On the Driver's Side - March 2003

By Bob Cerullo

Ever since car air conditioning became popular, nearly all systems used a refrigerant gas designated as R12, or Freon. For decades, R12 sold for about $1 per pound.

R12 was so cheap it didn’t pay, in many cases, to repair a slow refrigerant leak. Then came the discovery that R12 was damaging the earth’s ozone layer. An international agreement decreed that production would be reduced and eventually stopped altogether in an effort to halt further damage to the earth’s fragile ozone layer. The agreement resulted in a dramatic increase in the price of a pound of R12 refrigerant gas.

AVAILABLE OPTIONS
A variety of different brands of synthetic refrigerant gases were developed that could be installed safely in place of the ozone-damaging R12. Unfortunately, bootleg synthetic gases that could damage a car’s AC system also began appearing. At the same time, new car makers were beginning to equip their cars with AC systems that operate with the ozone friendly R134A refrigerant gas, a practice that is now mandatory.

But there are still millions of cars on the road equipped with air conditioners that use the old R12. If you have one, and your AC system breaks down, you’ll find yourself faced with some tough decisions:

Should you pay the higher price for the original R12 refrigerant if, in fact, it can be bought? Do you have the remaining R12 flushed out and switch the system over to one of the safe synthetic refrigerant gases on the market? Or do you have your older car’s AC system converted to use the new R134A refrigerant gas?

TIME TO CONVERT
There is no simple answer. A lot depends on the age and condition of your car and the air conditioning system. If your car is in excellent condition and you plan to keep it for several years, it would be wise to consider having your service dealer convert your AC system to run on R134A. This route is wisest when repairs are needed to one or more of the major components of your car’s AC.

Suppose, for example, your 1984 car’s air conditioner developed a refrigerant leak in the evaporator which also caused the compressor to seize. If you were already going to have the evaporator, the compressor and the accumulator/drier replaced, it would be foolish, and not significantly more expensive at this point, to install anything but r134A refrigerant and have the system converted.

SYNTHETIC REFRIGERANTS
But if the car were in poor shape and you were already planning to get rid of it in the rear future, installing a synthetic gas might be your best bet, provided the AC system did not need major repairs. Draining out the old R12 and recharging the system with synthetic gas will provide you with a quick fix that is cheaper than installing costlier, hard-to-find R12.

If you find you can’t live without air conditioning and you need a major repair, the best and most economical long-term fix is to convert the system to the new ozone-friendly R134A refrigerant. But first, invest in a test of your AC system, and obtain two or three estimates for conversion. And always obtain a written guarantee for the work that will be done before agreeing to the repair.