R12 Recharge...
03-20-2011, 06:04 PM
#1
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Charleston, SC
Posts: 513
R12 Recharge...
Went to a few places today and they all said by law they can no longer use r12 to A/C systems... Ive found some on ebay but it says this....
THIS IS THE 14 OZ R12 REFRIGERANT CAN. THESE ARE THE REAL DEAL FLAT TOP R12 REFRIGERANT CANS. THESE ARE CLEAN AND NEW.THEY ARE THE BIGGER 14 OZ. CANS .NOT THE 12 OZ. YOU SEE FOR SALE HERE ON EBAY. WHY NOT GET TWO MORE OUNCES ,PER CAN, OF THIS PRECIOUS COLD JUICE? MANY TIMES THAT ,TWO OUNCES MORE ,IS ALL YOU MIGHT NEED BEFORE OPENING A NEW CAN.YOU WILL NEED TO EMAIL OR SEND THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT OR FACSIMILE BELOW AT TIME OF SALE. SALES TO THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES. NO SALES TO WISCONSIN.THANKS FOR LOOKING.
I hereby certify that the containers of R-12 refrigerant that I am purchasing are being purchased solely for the purpose of reselling them to an EPA certified technician. I certify that I will comply with all applicable Local, State and Federal regulations and laws and that I am legally permitted to purchase, accept delivery of, possess and resell these containers of R-12 refrigerant. OR SEND OR E-MAIL COPY OF EPA CERTIFICATION
NAME_______________________ DATE___________________
All the shops I went to say im suppose to change over to R134a and retro fit it... but the prices are all over $300 to retrofit and change out parts and right about now I dont have the kind of money to do all of that I just want it recharged with the R12 and get this over and done with...
What to do my peeps?
THIS IS THE 14 OZ R12 REFRIGERANT CAN. THESE ARE THE REAL DEAL FLAT TOP R12 REFRIGERANT CANS. THESE ARE CLEAN AND NEW.THEY ARE THE BIGGER 14 OZ. CANS .NOT THE 12 OZ. YOU SEE FOR SALE HERE ON EBAY. WHY NOT GET TWO MORE OUNCES ,PER CAN, OF THIS PRECIOUS COLD JUICE? MANY TIMES THAT ,TWO OUNCES MORE ,IS ALL YOU MIGHT NEED BEFORE OPENING A NEW CAN.YOU WILL NEED TO EMAIL OR SEND THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT OR FACSIMILE BELOW AT TIME OF SALE. SALES TO THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES. NO SALES TO WISCONSIN.THANKS FOR LOOKING.
I hereby certify that the containers of R-12 refrigerant that I am purchasing are being purchased solely for the purpose of reselling them to an EPA certified technician. I certify that I will comply with all applicable Local, State and Federal regulations and laws and that I am legally permitted to purchase, accept delivery of, possess and resell these containers of R-12 refrigerant. OR SEND OR E-MAIL COPY OF EPA CERTIFICATION
NAME_______________________ DATE___________________
All the shops I went to say im suppose to change over to R134a and retro fit it... but the prices are all over $300 to retrofit and change out parts and right about now I dont have the kind of money to do all of that I just want it recharged with the R12 and get this over and done with...
What to do my peeps?
03-20-2011, 07:19 PM
#2
I would recommend doing the conversion. I did it last year when I was on the same boat when I created a leak and was looking aorund. First, you need to be certified to handle R-12 in order to purchase it. And even then each can is expensive compared to R-134a, so you will be paying around the same price if you go either route but you can easily purchase R-134a compared to R-12 the next time it needs a charge.
I should have kept the receipts of the parts I purchased from the local pick-a-part in a safe place to give you an idea on how much it would cost. Maybe I can look at my bank records since I pay them by card.
I should have kept the receipts of the parts I purchased from the local pick-a-part in a safe place to give you an idea on how much it would cost. Maybe I can look at my bank records since I pay them by card.
Last edited by jbbons25; 03-20-2011 at 07:27 PM.
03-20-2011, 09:32 PM
#3
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Charleston, SC
Posts: 513
Okay... so my mind is made up its clear that I can use r12...
What do I have to do to convert it to r134a? as far as changing out parts lines... ect.? are there any pictures of what I will need?
What do I have to do to convert it to r134a? as far as changing out parts lines... ect.? are there any pictures of what I will need?
03-21-2011, 01:11 PM
#4
The way I did was that any part I see that was part of the AC in my car, I swapped it. You will also need the connector ends of the compressor, dual pressure switch and the thermo amp to cut and splice on your wiring harness. If you go that route, changing the evaporator will be the only PITA since you have to remove the whole front dashboard to get to it. Plus I had to change the power steering reservoir and cooling lines because the new AC hose was in the way of it. Since you have a 92, I don't think that will be a problem.
But I have heard that some have gotten away with "retrofitting it" by just installing the adapter fittings on the service ports and just putting R-134a as is. But you gotta make sure there is no trace of R-12 or the old oil left in it.
Nissan has retrofitting kit which has parts to modify the existing AC system on your car to work with R-134a. But it requires swapping parts on the evaporator so might as well do a full conversion.
But I have heard that some have gotten away with "retrofitting it" by just installing the adapter fittings on the service ports and just putting R-134a as is. But you gotta make sure there is no trace of R-12 or the old oil left in it.
Nissan has retrofitting kit which has parts to modify the existing AC system on your car to work with R-134a. But it requires swapping parts on the evaporator so might as well do a full conversion.
03-21-2011, 03:45 PM
#5
The shop is half lying to you. It's not illegal to use R-12 per se. It's merely illegal to let R-12 escape into the atmosphere, and if you work with R-12 you have to have expensive machinery to capture R-12 still in the system rather than letting it vent into the air. If a shop tells you they cannot legally charge your car with R-12 they're either amazingly misinformed or they're just trying to pressure you into r134a "conversion" due to potential profit and/or laziness.
Many shops DO still and will work with R-12. You just have to call around and find a shop that does.
Technically, to buy R-12 all you need is an EPA license/certificate, which anybody can obtain. All you have to do is sit through a short online certification process and pay like $12 or something. My brother did this last year.
But in reality, R-12 is actually still very plentiful and you can buy it just about anywhere. It's still manufactured new in Mexico by Genetron and many people in southern states drive across the border to buy it. Sellers on eBay who require a license number/waiver are only doing it to cover their butts. Most just require you to merely state that you're going to only let certified people use it (BS loophole, obviously) - like the stuff you posted above. You can find dozens of sellers on eBay who will sell it to anybody or even on Craigslist. R-12 should be about $20-25 for a 12-14 oz can.
Virtually all shops will basically try to force you (by claiming it's your only option) to do the "retrofit" in which they basically just change your fittings and shove the system full of R134a and some ester oil. It's really pretty much a hack-job and I wouldn't generally trust them to last more than a few years before seizing your compressor.
If I were you, I'd buy your own R-12 via eBay or CL, and then find a real/competent shop to charge it. Or pull the A/C system from a 93-94 Maxima (which were factory R-134a) like jbbons mentioned.
I wouldn't do the simple R-134a "fitting" conversion, though.
Many shops DO still and will work with R-12. You just have to call around and find a shop that does.
Technically, to buy R-12 all you need is an EPA license/certificate, which anybody can obtain. All you have to do is sit through a short online certification process and pay like $12 or something. My brother did this last year.
But in reality, R-12 is actually still very plentiful and you can buy it just about anywhere. It's still manufactured new in Mexico by Genetron and many people in southern states drive across the border to buy it. Sellers on eBay who require a license number/waiver are only doing it to cover their butts. Most just require you to merely state that you're going to only let certified people use it (BS loophole, obviously) - like the stuff you posted above. You can find dozens of sellers on eBay who will sell it to anybody or even on Craigslist. R-12 should be about $20-25 for a 12-14 oz can.
Virtually all shops will basically try to force you (by claiming it's your only option) to do the "retrofit" in which they basically just change your fittings and shove the system full of R134a and some ester oil. It's really pretty much a hack-job and I wouldn't generally trust them to last more than a few years before seizing your compressor.
If I were you, I'd buy your own R-12 via eBay or CL, and then find a real/competent shop to charge it. Or pull the A/C system from a 93-94 Maxima (which were factory R-134a) like jbbons mentioned.
I wouldn't do the simple R-134a "fitting" conversion, though.
03-22-2011, 08:02 PM
#6
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Charleston, SC
Posts: 513
I would recommend doing the conversion. I did it last year when I was on the same boat when I created a leak and was looking aorund. First, you need to be certified to handle R-12 in order to purchase it. And even then each can is expensive compared to R-134a, so you will be paying around the same price if you go either route but you can easily purchase R-134a compared to R-12 the next time it needs a charge.
I should have kept the receipts of the parts I purchased from the local pick-a-part in a safe place to give you an idea on how much it would cost. Maybe I can look at my bank records since I pay them by card.
I should have kept the receipts of the parts I purchased from the local pick-a-part in a safe place to give you an idea on how much it would cost. Maybe I can look at my bank records since I pay them by card.
The shop is half lying to you. It's not illegal to use R-12 per se. It's merely illegal to let R-12 escape into the atmosphere, and if you work with R-12 you have to have expensive machinery to capture R-12 still in the system rather than letting it vent into the air. If a shop tells you they cannot legally charge your car with R-12 they're either amazingly misinformed or they're just trying to pressure you into r134a "conversion" due to potential profit and/or laziness.
Many shops DO still and will work with R-12. You just have to call around and find a shop that does.
Technically, to buy R-12 all you need is an EPA license/certificate, which anybody can obtain. All you have to do is sit through a short online certification process and pay like $12 or something. My brother did this last year.
But in reality, R-12 is actually still very plentiful and you can buy it just about anywhere. It's still manufactured new in Mexico by Genetron and many people in southern states drive across the border to buy it. Sellers on eBay who require a license number/waiver are only doing it to cover their butts. Most just require you to merely state that you're going to only let certified people use it (BS loophole, obviously) - like the stuff you posted above. You can find dozens of sellers on eBay who will sell it to anybody or even on Craigslist. R-12 should be about $20-25 for a 12-14 oz can.
Virtually all shops will basically try to force you (by claiming it's your only option) to do the "retrofit" in which they basically just change your fittings and shove the system full of R134a and some ester oil. It's really pretty much a hack-job and I wouldn't generally trust them to last more than a few years before seizing your compressor.
If I were you, I'd buy your own R-12 via eBay or CL, and then find a real/competent shop to charge it. Or pull the A/C system from a 93-94 Maxima (which were factory R-134a) like jbbons mentioned.
I wouldn't do the simple R-134a "fitting" conversion, though.
Many shops DO still and will work with R-12. You just have to call around and find a shop that does.
Technically, to buy R-12 all you need is an EPA license/certificate, which anybody can obtain. All you have to do is sit through a short online certification process and pay like $12 or something. My brother did this last year.
But in reality, R-12 is actually still very plentiful and you can buy it just about anywhere. It's still manufactured new in Mexico by Genetron and many people in southern states drive across the border to buy it. Sellers on eBay who require a license number/waiver are only doing it to cover their butts. Most just require you to merely state that you're going to only let certified people use it (BS loophole, obviously) - like the stuff you posted above. You can find dozens of sellers on eBay who will sell it to anybody or even on Craigslist. R-12 should be about $20-25 for a 12-14 oz can.
Virtually all shops will basically try to force you (by claiming it's your only option) to do the "retrofit" in which they basically just change your fittings and shove the system full of R134a and some ester oil. It's really pretty much a hack-job and I wouldn't generally trust them to last more than a few years before seizing your compressor.
If I were you, I'd buy your own R-12 via eBay or CL, and then find a real/competent shop to charge it. Or pull the A/C system from a 93-94 Maxima (which were factory R-134a) like jbbons mentioned.
I wouldn't do the simple R-134a "fitting" conversion, though.
03-23-2011, 11:27 PM
#8
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Charleston, SC
Posts: 513
Dryer? I also found out my dad still has some r12 completely forgot he use to work on cars but i think ill just go ahead and change it to r134a
03-24-2011, 11:21 AM
#10
Thankfully yours turned out well. Many r134 conversions suck. I think Maximas generally do "ok" with them because the condensers are big enough that even with the reduced cooling ability they're still adequate. Try it on a car with a smallish condensor, like an EF Civic, and even the best r134a conversion sucks @ss unless you're driving 70mph on the highway lol
03-24-2011, 06:33 PM
#11
In front of the battery, you will see a metal cylindrical shaped part which is the dryer (don't get it confused with the vacuum tank). It filters out moisture from the freon to make sure that moisture doesn't damange the system. Most likely the original one is there so I suggest you change that too.
If your dad has enough cans to fill the AC, then I suggest using that over 134a.
If your dad has enough cans to fill the AC, then I suggest using that over 134a.
Last edited by jbbons25; 03-24-2011 at 06:40 PM.
03-26-2011, 05:15 AM
#14
A friend of mine uses this "freeze 12" stuff in his 90 SE Max. He says it works good and didn't have to change anything because it works just like R12. I actually have a 134 kit in my workshop that I haven't installed yet, I wanted to get the system flushed first. But now hearing about this freeze 12 I'm contemplating buying a couple cans of it instead of converting...any opinions/knowledge about this stuff??
03-26-2011, 08:05 AM
#15
Even with Freeze 12 you SHOULD still get the system flushed first. You're not supposed to mix Freeze 12 and R12 even though many people do. Freeze 12 is actually 80% R134a.
Glad your friend had good success with Freeze 12 but if you're starting fresh there's no real reason to not just use R12.
Glad your friend had good success with Freeze 12 but if you're starting fresh there's no real reason to not just use R12.
04-01-2011, 06:46 PM
#16
Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 16
also a good idea to have the system.....
vacuumed. as such, a shop can hook their pump to the line for several hours to ensure a moisture free system when you do the simple cross over to 134a. if you find the right good ole boy shop they won't charge you much as it only takes two minutes to hook it up and let it run.
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