A/C - Approved/Non-Approved Alternative Refrigerants

BULLETIN NUMBER:
AC94-001

SECTION:
HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING

DATE:
MARCH 25, 1994

TITLE:
ALTERNATIVE REFRIGERANTS

MODELS:
ALL MODELS

Beginning with the Montreal Protocol signed in April 1988, auto manufacturers world-wide committed to phase-out the use of ozone damaging Refrigerant R-12, also known as Freon. All automobile manufacturers are re-designing new production vehicles to use non ozone depleting R-134a which is the only universally approved replacement refrigerant for R-12. All 1994 and newer Lexus use R-134a.

Several independent companies have begun marketing alternative refrigerants which they claim can replace R-12 when servicing vehicles in the dealership. These R-12 replacements commonly referred to as blends or hydrocarbon based refrigerants, have the potential to cause damage to Lexus AC systems and in some cases can cause personal injury to the service technician or the end-user. Lexus strongly discourages the use of these refrigerants in Lexus vehicles.

Furthermore, dealer technicians should be cautious of vehicles that may be labeled or otherwise identified to contain such refrigerants. Servicing these vehicles can contaminate your AC refrigerant recovery equipment causing refrigerant stored in the recovery machine to be rendered unusable. Also, if the contaminated refrigerant equipment is then used on subsequent repairs, the dealer may unknowingly contaminate other owner's vehicles.

For all Lexus models and years that are designed to operate on R-12, continue to service with R-12 as long as it is available which is expected to be two or more years. When research is complete and R-12 becomes difficult to acquire, Lexus will provide parts and procedures to properly retrofit an R-12 vehicle to non-ozone depleting R-134a.