Air Conditioning

In the past few years, many owners have discovered that fixing an inoperative air conditioner 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 The reason is that the old standby R-12 refrigerant, trade named DuPont Freon, has been replaced by R-134a.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 ’94.

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 Car Care Canada, 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.

Check out our Car Care Tips page for signs of air conditioner system problems