I've got to have my A/C recharged and I'm wondering...what year was the refrigerant changed?

I'm not sure of the refrigerant types....which one is currently being used as aposed to which one has been discontinued....or which one I had.....but my 4Runner is a '93 and I had to empty all the refrigerant when I pulled my compressor off.

Will I be able to have it refilled or will I need to have my A/C system converted to accept the new refrigerant?

And if I have to have my A/C system converted, what is involved in converting it. Is it just the compressor...or is there more to it than that?

You know I'm not sure what year they did the change over but the old refg. was R-12 very, very expensive, the new refg. is R134. The conversion kits are less than $100, I did mine and I got it at Wal-Mart, easy as pie!
Do the change over, but, that's my opinion!
Good Luck! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

'93 is r-12, it can be charged but you need a licence to buy the refridgerant. I know there is a site(can't recall url offhand) where you can take the test and get the licence for something like $15. I'm pretty sure it was '94 that was when the switch was made to r-134a. To convert your truck you'll need new gaskets for all fittings, a new drier, different compressor oil, and to purge the current system of any risidual r-12 and/or r-12 compressor oil.

Was the A/C as effective with teh new R134 as it was with the old R12. I have heard the new isnt as good, but there is really no quantative measure, so hmmm.

I have my AC lic. but there's no way in he** I was going to pay the prices they wanted! The R12 was colder! But I'm satisfied w/the R134! There was a p[ost awhile ago about another Refg. don't know where it's at! Maybe one of these fine posters could hook you up!! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

One day they will pass a law banning stupidity and requiring people to do things the right way...until then all I can do is laugh at them.

Hopefully, at the same time they will pass a law making it legal to shoot people who drive slow in the fast lane, as well.....

A lot of folks say 134 ain't as cold as R-12. This is to be expected if you convert a 12 system to use 134. In a system intended for 134, 134 works well. The two types of refrigerant have different pressure ranges at which they function properly, and I believe it's 134 that runs at a higher pressure, so if you convert a 12 system to 134 you should be really sure it doesn't have any leaks. Evacuate the old R-12, pull a good vacuum and make sure it holds. Then you can go ahead & do the conversion with the different fittings, oil, dryer, etc. But don't be shocked if you find it necessary to recharge more often. Check out the forum at www.ackits.com - those guys are AC nerds. Of course I mean that in a good way.

I took the $15 exam to get my 609 certification. The web site is www.macsw.org, and a 10 year old could pass the open-book test. This certification will allow you to *legally* purchase genuine R-12 (from places like Ebay) for about $15/can. Compare this to my local mechanic who wanted $50/can <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> You make up the cost of the test on your first can. My '85 has a small leak somewhere, small enough that it couldn't be pinpointed using the UV tracer dye or the little sniffer device. It needs a can about every 3-4 years, so with my 609 certification it's not that expensive at all. I opted for this route rather than a 134 conversion, and I'm way ahead (dollar-wise) so far. If my leak gets much worse I may have to think about converting; there's a certain point at which it does become too hard on the wallet, and on the ozone layer. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

i looked in walmart the other day and the kit was like $35, i didnt say anything about replacing seals or changing anything else....


what else do you need to change? i will be doing mine as soon as i get the cab back on my 85... is there an easy way i can check for leaks before i go to charge it? thanks