A/C Questions????

[03SonicBlueL]

Has anyone converted their cars to 134A freon. I am debating wether or not to convert it. Mine needs recharged and I think it might have a leak. It is still cool, but here in texas it really needs to be working well to cool the car down.

If anyone has converted, does it cool as well as it did with R12??

 

[grimreefer]

Has anyone converted their cars to 134A freon. I am debating wether or not to convert it. Mine needs recharged and I think it might have a leak. It is still cool, but here in texas it really needs to be working well to cool the car down.

If anyone has converted, does it cool as well as it did with R12??

Fix the leak, evacuate the system to a deep vacuum and recharge with 12. A couple extra steps that I'd highly recommend would be to replace the filter-drier and get an acid test done on the oil. Done right you'll come out cheaper than a conversion and won't have to worry about it again for a long time. Once fixed... it's a good idea to run the A/C every couple of weeks (even if you don't need it) to keep all the internals exercised and lubed.


If you just feel the need to convert, 134A is a bit less efficient than 12 but will do the job just fine. As long as your system is in good working order and the leak is fixed, the only part that realy needs to be replaced is the filter-drier (I'd recommend a couple changes). The system flush is extremely important because if ALL the old oil isn't removed, it will mix with the new ester oil and can clog up the system with a black waxy residue. A recovery unit, proper nitrogen purge and deep vacuum pump will remove all of the old 12 and any moisture, but to ensure that all the old oil is removed requires a chemical flush (unless there's something new out). The operating temps and pressures for 12 and 134A are very similar but not the same, so the controls MIGHT need to be adjusted a little. I don't know what shops are charging for a conversion now, but if they tell you that you need a new compressor for "compatibility"... run away fast.

 

[9T3SVT]

R134 is much cheaper and requires no special license to buy, I'd say get the conversion before spending $45-$85 per lb of R12. Complete do it yourself conversion steps can be found HERE

 

[93Cobra#2771]

I agree with the first post.

 

[Tank5879]

as do I, OEM motorcraft accumulaters are still availiable...less than 125 bucks i believe...

 

[03SonicBlueL]

Appreciate all the responses. I did find a friend of mine that has some R12. His dad added some to my A/C and it cools a lot better now. It just seems that at an idle the air temp warms back up. As soon as I bring the rpms up it starts to cool again. Do you think the underdrive pulleys could be causing this??