Expect A/C repair on newer cars to cost more, but it doesn’t have to be done at the dealer

As the weather warms, I’ve been seeing some large air conditioning repair estimates and have received a number of questions about the newest refrigerant in use.

Currently, the automotive world uses a refrigerant called R1234YF, which is replacing R134A. Many of you will also remember R12, which was phased out starting in 1994 model years and slowly became harder to find as production was halted. The same thing is going to happen with R134A now that it is prohibited in model years 2021 and newer. While it may still be available for now, I would guess in a few years that will change. Many manufactures began using the newer refrigerant as early as 2015.

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The above photo is from a recent customer’s estimate from Honda. The large paragraph describing this Honda dealers R1234YF disclaimer caught the customer’s attention and worried them regarding servicing their vehicle outside of the dealer.

First off, the disclaimer is using the word Freon which is improper. Freon is a brand name, similar to Kleenex. The word they should be using is refrigerant.

Regardless, what they are saying is that if you go to an independent repair facility, they may contaminate your vehicle. They are also suggesting that subsequently your vehicle may contaminate their air conditioning service station machine. While it is true that only a small amount of independent repair shops have a newer style R1234YF A/C machine, this disclaimer has little merit. During the process of servicing your newer vehicle, most newer machines will take a small sample of the refrigerant from the vehicle. The sample is internally analyzed for contaminates such as improper refrigerant. If it detects something other than R1234YF, it aborts the service and the operator must start the process again.

I don’t know what kind of machine they have, but on ours the sampling stage cannot be bypassed. This is done to protect the machine from contamination. These newer A/C machines are more sophisticated than the older R134A service stations where servicing steps could be bypassed easily and most did not have a built-in refrigerant identifier. The older machines could be contaminated, which is where this Honda dealer may be coming from. In this case of R1234YF, I doubt this is going to happen, given that the machine should stop its cycle if it detects anything other than R1234YF.

Be warned though, newer R1234YF machines take double or even triple the amount of time of their predecessor because the procedures can’t easily be circumvented. This will ultimately cost you more. Also, the cost of this newer refrigerant is almost triple the price compared to the outgoing R134A. It is these elevated costs that are going to send consumers looking for alternatives. From what I understand, R134A can be used in a R1234YF vehicle, but it is illegal. Also, the process of getting R134A into a R1234YF vehicle would require a certain amount of MacGyvering as the charge ports are different, but I know some will try after a quick internet search. Will this damage your car? I don’t know.

You can pop the hood and look for the air conditioning identification sticker, usually located on the underside of your hood, which will tell you what kind of refrigerant your vehicle uses. If you do need A/C service on a R1234YF vehicle, be sure to inquire with any independent facility to make sure they have the newer refrigerant machine. Hopefully this will alleviate any worries about possible contamination charges.

Your automotive questions answered

Hi Lou,

I drive a 2018 Mazda CX-5 GT and live in a climate that doesn’t need A/C often. I recently drove through Ontario and Quebec when the temperatures hit 32 Celsius or so and when I turned on the A/C it worked, but I noticed a strong odour coming from the vents. Two weeks have passed, and the odour is still quite evident. I’ve contacted my dealer and scheduled an appointment, but I’m wondering if you have any idea what we might be looking at. Really enjoy your column.

Regards - David B.

Your vehicle’s air conditioner has an evaporator buried in the dashboard that hot cabin air is funneled through. It is here that the internal heat exchange occurs. Hot air goes in, cooled air comes out. This evaporator is surrounded by a Styrofoam-like insulation. It is here that your problem lies. Mould and mildew have penetrated into this insulation and are causing the odours. The solution is not so easy. The only way to guarantee a fix is to remove the dash and air conditioning evaporator from the vehicle and replace the insulation that surrounds the evaporator. This is quite costly.

Alternatively, there are many service kits from simple aerosol sprays to more extensive kits using wands that can get deeper into the abyss that is your dashboard to deliver chemicals that hopefully reduce the mould and mildew. Keep in mind though that no spray solution will permanently remove the mildew. You can expect reasonable results for a couple of years but it usually creeps back in.

Lou Trottier is owner-operator of All About Imports in Mississauga. Have a question about maintenance and repair? E-mail globedrive@globeandmail.com, placing “Lou’s Garage” in the subject line.

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