2003 Corolla - Air Conditioning Slow To Cool - Toyota Corolla, Chevy Prizm (1998-2008)

So I just topped off the a.c. gases hoping for cooler air. It was at 35 psi, took it to 55.

The problem has been it takes like 10-20 minutes for the air to get really cold.

Compressor kicks in, air blows, it just takes forever to get cold - when it does, it stays cold until I park the car for a while. Seems to never get close to "really cold" unless I'm driving for 20-30 minutes.

This is regardless of the temperature outside ... 80 degrees even. Same story if its 100 degrees.

Wondering if there are noted fixes to the 2003 I need to address first?

I have actually never serviced an a.c. - but do my own work.

Have you washed or replaced your cabin air filter? I also adjusted the air mix control cable by removing and reinstalling the clip to have door positively shut at coldest position, as shown in lower expanded diagram.

https://www.2carpros.com/images/question_images/2077/original.jpg

http://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/toyota,2003,corolla,1.8l+l4,1432914,heat+&+air+conditioning,cabin+air+filter,6832

I'd look into double checking the refrigerant pressure with a good set of manifold gauges, not with the pressure gauge on the A/C recharge kits - as they don't have the resolution or even calibrated.

You can get a case of poor cooling with too little or too much refrigerant - if you accidentally overcharged the system - it will take a long time to cool, if it even cools.

Had a similar issue with my 2009 Matrix - everything checked out, cabin filter clean, pressure looked a little low (according to the A/C charge kit) - sight glass had bubbles, saw condensation forming on some of the hardlines, etc. Refilled it a bit, checked the rest of the A/C system, seemed OK for a day, then back to blowing out lukewarm air. Ended up having to evacuate and refill the whole works - as it was actually overfilled by good amount.