How to Recharge Air Conditioning with Freon in a Toyota Camry

Recharging an air conditioner may make it blow cold air again. You can do this if your Camry is compatible with R134 refrigerant. Some models made in or before 1995 take R12 refrigerant instead of the newer R134 refrigerant.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

things you'll need:

• Goggles
• Gloves
• Leak detection kit
• Pressure gauge
• R134 refill kit

1. Prepare to Recharge

   • 1

     Locate the Low Pressure Side port. It is near the air conditioner condenser. It is usually near the firewall on the passenger side. It has a black cap marked L. Remove this cap.

   • 2

     Determine if your car uses R134 or R12 refrigerant if your car was made in or before 1995. Models using R12 refrigerant will have screw type connectors on the both the High Pressure Side and Low Pressure Side lines. If this is the case, you must have your Camry air conditioning system retrofitted to use R134 refrigerant.

   • 3

     Test your air conditioning system for leaks. You can find kits that will help you to find leaks in the system and possibly seal small leaks at your local auto parts store. If you see any visible damage, take your Camry to a professional to repair the leaks and recharge the air conditioning system with refrigerant.

   • 4

     Check your air conditioning system pressure using an automotive air conditioning pressure gauge. In order to get an accurate reading, the air conditioner has be turned on the coldest setting and set on the highest fan speed.

   Perform the Recharge

   • 1

     Make sure you read and understand all of the directions on the refill kit. Some kits may have specific directions that you must follow.

   • 2

     Connect the refill hose to the connector on the Low Pressure Side of the air conditioning system. Because the connectors are different sizes, the refill kit hose should fit only on the Low Pressure Side port. Additionally, the High Pressure Side connector will usually have a red cap or be marked with an H or the word High.

   • 3

     Allow the system to pull the refrigerant out of the can. Make sure the can is upright. Know that it may take 10 minutes for the can to empty.

   • 4

     Check the pressure. If it is still low, repeat steps two and three using a new can of R134 refrigerant.

   • 5

     Shut the valve on the refill hose and remove the hose from the connector when the air conditioning system is fully charged. Recap the Low Pressure Side port valve.

   • 6

     Leave the air conditioner running for at least 20 minutes. This allows the refrigerant to circulate throughout the air conditioning system.

Tips & Warnings

• Protect your eyes and skin by wearing safety goggles and gloves.

• Don't try to recharge the air conditioning system if a license is required in your area to purchase R134 refrigerant. In this case, you have to allow a professional to recharge it.

• Never try to mix R134 and R12 refrigerant. This causes damage to the air conditioning system and may cause bodily injury. It is possible to retrofit a car that uses R12 refrigerant to accept R134.

• Only work on the Low Pressure Side of the air conditioning system. The air conditioner is under high pressure and trying to add refrigerant to the High Pressure Side can cause an explosion resulting in injury or death.

• Never release refrigerant into the air. This is a federal crime. Take any excess refrigerant to a professional for disposal.

How to Program a 2000 Toyota Tundra Key Fob

Paying a car dealer for maintenance and repairs can get expensive, especially as your vehicle ages. The 2000 Toyota Tundra came equipped with a remote for keyless entry. If you have to replace the battery in your 2000 Toyota Tundra key fob, you will need to reprogram it. You do not need to pay a dealer to do this for you; try doing it yourself first.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. • 1

     Open the driver's door and climb in. Insert the key into the ignition and quickly pull it out. Do this twice within five seconds.

   • 2

     Close the driver's door and open it again. Reinsert the key into the ignition and pull it out. You must do this within 40 seconds.

   • 3

     Shut then open the driver's door twice again. Insert the key into the ignition. Close the door. Turn the key to the "On" position but do not crank the engine. Turn the key to the "Off" position and remove it. This must all be done within 40 seconds. If you have done everything properly, the door locks will cycle from unlocked to locked and back again within four seconds. If they do not, repeat this process.

   • 4

     Hold down the "Lock" and "Unlock" keys on the remote for one and a half seconds.

   • 5

     Press the "Lock" button on the remote for two seconds. The door locks will cycle again indicating successful programming.

How to Remove the Spare Tire on a Toyota 4Runner

Having a flat tire on the side of a dark, cold, and wet road is not the time for a crash course in Spare Tire Removal 101. This is why you must plan ahead, locate the required equipment, and practice a few times in your own driveway to get used to the process.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

things you'll need:

• Spare tire removal kit/jack tools (equipped with the jack of the vehicle)
• Flashlight (strongly recommended)

1. • 1

     Grab a flashlight. It would be a good idea to keep one in your glove box and check the batteries in it often to make sure the flashlight is working properly.

   • 2

     Locate the spare tire/jack tool kit (usually in one of the side door panels in the very back of the 4Runner where the jack is. You may have to refer to the manual as different generation 4Runners may have put the jack and tools in different locations.

   • 3

     Separate and assemble the three parts of the spare tire tool, starting with the rounded hook end. Attach the straight rod to that, then the lug wrench will have a 3/8 inch hole in the middle that will fit on the end and create a T-handle, but do not attach the lug wrench just yet.

   • 4

     Locate the spare tire tool chamber located on the bumper/tailgate of the 4Runner by the license plate. It's an oblong shaped hole. Turn on the flashlight (you will need the flashlight to line the tool up on the sunniest day of the year, let alone a dark night) and look into the chamber. At the end, you will see a slot in the winch device that the head of the rounded hook fits into. Slide the tool into the chamber and align the hook into the slot of the winch device.

   • 5

     Apply the lug wrench on the end to make the T-handle and turn counterclockwise to unwind the cable holding the tire to the undercarriage of the 4Runner. You will want to lower enough cable to allow enough slack to remove the hub key from the center of the spare tire. Practice taking it off and putting it back on a couple times. To raise the tire, simply replace the hub key and turn the tools clockwise to engage the winch.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure to make a note of which side of the spare tire is in the up and down position as it sits in its stored position. Most often the top of the tire (or the outside sidewall) would be facing upward with the valve stem also facing upward. It might be a good idea to have the garage that performs your oil change services to check the air in the tires including the spare tire. This often gets overlooked and you do not want to discover it's as flat as the tire you have to replace in an emergency. In some cases, Toyota offered some locking devices for spare tires. The procedure would be the same, however there would be a key chuck that would fit on the end of the tools and into the winch device to lower and raise the spare tire. Again, finding this out before it's an emergency will only help you prepare yourself.

How to Size 2005 Toyota Tires

Tire sizes differ by model of Toyota.

If you are going to replace one or all four of the tires on your Toyota, you will need to know the tire size. Putting the wrong-sized tires on a vehicle and driving is not only asking for future maintenance problems, it is dangerous. Finding out the correct tire size should be relatively easy, as your Toyota owners manual should have a list of recommendations. However, it might be easier to just look at the tires already on your car.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

1. • 1

     Look at the tire sidewall. There is a wealth of information available there, from max PSI for inflation to the Department of Transportation number. The tire size is one of those available bits of information.

   • 2

     Determine if your car is a passenger vehicle or a light truck. The tire size will be listed starting with a "P" or an "LT." Passenger vehicles will start with "P," and light trucks will start with "LT." Look for those letters.

   • 3

     Look at the rest of the string of numbers, once you find "P" or "LT." The rest of the numbers should have an "R" somewhere towards the end. This "R" specifies the wheel diameter, which is also the rim size. For example, a valid tire size would be P125/65R14. If you found a number that looks similar to this, you have found your Toyota's tire size.

How to Adjust the Headlamps on a Toyota Corolla

Over time, the headlamps on your Toyota Corolla may appear dim while you're driving at night. The cause of this problem may be the alignment of your headlamps. Improper headlamp alignment can make it hard to see at night and cause a problem for other drivers if your headlights are shining into their windshield. Adjusting these headlamps is an easy process. For the best results, wait until dark before aligning your headlamps.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. • 1

     Park the vehicle on a level surface such as a driveway or in a parking lot. Ensure that you're facing a wall or garage door, with the headlamps 10 feet away from the wall.

   • 2

     Turn your headlights on and look at the placement of the beams on the wall. The beams should be proportionate with one another. The beams as seen on the wall should not appear to be shining above the Corolla's hood. The beams should also be shining directly in front of the headlamp. You should be able to draw an imaginary horizontal line from the headlamp to the wall, with the line end-point directly in the center of the beam as it shines on the wall.

   • 3

     Open the hood, then locate the adjustment disc. Each headlight will have one disc, on top of the headlight. These are visible slightly in the back on the top of the headlight when you open the hood. Look for a round silver disc. These adjust only vertical (up or down). The Corolla has no horizontal adjustment knob.

   • 4

     Turn the nut with a socket wrench in the direction that the headlights need to be positioned -- clockwise for us, counterclockwise for down. The headlamp beam placement should be no higher than the hood of the vehicle.

Tips & Warnings

• Check your headlights often if you think your visibility at night is diminishing.

• Poorly adjusted headlights can cause poor visibility while driving at night.

How to Install Speakers in a 2001 Toyota Tundra

The 2001 Toyota Tundra pickup truck is equipped with a pair of speakers mounted in the front doors. The speakers are a round, 6 3/4-inch design, and there are many aftermarket speakers which will fit into the existing factory openings. Installing speakers is a suitable task for the do-it-yourselfer--while you must remove the door panels to access the speakers, the tools involved are easy to use and the job can be completed in a reasonable amount of time.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

things you'll need:

• Small flat-blade screwdriver
• Torx T30 driver
• Phillips screwdriver
• Panel tool

1. • 1

     Pry off four screw covers on the door panel with the tip of a small flat-blade screwdriver. Two covers are located on the front edge of the door panel, while two others are located below the door pull handle.

   • 2

     Remove two Torx T30 screws from behind the covers located on the front edge of the door panel, and two Phillips screws from below the door pull handle.

   • 3

     Remove a Phillips screw from the plastic trim located behind the door release handle. Pry around the edge of the trim with a small flat-blade screwdriver and remove the trim.

   • 4

     Insert the tip of a panel tool underneath the edge of the door panel and pry outwards, working around the bottom and sides of the panel until it is completely loose. Lift the panel off of the door.

   • 5

     Remove four Phillips screws holding the speaker in the door. Lift out the speaker and unplug the wires connected to the back.

   • 6

     Plug in the new speaker and place it in the door. Screw it in place with the four Phillips screws. Test the speaker and replace the door panel.

   • 7

     Repeat the previous steps for the other door.

Tips & Warnings

• Panel tools can be purchased at auto parts stores.

How to Start a 1988 Toyota Camry

Starting a vehicle's engine is a basic prerequisite to using the vehicle, and the 1988 Toyota Camry is no exception. The Camry is fitted with an ignition cylinder on the lower right-hand side of the steering column, with a unique key tailored to the cylinder. Using the key allows the Camry to start, and the cylinder also features a setting for powering accessories, such as the radio, without the need to start the engine.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

things you'll need:

• Ignition key

1. • 1

     Open the driver's side door, and enter the vehicle. Insert the ignition key into the ignition cylinder located on the lower right-hand side of the steering column.

   • 2

     Make sure the car's transmission is in "Park" (for an automatic transmission) or neutral (manual transmission).

   • 3

     Turn the key clockwise to the "ON" setting. The warning lights on the instrument panel will light up.

   • 4

     Place your foot on the brake, and turn the key clockwise to the "START" position until the engine starts. Release the key, and allow it to fall back to the "ON" position. Turn the key counterclockwise to the "LOCK" position to turn the Camry's engine and accessories off.