Hi guys. Its getting good & hot here in the Midwest and I have just realized my AC seems to be out.

I have a 1997 SC300 pretty much stock. The AC fan blows hard enough, and the light is on, just no cooling. I took it to a small shop and they hooked it to their refrigerant identifier and it indicated an "unknown" gas in the system. They are telling me it needs to go to a dealership and even they will be unlikely to help me due to the danger of contaminating their equipment with some funky gas. The previous owner said he recharged it a few years ago with something in a gold can from NAPA.

What are my options? Can I get another recharge kit at NAPA and see it that helps? Can I just purge the system myself and get it refilled somewhere then? (I know the damage that can do to the environment)

Does the fact that there is an unknown gas in the AC mean it isnt leaking? Is there a way to tell if my clutch and/or compressor are ok?

The sooner the better on this. I am roasting!

Thanks!

 

well, I decided it was too hot to wait, so I charged it with r-134a from the auto parts store. For $27 I can wait & see how long it lasts.