GEDaggett

IS the recepticle for refilling the refrigerant the smaller one up by the drivers side strut tower or the lower one just below the back of the drivers side headlight?

Thanks

rivcal4life

Have you had your car converted to 134a? If not then neither valve wil fit the refill hose.

shdoug

It's the one on the larger pipe, but I don't remember where it is.

2PHAST

All MB (except the W201) were R134a starting in 1992. You want to refill from the low pressure port, which is the one up by the shock tower.

ohlord

smaller,black cap.the fitting won't fit on the other one so that eliminates the confusion.Did you locate and repair the leak?

rivcal4life

Very interesting. Thanks for the info. I guess I got the crap end of that stick. R12 is so expensive these days.

myfirstbenz

I had my r12 charged last week, took one pound, and cost $69 plus labor, which was well worth it, 43degree air on a 95 degree day... priceless.

rivcal4life

Really? Wow, thats not bad at all. A local mech wanted to charge me around $140-$180 (he wasnt sure, which usually means the more expensive of the two.) to recharge mine.

I wonder if your mechanic used Freeze12 instead of R12. I was just reading up on this and it sounds like a cheap alternative to R12 or a system retrofitting.

ps2cho

wow cool I was RIGHT about to make a thread on recharging.

For my 88 TE -- It was converted to r134a....how hard is it to recharge?

If I buy a kit and the refridgerant, do I simply plug the can in with the gauge, turn on the engine and set the AC to full until the can is empty then shut it off and screw back in??

A mechanic I visited stated $110 to recharge it so I declined.

GEDaggett

So filled it up with 134a and it blew very cold air. The problem is that it also blew very smokey 134a fumes and cool looking cloud into my car for about 30 minutes (I was not in the car while I let it disipate.) When I shut off the car I heard the hissing under the dash. So I assume that either my evap is trashed or the under dash unit is leaking. ANy thoughts?

GEDaggett

2 cans of 134a $12.00 @ Walmart

1 recharging kit $20.00 @ pepboys

The dealership not getting another red cent of my Money...PRICELESS

treiberg

GEDagget, whatever happened? Did the AC run Ok after all this?

ds190

Freeze12 is about 80% 134a and about 20% difluorethane, neither of which is compatible with r12. It should not be added into a system containing r12.

However, if you completely evacuate the r12, and replace it with Freeze12, that is what the manufacturer intended.

bigdogbitu

The valve fittings were changed after the dealer recharged my 1989 300E about 3 years ago. A relative had the car at the time so I was not aware of the change. I am 99% positive the system was not converted to a 134a. I wonder if the dealer used a substitute R-12 which required the valves to be converted to newer non threaded style. My 134a charging hose will not fit these valves either.

Brian_I.

I wonder since my car is a '92 it was probably manufactured in '91 so that is why it uses R12. I have an old receipt where it specifically shows 1.9 units of R12a (charge was $71.24 + $60 labor) back in 2003.

appatula

Although many purists consider this a band-aid, a evaporator R&R is 20-22 hours of shop labor. I'd recommend Cliplight Super Seal

2PHAST

Your manufacture date is in your door jamb, it would be nice to know what month/year your car was built if it does not have R134a and is a 92.

The service guide about the AC just says "all 1992 models except the W201" or something to that extent, it does not list by actual build date or any type of vin break.

This r134a MB retrofit document actually says R134a was introduced in 1991

http://www.2phast.com/500e/techdocs/134a_retrofit.pdf