2023 TRD ORP - Potential AC Leak?

Hello,

Just happenstance I found this potential AC leak (see photo) on the drivers side of the condenser where the pipe attaches - so, maybe an o-ring issue. I only have 1750 on the odo. I have no AC cooling problems at all, and I’m in the middle of an obscenely hot Texas summer.

What’s more interesting is that I walked Toyota’s used car lot and they had a stack of 5th gen 4Runners side by side, so I walked through them all and every 2019+ had this going on, including a 2019 Blue TRD Pro. But anything below 2019 including a 2015, 2016, and 2018 was dry as a bone.

Do you guys and gals mind looking at yours and posting your year and whether or not you have the issue?

Because of the large number that I saw with the issue on the lot, I’m hesitant to want to take it in for warranty just because of the hassle. But at the same time, if it is indeed an issue I don’t want it to become my problem if I take too long to take it in.

 

Probably just road grime sticking to a sweaty line.

 

If it ain't broke

 

Clean up the area with some mile degreaser (like Spray Nine) and see if the leak reappears. If it does, go in for warranty repair. If you were outside warranty, the labor cost to replace the $2 O-ring would be high, because it takes time to evacuate the system, then recharge it after O-ring replacement.

My previous Tacoma leaked from the high-pressure line near the bottom of the condenser, but it was pretty obvious green dye, not road grime:

 

Yeah - I don’t see anything green at all. The road grime makes sense, it sticks to whatever’s there. I guess I won’t clean it. I’ll just watch to see if it grows, if I touch it Toyota might see evidence of that and play dumb.

But how does it explain all the other 4Runners on the lot with the same issue.

Really curious if y’all could tell me about your rig and whether or not you’re a sipper.

 

I think whippersnapper02 is correct. What you have circled in the photo is where the A/C suction line connects to the condenser - correct? When the A/C is running, depending on what part of the country you are in, that part would get well below the dew point and would sweat (water vapor in the air would condense on it). When you are driving with the A/C on that part would be wet and dust/airborne particles would stick to it. Kinda looks like that - and that would explain why any 4Runner than has been driven with the A/C running would look the same.

 

Even if this is the hot side? The cold side I can see when it gets cold and wet and it’s pretty obvious and doesn’t concern me. But it also doesn’t accumulate dirt.

 

Yeah - if it is the hot side - it wouldn't sweat. Sorry, wasn't exactly sure what part I was looking at. If this is on the high pressure side of the compressor (and I guess it has to be if that is the condenser it is connected to) then it wouldn't sweat.

 

Photos from two brand new cars (2023) in the dealer lot “doing it” - these two have probably been test driven enough to gather dirt. Each of them has more or less than mine of course based on how much dirt it’s gotten exposure to and miles driven. I wonder if the factory is “wiping” something on top of that area out of the assembly line or something resulting in this dirt sticking to it. Meaning, is it seeping or is it just something off of the assembly line?

Generally the new cars I don’t see it on, the used ones however, almost every one of them.