QuestionThe a/c in my 92 camry has not been working for a couple of weeks. I went to Kragen to try and buy a recharging kit and they told me not to because all they had in stock was R 134a and they thought that my car takes R 12. I honestly don't know what type it takes but I do know that you can retrofit from a R 12 to a R 134. What should I do? (Preferably without taking it to a mechanic and spending hundreds of dollars).
AnswerYour car does require R-12 freon which is no longer available at retailers in the US but still available to qualified repair facilities, the problem is that it is about$60 a pound your system requires two pounds, so right away you are looking at an expense of $120 just for the freon plus the labor to evacuate and re-charge the system and check for leaks.
Kragen and most auto supply stores have a changeover kit to convert the system to the 134 freon which costs about $6 a pound, the kit consists of two valve adapters that fit onto the existing service valves so that the R-134 service hoses can be attached, this kit may come with a lot of o-rings which you do not need, just install the valve adapters,the kit will either come with freon or not, if not, purchase a service kit with a hose to put in the freon, follow the instructions exactly.
The only problem is that you need to remove all of the R-12 freon, you may have to take it to an a/c shop to have it removed according to state law, it is illegal to let R-12 freon escape into the atmosphere.
You can do a quick check to see if any freon is left in the system by depressing the center of one of the service valves, if no gas comes out the system is empty, but there may be a leak somewhere.
