How much does this cost?? My R12 system is dead... I mean dead.. and its going to be at least $150 to charge it up (that's for like 2 lbs of freon... car might need more)... Thanks guys.

Greg

 

hi,
I changed my system to a 134A with a kit from WalMart over a year ago. It works great. It wasn't that hard. Only thing is that you need to make sure the R-12 is out by going to a garage to drain the system. They reuse it and also charge you for taking it out. Good deal-for them. The retro kits have now been on the market for quite a few years and what I've read are not hurting the system. Cost is about $35.

 

I don't need to buy a new compressor or anything? I can just go buy the kit that has the new nozzle so that I can hook the R134 cans to my R12 system? I've been told that putting R134 in an R12 system will do damage to the components... you didn't have to replace anything at all? just use the retro-fit kit? If that's true, that kicks ***. Gonna save me a lot of money. Thx Josah

Greg

 

No replacement of parts, other then the new fittings. Get the kit. It has all the R-134A you need and oil that keeps the compressor working. That oil is need for the R-12 system. Yep, the kit will have everything needed. The oil is what was missing in the R-134A system. That will keep the R-12 system working right. They have been on the market now for a long time. Castro even has a kit out. Sold at Checkers Auto and others now. Wal-mart was the same kit but less expensive.
I have to say after a year the jeeps is still working great, almost too cold.
I hope this helps.

Mark

 

go to www.aircondition.com
another site I can't think of the name I think it was a epa type site explained that mixing refrigerants may cause future damage to your system...may blow out the compressor, degrade hoses inside-out, and ****-tail type refridgerants sold as alternative refrigerants cause more damage and is become a growing complaint with many shops.
heck, repair shops now have to take a sample of your refrigerant before they can even proceed with recovery or repair...due to fact that mixing refrigerants and then reselling or recycling may not be totally virgin freon...
i.e. retrofit or was once retrofitted then back to R12 but has a bunch of junk mixed together.....

 

I'm going to stick with the retrofit that I did. It works fine thus far, I put stop leak in the system to keep it running a little bit longer, and if it blows my compressor, oh well. I buy a new compressor and do the whole system, but at the moment $35 for a retrofit that will "do more damage to my system" in the long run, blows ice cold air in the short run. My cars got 190+k miles on it, I'm pretty sure I'm the one who's going to be running it to its end, so its not that big of a deal that it might hurt more than help down the road. But thanks for the concern.

Greg

 

I think what the EPA site meant by mixing refrigerants is not discharging the system of all of the r12 before retrofitting to r134a. I did this, which was stupid, but hey, I am sorta just starting out with cars. My compressor is frozen up anyway.

I should go down to the shop and have them remove all the mutt refrigerant though, to prevent further damage.

-Jorge

 

my compressor was as out of refrigerant as it could possibly be... it didn't turn at all. I retrofitted it because it wasn't worth $150+ to find out my compressor was dead. I put the first can of R134a into my system, and that thing started spinning like it was a new compressor. As far as I'm concerned, my system was purged. And if it wasn't, then it the R12 content was as low as it would have been if it was vacuumed clean. And if it blows my compressor, I'll drive it over a cliff and curse its flaming chasis. or not..

Greg