A/C only works over to mph or in idle

Is this all the time or after you drive for 15 minutes? Maybe it needs more refrigerant?

 

Check the refrigerant sight glass. If it is bubbling, then you should have it checked by a certified a/c mechanic.

 

Was the car in a front end accident? Check fan direction.

 

I always find one or two bubbles in the sight glass reassuring, ie: lets me know something's in there. That's while the compressor is running. And then as the compressor shuts down, you typically see a swirl of bubbles.

Also, if you opt to add refrigerant, be really sure you have the right stuff, and don't use hoses or connectors that have been used with other systems.

Better yet, just get a Toyota Dealership to service it, and alert them to the issues. There's bound to be a very complex troubleshooting procedure, to narrow down what might be happening.

 

Bought a 67 Corvette small block many years ago and the owner couldn't figure out why the car would spike temp sitting at light but run fine on the highway. Had me stumped for a while and eventually found when he rebuilt the motor he bolted the fan blade in backwards. Blowing instead of sucking.

After I fixed that issue the engine ran fine temp wise but didn't really matter as I could only drive a few months in the winter down here as the cabin especially the floor would get so hot it was undriveable. No ac. You'd be soaked in about 10 minutes. Sucked. Last hot rod with no ac from then on.

Yours I think one fan is not working. Both rad fans should be on with ac on. Start the car and turn ac on high and see if both fans are sucking behind the radiator.

 

Bubbles in an R134a system only provide clues to two things: There is *some* refrigerant in there and it's moving. It is totally normal for R134a systems to have ZERO bubbles in the sight glass, in point of fact, most systems do not even have one. With the old R12 systems, you could accurately charge based on the sight glass.

 

And it brought back fine memories too...lol...