The refrigerant in your pre-1990 automobile was banned from manufacture in the U.S. in the mid-1990s. The remaining stock of this chloroflourocarbon R-12 has been depleting ever since. Strict Federal mandates and tariffs discourage their continued use in older vehicles. What are the issues and how will they affect the American consumer? I did some research for my own edification, and here are some of my observations.

(This page was extracted from an emailing that I sent to friends in August of 1994. In some ways, it's more timely, as the use of chloroflourocarbons (CFCs) has reached an even more critical state. On the other hand, I haven't really kept up with the topic, so some of this may no longer be relevant. Hope it's helpful nonetheless. -Ellsworth Chou)

"NO MORE R-12?"

This is a topic that'll affect all of us eventually. Globally, if not personally. I'm hoping this note helps in both ways.

Burbank, California:

• Over the last couple of years, the air conditioning system in my car has slowly lost refrigerant. This summer, it finally lost enough Freon to quit working altogether. We've put off servicing the car, not wanting to spend the significant cash (3 years ago, it cost around $300 to replace the hoses on my wife's 1987 Shelby Charger and recharge the system).
• For those of you who haven't noticed, automobile refrigerants have gone through a radical change over the last several years. First, in the late 80's, the Feds imposed tariffs on the purchase of Freon R-12, which they claimed was an environmental impact penalty of sorts. Funds collected from this tariff were to go to research or activities to correct or reduce ozone layer damage caused by CFCs (chloroflourocarbons). The tariffs raised the price of a small can (16 oz.) of R-12 from around $1.50 to almost $15! That, it turns out, was just the beginning. In an unusual display of bureaucratic efficiency, businesses servicing automobile air conditioning systems were soon required to manage the waste Freon with expensive reclamation systems. In 1990, President George Bush OKed a federal mandate to require automobile manufacturers to produce alternatives to CFC-based refrigeration systems. By 1995, CFCs were to be all but gone from new vehicles.
• Out of desperation (and heat prostration), I went to [the local do-it-yourself auto parts retail outlet] and looked to see how much Freon was and what kind of leak-seal stuff there was. I felt kinda guilty about it - this is just the activity that the Feds are trying to prevent. There's no surer way to release CFCs into the atmosphere than adding some to a vehicle which is leaking. Well, it turns out the Feds have that covered. There was no R-12 Freon in the store. Well, that's not exactly true. There might've been some in the store, but ONLY by the twenty pound can, and ONLY to certified air conditioning service businesses, and for ONLY around $270 a can. There was plenty of R-134a.
• What is R-134a, you ask? I'd noticed for several years that auto manufacturers had started building cars with air conditioning systems using this replacement for the "ozone-depleting" R-12 Freon. R-134a is a hydroflourocarbon (HFC), and is considered a "safer" refrigerate than the CFC R-12. One source I've read said that R-134a is "95% less damaging" to the ozone layer than R-12.
  • Problem #1: R-134a is significantly less efficient as a refrigerant than R-12. Its higher "latent heat of vaporization" means that something like 40% more of the energy expended in compressing it goes off as waste heat. As a result, existing air conditioning hardware can't effectively use it. I'd guess that if you did run R-134a in an old R-12 system, you'd barely see any cooling on really hot days. Factory R-134a A/C systems have more powerful compressors and more robust condensers, evaporators and driers. This means hundreds of dollars in system conversion, if the conversions are available (I'd noticed that R-134a systems added some $400 to new early 90's Volvos - one of the first manufacturers to produce). But there's more: I read several documents that said that you should never mix the coolants or the hardware between the R-12 and R-134a systems, but nothing explained why. When I finally discovered the difference in system pressures, it was obvious about some of the questions. In fact, service fittings on R-134a system are intentionally designed to be incompatible with R-12 (It'd be bad to have service gauges and reclamation machines exploding). But one thing kept nagging me - why forbid the use of R-134a refrigerant in R-12 systems? I mean, if I want an inefficient A/C system, that's my problem, right? Uh, nope. Turns out there's something else:
  • Problem #2: HFCs have a bad habit of diffusing right through the hoses that are designed to contain CFCs. They'll only cool about 50% as well, and cause 5% of the ozone damage, but they'll leak out of your car in a couple of days. R-134a system use special hoses with Nylon-cladding on the inside to prevent HFC diffusion. (It's a good thing that not all of the copies of Haynes' "Air Conditioning and Heating Systems" at Pep Boys were still sealed in plastic.) Huh. And, I suppose, those Nylon-clad hoses have fittings which aren't compatible with R-12 systems.
• So the Good News is that Uncle Sam has done something in Short Time and We and Our Children and Our Children's Children will benefit from it. The Bad News is that if you own a car that was produced after 1990 or one of the last holdouts to produce new CFC A/C systems, you're in an awkward (read: expensive) position. If you were the do-it-yourself sort that added you own Freon - that is apparently at an end (let me know if your state has taken the same actions). Now, you'll apparently have to get all your A/C work done at a Certified Air Conditioning Service Center and pay: whatever tariffs the Gummint has decided to put on the purchase of R-12; the penalties that the Certified Service Center has to pay for handling and disposingof R-12 (which that tariff on the purchasewas probably supposed to cover); overhead for the exotic-looking Freon Reclamation Equipment that every service station is now required to have; and God Knows whatever the Certified Service Center wants to surgically remove from your wallet for Parts and Labor because Ain't Nobody Else Gonna Be Allowed To Get Or Work On This Stuff. The point is, the only way that the Powers That Be have of insuring that the remaining (oh, coupla hundred million) R-12 cars don't just leak that stuff out into the atmosphere is to prevent bozos (like me) from "fixing" air conditioning systems themselves.
• Has anybody else run into this yet? What kinda prices are people in your part of the country quoting for R-12 service? Has anybody gotten a quote on an R-134a CONVERSION? (Yeah, right.) I guess if a conversion is $800 and a servicing is $400, I might consider the conversion (we expect to keep our collectible cars indefinitely). I suspect the conversion will actually run much higher. Hope this opened some eyes and at least saved someone from Future Service Quote Shock. Let me know what you turn up at the address below. If we can gather enough reliable data, we'll contribute this to the electronic public. Happy (and Cool) Motoring!

August 8, 1994 "R-12 UPDATE"

• Well, out of curiosity (and desperation - or perhaps perspiration), I went to some "while you wait" service place with a coupon for a $19.95 ($10 off) auto air conditioning service. The coupon said that the rate included leak detection, gasket and belt inspection, and system evacuation and recharging, Freon NOT included (turns out they charge $18.95/pound for R-12). I figured I'd see what they could do about the refrigerant loss. The answer: nada. Nuttin'. After starting the car and turning on the air conditioning, the mechanic informed me that there was "no Freon in the system. He pumps some compressed air into the system and listens around the engine compartment (engine off). He then tells me that the leak is "too small to fix. He tells me I need to go to an air conditioning repair place to get it fixed. Oh. Gee. Never thought of that. So this implies that these people are charging people MONEY to take out their old Freon and put in new Freon. If you've lost Freon, they can't help.
• My question is, why would you want to change your Freon? I was under the impression that Freon was pretty much inert in your A/C system. On the plus side, this mechanic wouldn't recharge my system because it would just leak out and "pollute the air." Well, at least he knows there's something wrong with letting this stuff into the atmosphere. I'd hope the EPA threatens to secretly send out "customers" to insure that auto shops aren't just contributing to our CFC problems. On this first mechanic's recommendation, I visit an auto A/C repair shop in Burbank. They're busy, and it's in the mid 90's in L.A. A mechanic takes a look under the hood and reports that "these Chrysler hoses" are known to have had problems. He points out the thin film of oil on the surface of the hoses. I'd noticed the oil for years, but never imagined what the mechanism was that got the oil on the surface of the hoses. I figured it was leaking out somewhere and flowing over the surface. Turns out the R-12 and refrigerant oil migrate through the hose wall. You may recall that was the problem with R-134a and hoses intended for R-12. But you'd think that R-12 hoses could contain R-12. I'm not sure if the "Chrysler hoses problem" was real, but hose replacement was the solution to the refrigerant loss on my wife's car.
• Anyway, I ask for an estimate for hose replacement. The mechanic says it'll be $300 for "high-side" (of the compressor) hoses and as much as $375 if the "low-side" are bad - the rates include evacuation and recharging. This is around 25% more than what we paid for Joni's A/C hose replacement three years ago at a different shop, so it's reasonable - if expensive. Out of curiosity, I asked about R-134a conversion. He quoted at least $600, which didn't sound bad. For the conversion, the "expansion block," or "expansion chamber" is replaced; R-134a compatible hoses are installed; and the system is flushed of the original lubricants. He said it could be as much as $200 more if the compressor had to be replaced - apparently many original R-12 compressors can handle the higher pressures. But he didn't imply that the other major components: evaporator, condenser and drier, required replacing. Even at $800, that's far better than the $1800 "plus change" that someone I know had to pay to convert one of their Ford Aerostars, which did have a bad condenser. The mechanic at the auto air place quoted R-12 at "almost $20 a pound" and "almost $100" to recharge most cars. He said that they expected to have R-12 "until the year 2000", so suggested I base the decision to convert on how long we'd keep a car.
• A friend told me last week that she remembered reading some time ago that R-12 would no longer be available in North Carolina after a certain date. She's not sure if the date has passed or not. The day after (8/3/94) she wrote me:

  "in the morning edition of the [local newspaper] there was an advertisement for Freon R-12. It was an Auto-Zone ad and the price for a 12 oz. can is $6.95--they also advertised the bigger cans and I believe the next price up was $169 or $179 per big can. I was mighty surprised because as I told you in my note yesterday, my understanding was that no more Freon R-12 would be sold in NC to the average consumer. In closing, here's an article from a recent issue of AAA of the Carolinas monthly member publication:

  "AUTO AIR CONDITIONING COSTS ARE HEATING UP The summer months in the Carolinas have been hot ...unusually hot If you have gotten through this summer without having repair work done on your car's air conditioning system, you've been fortunate according to AAA Carolinas. The cost of an air conditioning recharge, once around $35.00, has increased to over $100.00. This rising cost of routine auto air conditioning maintenance is due to a federal requirement phasing out the manufacture of the most common automotive refrigerant, CFC-R12, by 1995 because it is believed to deplete the earth's protective ozone layer. Although R-12 will be available for several more years, the cost should continue to rise as the supply becomes depleted. Right now, the only ways to avoid the rising cost of R-12 is to modify older air conditioning systems so they will use the non-polluting refrigerant HFC-134a - or purchase a new car equipped with the new system. Cars manufactured in the last two or three years may already use HFC-l 34a coolant because some auto manufacturers began preparing for the R-12 phase-out several years ago. Keep these points in mind in connection with auto air conditioning:  Before buying a new car, ask whether it has an air conditioning system designed for HFC-134a. When buying an older car, be sure the air conditioning system is free of leaks and working properly.  If your current air conditioning system needs major repairs, it maybe cost effective to has a conversion to HFC-l 34a performed at the same time. Before agreeing to a conversion, make sure the repair shop will guarantee the modification in writing for at least 90 days or 4,000 miles. Remember, by asking the right questions and knowing your options, you can keep "from getting burned while you're trying to get cool."

So KEEP COOL out there.
The information contained in this article is strictly from [my flawed and deteriorating] memory, so Do Your Own Research.

May 8, 2000 Update!

Success with a $50 RFC-134a Conversion Kit

(I tried this because I felt I had nothing to lose. I'm posting it here, because it still works nine months later.)

In August of 1999, John Wood read this page and wrote me to tell me of his experiences with RFC 134a conversion kits. He, too, is a Do-It-Yourselfer, and faced the same dilemma as I about vanishing R-12, and the DIYer's inability to work on his/her own A/C systems.

Here's John's letter:

I've read similar proceedures and cautions about converting an R12 to an
R134 system, so when the R12 in my 87 Lebaron leaked out the second time
in 4 months, I was about to accept the fact that we would have no more
AC  which is tough when you live in Florida. We did pay for one recharge
which cost $ 30.00 per pound  but could not see doing it again ($100
total for about 4 months of cool air). The AC guy gave us an estimate of
about $1000 to replace compressor and evaporator and I decided the car
was just not worth that much.

Well I'm the type of guy who fixes about everything on my cars. I had an
uncle who got me started when I was 20 and over the years I can say that
I've saved thousands of dollars in car repairs by doing it myself. Yes,
I make mistakes and learn by them, but never had any real catastrophies.
I remember when I could buy R12 in the cans for 89 cents and if your car
got warm you simply put in another can, and then when the compressor
blew, you got one at the junk yard for $15-20. I'm precisely the kind of
guy that the government wanted out of the self repair business (at least
for AC work). Folks like me were only part of the problem. I saw a lot
of guys chill a 6 pack of beer by dispensing a can of R12 over their 6
pack and like magic, the beer was chilled and ready for consumption. I
saw lineman at the utility company unload a can on a wasp nest. This was
regular practice. And then you had those fog horns that used pressurized
R12. I'm sure there were many other abuses of this product that could
have been stopped before they had to put an end to the do it
yourselfers. Anyhow, back to my Lebaron.

One day I was in the local auto parts store killing time while it was
raining outside. On the shelf I saw a R12 to R134 converion kit made by
Interdynamics (I think that's the name). Amazingly, the directions
sounded so simple. You didn't have to remove the old oil or open the
system; just have the old R12 removed. I asked the parts clerk if he had
heard of anyone doing it this way and he said, "oh I think your supposed
to remove old oil and flush out the system". I thought how could this be
such an oversight on the part of the company selling this kit. Then I
said to myself, oh what the heck I wasn't going to fix it anyhow so I'll
give it a try. The kit was on sale for $20.00 and 3 cans of R134 cost
$15. You get the fitting adapters, the fill hose, a couple cans of Ester
oil with O ring sealer and a label to stick on the car. I (now being
environmentally consious) rigged some adapters (hoses and fittings) to
connect from the high pressure side of the Lebaron to the suction port
of my good R12 system on my Voyager. I transferred the remaining R12
from the Lebaron to the Voyager and ended up releasing almost none into
the air. I made the conversion on the Lebaron to R134 without opening
the system and was surprised how well it cooled. I really anticipated
that the system would blow in a couple of weeks, but 2 years later it is
still working. I put a can of R134 in once every 6 months and have not
touched the system otherwise. We gave the car to my son who is in
college and I often ask him if the AC is still working. The reply has
always been, "it works fine dad". My guess is that there was nothing
wrong with the evaporator and the O ring sealer helped the minor leak in
the compressor. I only use 2 or maybe 2 1/4 cans of R134 for the entire
charge. They warn you in the directions not to put more then 80% of
original charge back in. I can't imagine how this thing functions so
well with all the old and new oil still in the system. Also, it should
be noted thatI had already changed the hoses back before the ban as well
as the the expansion valve and of course the dryer. I doubt the hoses
are the barrier type since R134 was not being put in cars yet. The hoses
are not oily.

Since this worked so successful, I did the same conversion of my other
son's girlfriend's 88 Lebaron GTS. This car had never had the hoses
changed and they are oily but we are having the same good results after
one year. I did my wifes 91 Sundance 3 months ago and so far so good and
I did my my third son's 85 Ford Crown Vic 1 year ago and it requires 1
can recharge every 3 months but it still works good.

All I can say is that there is something strange about all the published
data that says I should have lost all my R134 in a few days with the old
hoses and I should have experienced  marked decrease in cooling
capacity. Either I'm extremely lucky (doubtful) or there is a lot of
misinformation out there. Have you heard of any other experiences like
this?  I still have an R12 86 Voyager (that I top off from making the
conversions) and I have another son with an 83 Horizon that has R12 in
it.

Ellsworth, thanks for contributing to the All-par page. I only found out
about it a few days ago and have enjoyed it very much. Feel free to
write.

John Wood

We both believed that this kind of thing was impractical and makeshift. That may be so, but I did a conversion the week after he emailed me, and nine months later, that vehicle's A/C is still cooling, though it had been without A/C for three years up to that time!

Inspired by the John's example, I drove to the local Pep Boys (I really hate to mention their name, but if it encourages someone to try this...) and bought an Interdynamics brand RFC134a Conversion Kit. It included:
 

• (1) high-side fitting adapter
• (1) low-side fitting adapter
• (1) can of ester oil (specially made to facilitate use of RFC134a in R-12 systems)
• (2) 1-pound cans of RFC134a refrigerant
• (1) RFC filler hose and can adapter
• (1) label to indicate that the car now uses RFC134a

I also picked up a can of RFC134a Stop Leak (also Interdynamics brand).

I spent something like $55 for the kit and the Stop Leak.

Three years prior, our Shelby GLHS had lost enough refrigerant that the pressure switch cycled the clutch *continuously*, so I discontinued use of the air conditioning system. Years (especially summers) passed, and we didn't repair the A/C because:

1. we'd acquired another primary vehicle
2. we'd wanted to keep our rare Shelbys from gathering so many miles
3. the *last* time we'd fixed an A/C leak on this car, it had cost $400 and lasted less than a year and a half
4. R-12 had since soared from $15/pound to over $40/pound
5. I debated about doing a full-blown RFC-134a conversion

I worried that my A/C system had dropped to atmospheric pressure in the years it had been idle. Had this been the case, the receiver/dryer most certainly would have been in need of replacement, since the hygroscopic compounds used in the "dryer" would have been saturated with atmospheric moisture. So before I started the conversion, I walked out to the car, unscrewed the low-side valve cap, and depressed the Schrader valve with a small screwdriver. I got a comforting hiss - the system still had positive pressure after almost three years of disfunction! And apparently no remaining liquid R-12. Encouraged by this excellent news, I knocked out the conversion in about fifteen minutes or so. The weather that day was mild, but the refrigeration was nonetheless impressive.

The best news is that it still works to this day (nine months later)! I drive the car somewhat infrequently, but so far, it still cools. The refrigeration's a bit puny, but no worse than our '88 Caravan's A/C, which probably wants for a new expansion valve.

NOTE: I don't guarantee success. The responsibility and risk is your own. Installing a conversion kit (especially the special "conversion oil") may interfere with returning to CFC R-12 (should you decide to take that expensive and increasingly futile route). But if you wouldn't put $500+ into that vehicle anyway, I think it's an inexpensive experiment.

I'm very happy that something that seems like snake-oil not only works, but continues to serve. I'm generally skeptical about "quick fixes" (I should know, I've tried a few). Eventually, I expect to install similar kits on our other R-12 vehicles, as they inevitably age. I hope that this information helps you as much as it did my family. Good luck.

August 8, 2000 Update: R406A (R-12 refrigerant alternative)

I haven't researched this - I just happened to notice this link while doing some research for our *home* HVAC.

January 6, 2001 Update:

Visitor Neal reminded me of this other alternative refrigerant. I know nothing about it. If you have any experiences with either of these (or any other) refrigerants, drop me a line.

Ellsworth's Other Pages

• Visit my Useful Bulk site and the Useful Bulk blog.

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