How do I know if my vehicle uses CFC-12 (R-12, also known by the tradename freon)?
You or your service technician can check under the hood for a label that identifies the refrigerant used in your vehicle’s a/c system. Some new cars began using refrigerant HFC-134a in 1992. By 1995, all new cars used HFC-134a. My vehicle uses CFC-12. I understand that production of CFC-12 is being banned because it depletes the ozone layer. What does this mean for me? How do I keep down the cost of servicing my vehicle’s A/C system? The continued use of CFC-12 is not banned. Even though production of CFC-12 ended on December 31, 1995, use of CFC-12 is still permitted, so you can continue to use the CFC-12 that is in your vehicle now, and your service technician can continue to put it in your vehicle, as long as supplies are available. CFC-12 used today is constantly being recovered and recycled, and some CFC-12 produced in 1994 and 1995 has been placed into inventory, so that there is still refrigerant available for sale presently, although the price will likely continue to increase.
