A/C System - Service Equipment

REF. NO. 58/80a, 83/72a

TO: OUR MERCEDES-BENZ PASSENGER CAR DEALERS

DATE: October 1990 (supersedes 58/80, 83/72, Oct. 1990)

SUBJECT:
SERVICE EQUIPMENT FOR AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEMS ALL MODELS

NOTE:
This S.I. contains changes concerning the BEAR refrigerant recycling machine (5th paragraph).

Worldwide, it is agreed that chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's), including air conditioner refrigerant R-12, destroy our earth's protective ozone layer. If allowed to continue unchecked, drastic health consequences will follow. As a result, all new R-12 production will stop in the year 2000. Furthermore, releasing air conditioning R-12 (CFC) refrigerant into the atmosphere during repairs, or at any other time, is no longer an acceptable practice. To prevent the release of R-12, recycling is required to the fullest extent possible.

Recycling has the following advantages:
- reduces ozone layer damage
- avoids the high cost of replacement CFC's (new 1990 IRS tax will progressively increase)
- complies with state recycling laws in effect as of January 1991 (at the time of printing, New York, Vermont, Maine, Wisconsin, Hawaii, Connecticut, Oregon and Minnesota have laws requiring mandatory CFC recycling)
- extends the supply period for existing R-12
- avoids stringent laws on R-12 availability

For recycling, a machine certified by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) that provides recycled R-12 to strict purity standards, must be used.





We recommend the BEAR units, models 40-310 and 40-327, which recover and recycle refrigerant without emission into the atmosphere. This equipment is available through the MBNA Standard Equipment Program.

Mercedes-Benz cars are being designed to use non-CFC refrigerant (HFC-134a) beginning in M.Y. 1992, with all models being redesign-ed by M.Y. 1994. However, until then, prior model year cars will continue to require only R-12 throughout their life.

Serving the needs of our owners and protecting the health of our planet is of critical importance. Recycling will help us achieve both.

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A reprint of the leaflet "Refrigerant Recycling in Mobile Air Conditioners", originally published by the Environmental Protection Agency, is for your information.