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R-12 to R-134A Refrigerant Retrofit If you drive an older vehicle (pre-1994), the air conditioning system contains R-12 refrigerant (Freon). As long as the A/C system has no leaks and it cooling normally, there is no need to convert from R-12 to the new "ozone safe" R-134a refrigerant. But if your A/C system has lost it's charge because of a leak, collision damage, or the need to open it to replace a compressor, hose or other component, you may have to convert from R-12 to R-134a when you recharge the system Why? Because R-12 is no longer produced in the U.S. Supplies of recycled R-12 still exist, and some R-12 is still brought in from offshore suppliers. But it is hard to find and expensive. That's why many people simply recharge their older R-12 air conditioning system with R-134a after repairs have been made. R-134a Retrofit Conversion Costs Does it make economic sense to retrofit an older vehicle to R-134a if the A/C system has lost its refrigerant ...

New Automotive Refrigerants For Your Vehicle What the future holds for automotive refrigerants is uncertain, but changes are happening and more changes are coming. R-134a refrigerant contineus to be used in many late model vehicles, but many new cars are now being equipped with A/C systems that use R-1234yf refrigerant. Other refrigerants may also be coming as R-134 is gradually phased out in the years ahead. The Europeans want to phase out R-134a in all new vehicles by 2017. The European rules require any new refrigerants must have a global warming potential of less than 150. The U.S. EPA also wants car makers to switch to a different refrigerant to lower the overall carbon emissions of the vehicle fleet. Carbon credits will be given to auto makers who make the switch to a refrigerant that has a lower Global Warming Potential (GWP). Though R-134a poses no danger to the ozone layer if it escapes into the atmosphere, it is a "greenhouse gas" with a fairly high ...

Flammable Refrigerants To Be Taken Care Of  Flammable refrigerants are illegal to use in an automotive air conditioning system. There are some exceptions, such as the new  R1234yf refrigerant , which is mildly flammable but only under certain conditions. Flammable refrigerants may also be used in the trailer refrigeration units on heavy duty trucks. But other than these, no flammable refrigerant should ever be used in a car or light truck A/C system. Flammable Refrigerant Fire Hazards Propane, butane and a number of other hydrocarbon mixtures and blends actually work quite well as refrigerants, with cooling characteristics similar to R-12, R-22 and R-134a. But if the evaporator inside the passenger compartment develops a leak, the flammable vapor may create a potential for a fire or explosion. Do you really want to risk being cremated while driving your vehicle? Another thought to keep in mind is what happens if your vehicle is involved in an accident. The A/C co...

R-1234yf Refrigerant For Your Car Auto makers are slowly moving toward a new refrigerant for automotive air conditioning systems. The new refrigerant is R-1234yf (HFO-1234yf), and it will be phased in slowly over time starting with some 2014 model year vehicles. R-1234yf has cooling properties that are similar to R-134a, which has been used as an automotive refrigerant since it was introduced back in 1994 to 1995 to replace R-12. R-134a contains no CFCs, which are harmful to the Earth’s protective ozone layer, but it does retain heat well and has a relatively high Global Warming Potential (GWP) rating of 1410. IMPACT ON GLOBAL WARMING Automotive refrigerants that leak out of A/C systems contribute very little to the overall global warming problem, only about 0.14% according to scientific estimates. Even so, when you multiply the millions of vehicles that are AC-equipped times even a small amount of refrigerant leakage over time, the numbers can add up. Some would argue ...

Alternative Refrigerants For Your Vehicle  As R-12 continues to disappear, the price of R-12 refrigerant continues to rise. So what do you recharge an older air conditioning system with if R-12 is unavailable? DROP-IN ALTERNATIVES FOR R-12 REFRIGERANT? Though a number of alternative refrigerants are marketed as "drop-in" replacements for R-12, there is really no such thing as a true drop-in replacement. The reason why is because Federal law prohibits the topping off A/C systems with ANY refrigerant that is chemically different from what is already in the system, unless all of the old refrigerant is first removed so the system can be converted to the alternative refrigerant. There are, however, a number of alternative refrigerants that can be used in older vehicles with R-12 A/C systems, and most have been reviewed and approved by the EPA for retrofitting older R-12 A/C systems. Approved refrigerants must meet the EPA's SNAP (Significant New Alternatives P...

Air Conditioning Repairs And Services A/C COOLING PROBLEM? The most likely cause of an automotive air conditioner cooling problem is no refrigerant in the system. If the refrigerant has escaped past a leaky compressor or O-ring seal, leaked out of a pinhole in the evaporator or condenser, or seeped out through a leaky hose, the leak needs to be identified and repaired before the system is recharged. On many systems, the compressor will not turn on if the refrigerant is low because the "low pressure safety switch" prevents the compressor clutch from engaging if system pressure is low. This protects the compressor from possible damage caused by a lack of lubrication. One of the first things you should check, therefore, is compressor engagement. If the compressors magnetic clutch is not engaging when the A/C is turned on, the problem may be a blown fuse or a wiring problem. If the fuse is blown, replacing it may restore cooling temporarily. But the underlying reason...