R-22 Vs 134-a
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 35
Likes: 0
From: Carriere MS
R-22 Vs 134-a
I want to add oil to my AC .The car is a 1990 but I have no way to know if it has been converted to 134-A. No little label or if it was there it was washed off. The fittings are the origiinal ones. That don't mean much.Do ya'll know a trick to tell 134-A from theR-22? Smell , taste , Floats on water something anything? Any help would be appreciated. The car has been in storage for years. AC is fine as far as cooling just a little clackey. GM said that oik will settle in the dryer and not reactivate in system after storage. He said before tearing into it add a little oil and see if it gets quite. If the GM version is true it will fail do to lack of oil if I do nothing.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 24,337
Likes: 25
From: San Diego , CA Double Yellow DirtBags 1985..Z51..6-speed
I lost my R-12 charge after letting the car sit for a few months. It was ice cold, and 100% working before that.
Unless the owner did it himself, the fittings would be upgraded if it has been converted.
Unless the owner did it himself, the fittings would be upgraded if it has been converted.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,263
Likes: 0
From: CV ca
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13
Originally Posted by CentralCoaster
I lost my R-12 charge after letting the car sit for a few months. It was ice cold, and 100% working before that.
Unless the owner did it himself, the fittings would be upgraded if it has been converted.
Unless the owner did it himself, the fittings would be upgraded if it has been converted.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,263
Likes: 0
From: CV ca
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13
Originally Posted by BarelyRuns10's
I want to add oil to my AC .The car is a 1990 but I have no way to know if it has been converted to 134-A. No little label or if it was there it was washed off. The fittings are the origiinal ones. That don't mean much.Do ya'll know a trick to tell 134-A from theR-22? Smell , taste , Floats on water something anything? Any help would be appreciated. The car has been in storage for years. AC is fine as far as cooling just a little clackey. GM said that oik will settle in the dryer and not reactivate in system after storage. He said before tearing into it add a little oil and see if it gets quite. If the GM version is true it will fail do to lack of oil if I do nothing.
R-134a & R-12 are not compatable. if 134a is to be put back in you should start from the beginning like you are converting it over for the first time. flush system to remove ALL old oil, etc. you can buy a retrofit kit to do this yourself. R-134a takes polyol ester oil. do not mix, will not mix.
you will have a gumed up mess.if you know someone in the trade see if he has a little R-12 he could spare and let him charge it.
R-22 is for medium temp applications(commercial, residental A/c, refrigeration) this like R-12 is on the chopping block
and will be phased out by the year 2020.hope this helps.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 752
Likes: 0
From: richardson tx
i dont really think oiling is going to help. if its cold be happy and lucky. if its r-12 its colder than 134a. dont mess with it. the 134 fittings on the low and high side are bigger and more of a guick connect type fitting. they sell them at any parts store go look at them and compare. i wished i had r-12 for cooling but not price.
Pro
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 656
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From: Fort Worth TX
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 7,839
Likes: 22
From: San Diego, Ca
Presuming there's something in it - drop by an a/c shop and they will be able (for a fee of course) to tell you what's in it. OR, you might try the PEP Boys $29.95 performance check special.
Adding oil is rarely, if ever, a good idea. If there's an obvious leak, it needs to be fixed and that means getting any of the refrigerant that's in it out of it and at least a new accumulator. Not having enough oil causes wear and the little bits of metal being shed by the compressor wind up in the orifice, plugging it up. The oil fill is 8 ozs and most of it will be in the accumulator, so adding 4 ozs to a new one (assuming that's all that's replaced) will usually be sufficient, though after you've dug out the orifice and cleaned it, putting another ounce in the Evaporator inlet isn't a bad idea.
If you want to buy R12, get your license at any of the sites listed here: http://www.epa.gov/spdpublc/title6/6.../609certs.html
Adding oil is rarely, if ever, a good idea. If there's an obvious leak, it needs to be fixed and that means getting any of the refrigerant that's in it out of it and at least a new accumulator. Not having enough oil causes wear and the little bits of metal being shed by the compressor wind up in the orifice, plugging it up. The oil fill is 8 ozs and most of it will be in the accumulator, so adding 4 ozs to a new one (assuming that's all that's replaced) will usually be sufficient, though after you've dug out the orifice and cleaned it, putting another ounce in the Evaporator inlet isn't a bad idea.
If you want to buy R12, get your license at any of the sites listed here: http://www.epa.gov/spdpublc/title6/6.../609certs.html
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 2,592
Likes: 13
From: USA
If you can check the pressure, you can determine the type of refrigerant with a temperature/pressure chart. Wait until the entire system reaches room temperature, check the pressure (system off), measure the temperature, and compare to the chart. Each blend of refrigerant will be at a differant pressure at the current temperature if both liquid and vapor refrigerant are present in the system. If the pressure is differant than anything showing on the chart, someone mixed refrigerants (bad).
Example: At 70 degrees R134A will be at 71.2 LBs, R12 will be at 70.2 LBs, R22 will be at 121 LBs.
Do a Google search for "temperature pressure refrigerant chart" to find a chart. There is usually one on the face of the pressure gauge also.
Example: At 70 degrees R134A will be at 71.2 LBs, R12 will be at 70.2 LBs, R22 will be at 121 LBs.
Do a Google search for "temperature pressure refrigerant chart" to find a chart. There is usually one on the face of the pressure gauge also.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 7,839
Likes: 22
From: San Diego, Ca
Above is correct - but often difficult with the results based on the accuracy of the manifold gage set, the thermometer being used and whether or not there are any contaminents in the system.
