Cold Facts About Air/Conditioning Refrigerant

In the past few years, many owners have discovered that fixing an inoperative air conditioner or A/C can cost a few hundred dollars or more, depending upon the make and model of vehicle. The reason is that the old standby R-12 refrigerant, trade named DuPont Freon, has been replaced by R-134a. Touted as being environmentally safer than its predecessor, R-134a has been standard since 1994.

If your older vehicle needs major repairs to the air conditioning system you can expect to replace refrigerant and the oil in the compressor in addition to the old components. You also may need to install a retrofit conversion. Do not allow anyone to mix refrigerants. They’re not inter-changeable. You cannot add R-134a to your older air conditioner without first flushing the system. Further, according to the Car Care Council, some substitutes are volatile mixtures of propane, butane and flammable hydrocarbons. Keep in mind the fact that if your vehicle is leaking refrigerant, you’re damaging the ozone

The three common car refrigerants are R-12, R-134a, and R-1234yf.

Different refrigerant types require different charging hoses, so check which one your vehicle is it in earlier models.

• R-12: R-12 is the original chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) Freon used in car A/C systems until the mid-1990s. It was banned after the EPA discovered that it depletes the ozone layer. Vehicles manufactured pre-1995 often use R-12, but you can retrofit them with an R-134a system.
• R-134a (HFC-134a): Your vehicle likely uses R-134a (also called HFC-134a). This refrigerant surfaced to replace R-12 once its environmental dangers were discovered. While R-134a is safer than R-12, and most vehicles use it, it’s still not the safest option for the ozone. Manufacturers have recently phased it out.
• R-1234yf (HFO-1234yf): To replace the phased-out R-134a, manufacturers created R-1234yf (also called HFO-1234yf), a hydrofluoric-olefin refrigerant. R-1234yf is an even more environmentally friendly refrigerant. It is in cars manufactured after 2021, though you may find it in earlier models. 

Buckey’s Engines and Transmissions 

We offer AC inspection specials when warm weather arrives, or you can come in today to have us evaluate your system before those hot and humid days of summer.

Complete A/C Kit Starting at *$295

A/C Flush Service Starting at $49.95

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