In the past few years, many car owners have discovered that fixing an inoperative air conditioner can cost a few hundred dollars or more, depending upon the make and model of the vehicle. The reason is that the old standby R-12 refrigerant, trade named Du Pont Freon, has been replaced by R134a. Touted as being environmentally safer than its predecessor, R-134a has been the standard since ’94.
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 may also need to install a retrofit conversion. Do not allow anyone to mix refrigerants, as they are 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 layer.
An annual inspection of the vehicle, including the air conditioning system, may help forestall costly repairs. Many automotive repair shops offer A/C inspection specials during warm weather, and it’s easy have your system evaluated so it can function at maximum efficiency.