Refrigerant Identification / Testing

CAUTION: Do not add R-12 refrigerant to an A/C system that requires the use of R-134a refrigerant. Also, do not add R-134a refrigerant or oils to an A/C system that requires the use of R-12 refrigerant. These two types of refrigerants and oils should never be mixed. Doing so may cause damage to the A/C system.

To avoid the use of Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) refrigerants that may harm the ozone layer of the atmosphere, Ford Motor Company has introduced a new refrigerant system that requires the use of a non-CFC based refrigerant known as R-134a. R-134a is a Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) based refrigerant while R-12 is a CFC based refrigerant. Because of the absence of chlorine in its molecular structure, the use of R-134a refrigerant will not have any harmful effects on the ozone layer of the atmosphere. R-12 refrigerant and components can only be used in R-12 systems while R-134a refrigerant and components can only be used in R-134a systems.

Refrigerant System Identification
In order to find out which type of A/C system a particular vehicle has, the A/C system major components and refrigerant lines need to be inspected. If the system components have R-134a Non-CFC tags, it is an R-134a system requiring the use of R-134a refrigerant.