont/high on the machine.
Its like 4 bolts to get the expansion valve out. Clean the "box", mine was clogged with hair.
That's "SR5 Limited" it was a special project from Toyota.

 

thank you again for the info!

 

Wow I dont think Ive ever been thanked before.
The AC system actually helps cool the engine compartment. And the engine will not run right without it, in extreme heat.

 

Whuh?