Many thanks for all the threads and feedback. Benz now blows cold.

Brief history. Car converted from r12 by prev owner. Compressor-drier changed, system flushed, etc. I have owned for two years, ac never cold. Tried a variety of checks, flushes, leak tests, etc, but still Tepid at best.

Did a search and read everything at this site for last year on SD ac.
Evacuated system. Injected dye. Found leak at suction line at compressor. Installed new O-Rings. Leaks repaired.

After much thought and research I am using Freeze 12. Reasons: r12 bad for environmental reasons; r134 did not work; regardless of other's experience, r12 is very expensive here; Had success with Freeze 12 in other applications. Decision made. Purchased Freeze 12 on Ebay for $8/can with shipping.

I even tested Freeze 12 for flammability by running a tiny bit of the stuff into a plastic milk jug and trying to ignite. (outside-wearing face shield, etc) Stuff did not burn.

Last night I had experience of having to 'warm up' the AC settings because it got too cold!!


AC system now cools great except at low (stop light to stop light) speeds. Located a gas benz fan in junkyard and hooked up this morning. Photos attached. New fan is much larger and moves a lot more air. AC is MUCH BETTER. Will probably install an override switch to run aux fan in traffic as needed if thermostat hasn't switched on.


Stylin and running cold. Many thanks again.

Attached Thumbnails

   

" r12 is very expensive here; ...... Purchased Freeze 12 on Ebay "

Sounds like you had decided on the Freeze12 no matter what... If you are going to use Ebay to purchase that...then you could have used it to get R12 at what everyone else is paying....

RE your statement about having used it in other situations :
Others should keep in mind that if you have the Delco 4 compressor it has no sump...all the lube it gets is from the circulation of lube within the refrigerant movement...and some refrigerants are better at mixing and carrying the oil than others....

I'm very pleased that you THINK that you are doing your part to prevent ozone depletion. After all, tree hugging is indeed the politically correct attitude to voice in todays world.

All that said, however, you must NOT be aware of the contents of Freeze 12. It is 39% R124 which is an HCFC even more ozone depleting than R12. The other 61% is R134 which is an HFC and is still an ozone depleting compound.

In addition to the fact that this refrigerant is even MORE ozone depleting than R12, what do you suppose will happen when you get a leak? In case you don't know, the components of blends leak at different rates which means that the blend will be rapidly imbalanced whenever it begins leaking. The only way to get it right again, is to recover the refrigerant and recharge the empty system.

Since you are so environmentally conscious, I am sure that it is safe to say that you have or have located Freeze 12 recovery equipment. If you have found someone set up to recover Freeze 12, you have found a hens tooth. Recovery equipment is so expensive that it is VERY rare for anyone to dedicate a single machine for recovery of anything other than R12 or R134a, and it is against EPA rules to change machines back and forth. If you do not have a way to recover the Freeze 12 when it comes time to correct the leak, you will be doing more harm to the ozone layer than if you put R12 in the system to begin with. Venting Freeze 12 to the atmosphere is every bit as illegal, not to mention as ozone depleting, as venting R12.

Additionally, I am SURE that you complied with Federal law and installed Freeze 12 adapter fittings. If you did, then you spent the difference in price between Freeze 12 and R12, whose price is going down, on the fittings.

There is MUCH more involved with alternative refrigerants than meets the eye. It's very important to look at the big picture.

BTW, I just bought 30 pounds of R12 for $14.16 per pound and bought it legally.

Have a great day,

Listen to leathermang and LarryBible these guys both know more about A/C than the rest of us combined.....

__________________
Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
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Section 609 MVAC Certified
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"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

A little bird told me it was easy to get a certification so you could buy R-12. I am going to look into it.....

__________________
My Daily : 96 E-300 Diesel with 195,000 miles
Retired: 92 300D 2.5 T 345K miles and for sale
Retired: 95 E320 157K miles and currently parked with blown engine

Both retired cars are for sale as is my w124 shop inventory

Oh btw in summer here in atlanta we have plenty of excess ozone to deplete!

__________________
My Daily : 96 E-300 Diesel with 195,000 miles
Retired: 92 300D 2.5 T 345K miles and for sale
Retired: 95 E320 157K miles and currently parked with blown engine

Both retired cars are for sale as is my w124 shop inventory

To get the 609 certification it take about 20 min...19 min to read the manual and 1 to take the test and is only $15. LarryBible, as wise as he is, showed me this link and I now have the 609 certification to buy R-12 legally.

http://www.imaca.org/training.htm

__________________
1980 300D European
"The Red Fox"
200,000 miles

2003 Chevrolet Silverado

609 Certification

I just got my EPA 609 certification today - PM me and I'll fill you in if you want more info.

I also recently paid $14 for a 12 oz can of R-12 on Ebay it really works much better than the R-134 I had in my 240D.

I agree with what Larry said, except that R-134 is much less ozone-depleting than R-12, so the 61% of R-134 is at least an improvement.

I believe that using blends like Freeze-12 also requires one to change all hoses to barrier-type so as to negate the different rates of leaking.

It also sounds like Larry has about had his fill of environmental concerns causing him lots of grief and money, which would explain why he sounds a bit snippy.

__________________
1984 300Sd 210k

Former cars:
1984 300D 445k (!!) (Strider) Original (and not rebuilt) engine and transmission. Currently running on V80 ( 80% vegetable oil, 20% petroleum products). Actually not, taking a WVO break.
1993 300d 2.5 275k. Current 120/day commuter
1981 300SD 188k (Hans) Killed by a deer

Yes 134 has about 10% as much ozone depleting characteristics as R12. The R124 is the problem though. It is more ozone depleting than R12. It is an HCFC as is R12.

Have a great day,