Converting 190e air conditioning from R12 to R-134a?

Is there any current leak? If yes, then you got to fix this first.

If not, then just have a shop do it for you... unless you are handy and familiar with AC system... Basically vacuum it out for 20 minutes or so and use the conversiion kit as instructed.

If you want to do the right way, then it is expensive if pro did it for you... or you change all the orings... compressor, drier orings, and drier... expansion valve... etc... takes alot of time.

In most cases, simple conversion is just fine.

Yeah, it's probably cheaper to do the conversion to R134a in long run as R12 is more and more expensive and more and more scarce. I saw one advertised for $110,? per kilo. Some cars need one to three cans.

The federal law also prohibits you from flush> Is there any current leak? If yes, then you got to fix this first. >

Last year I had the old car's A/C "topped-up" and expected difficulty getting R-12. Not a word said, A/C shop simply added some R-12 to its system.

When I asked about R-12's cost vs. R134a I was told that R-134a costs had zoomed - to be nearly comparable with R-12!

So before converting, I suggest you first compare the R-12 vs. R134a cost in your area for conversion may not be justified.

Why would that be the case? With R12 not being produced anymore, the cost is obviously a matter of supply and demand: the garages have the supply, so they can demand whatever they want. But R134A is the refrigerant that's currently being manufactured. Is there some variable here that I'm not aware of?

On the subject of air conditioning, when was the switchover from one refrigerant to the other made by the car manufacturers? Would my '91 300D 2.5 use R12 or R134A? (The A/C still works great at

Geoff

I guess that explains what;s going on. I had heard that R12 pricing has come way down from what it was a few years ago. I had mine converted, believing it would stay scarce and high. At this point, if I hadn't converted, I'd see what it costs to recharge with R12. Unless it's way high, I'd stay with it. For one thing, you lose some amount of cooling capacity when you do the conversion and in my car, it's noticeable.

Ahh! So that's is why prices have been stable...

R-12 is also acquired for resale through salvage/scavenging operations (by law) from old cars, air conditioners, refrigerators etc.