Should I have the AC recharged with the R12 or is it better to convert the system to R133? About what $ would a shop charge to do each of these? (assuming no leaks)
Its a 1990 LS400 with 220K miles on it so I want to be frugal about money I put into it. But the AC is completly depleted. I would have this done by auto repair specialist
Thanks for any tips
Its a 1990 LS400 with 220K miles on it so I want to be frugal about money I put into it. But the AC is completly depleted. I would have this done by auto repair specialist
Thanks for any tips
Last time I checked R-12 is about $50/lb or more and they can't just recharge the system. They must check for, and fix leaks first. Many years ago, customers were told that a conversion MUST include the replacement of the expensive components (dryer, compressor). It has just not been proven true. Gaskets DO seem to give out. I paid less than $200 for a conversion
5 years ago (1990 LS400). It worked great until last year, when a gasket gave way. I 'assume' the shop ruined one of the sensors (there are at least two) when replacing the gasket (because the parts are not all that easily accessible). That repair was about $300 parts/labor. That should give you a basic idea of what things cost and potential future issues.
You can still use R12 in the states? Wow, it was banned in Europe years ago.
We use drop in replacement RS24.
Yup, the shops can reuse whatever they recover (i.e., system purge). Just no more (new) is supposed to be manufactured. Of course, they don't credit ($$) the consumer for "safely" disposing of any R-12 that they remove during a conversion ;-)
I don't know if this is still true but years ago when R-12 was banned (only existing stock could be sold, no more production) and replaced with R133 (if that is the correct designator -- my memory isn't what it used to be), it was reported by several automotive experts on radio and TV in the Washington, DC area that the new refrigerant was 1) not as efficient at cooling as R-12 and 2) the new refrigerant necessitated a complete A/C system replacement in existing cars because the new refrigerant was extremely corrosive and would dissolve the A/C system seals as well as rust out (from the inside) the compressor. Back then, a completely new A/C system replacement cost between $800 - $1,200.
The new automotive refrigerant is R-134-A. There are conversions that can be done for a lot less money. Shop around!
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