Hey guys I have a few questions about the AC on a 92.

The Climate Control unit is giving me a code for low/no freon so I need to get the thing recharged.

1) Was the 92 R12 or R134 from the factory?

2) If it was R12 and has been updated to R134, how can you tell?

3) If it's still R12, how hard it is to update to R134?

Thanks for the help.

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As I understand it, the biggest problem is with the hoses... and time...

The 92 hose wasn't designed for R134. 134 will leach out over time. You will need to upgrade to a 134 compatible hose to get max performance. Also, the compressor could be tired, depending on mileage. My 92 compressor is really starting to drag on the engine. Nearly 20 years and 180k miles have added up...

Also inspect your condenser. The bottom 3rd of mine is junk from road debris impacts.

Just as 95Vette pointed out, the '92 did use an R12 system, and if it has been changed out to R134a, you should be seeing R134a-style charging ports which if I recall correctly are larger than R12.

I had the system on my '92 converted to R134a last year. My condenser had a hole in it and needed to be replaced. So I had that done, installed new charging ports, and also replaced the accumulator. I did not replace all hoses, nor did I replace the compressor. Technically, I should do that because as Bogus points out, the lines, and even the compressor itself are designed to work with R12 which has a different molecular structure than R134a. My system does work, though I will say it doesn't blow quite as cold as it probably should. It's enough to keep you comfortable, but on a 95+ degree day with high humidity, we're usually wishing for a little lower temp coming out of the vents.

The problem with R12 is price and availability. Most shops don't work with it anymore for lots of reasons, and if they do, it's quite costly to have a system filled or topped off. I'd say that if your system has no leaks, find a shop that will add R12 to it for you and stick with that. If it's leaking, or if the compressor is on its way out, I'd have it repaired and make the move to R134a. At minimum, in addition to replacing the charging ports, be sure to replace the accumulator. If you want to do a proper conversion, you'll want to replace the lines and the compressor as well. Big bucks, but if you're planning on keeping the car long term, it might be worth it.

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That is the issue I am faced with. I don't plan on keeping the car (certainly not as a daily driver) for more than another year. But in South Florida 95 and high humidity is the norm. I haven't been able to find a shop that deals in R12 although I can find it on Ebay without a problem. I just don't feel comfortable working on the AC myself.

I had a shop quote me $240 to replace the valves and ports and flush out the system to convert it to R134 so that is the way I am leaning.

Thanks