First off, I understand about R12 and how you need to have blah blah blah from the EPA to get the stuff. But where are some of you guys getting it? and some people are saying its getting "cheaper" now than it was. I can get R134a at work for like $7.50 a can. Of couse my wagon still has R12, and still works well. But I have my 76 280C and I want to fix up the system in it and get it working again, and I would LIKE to get R12 in it, but if I can't get it, I'm gonna have to put R134a in it instead. I don't know about people saying how R134a doesn't work worth beans, I know my dads ford truck has R134a and it gets VERY COLD, but then again, its made for R134a so who knows. If anyone wants to sell me R12, I'd be willing to buy.

Thanks guys.

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-Randy Wakefield

1969 220D 4 speed (parts car)
1976 280C
1976 280S
1981 240D 4 speed (parts car)
1982 300D
1983 300TD (Ivory)
1983 300TD (gold)
1985 300TD (gray)
1987 190D 2.5
1970 280SEL (sold)
1977 240D 4 speed (sold)
1974 280 (rusted to death)
---
1927 Chevy 4 door sedan
1938 Chevy 2 door sedan
1950 Willys Jeepster
1955 Studebaker President 4 door
1977 Ford F250
1979 Glastron 17'
1948 John Deere A
1960 John Deere 2010
1979 Satoh S650G
--
2000 Bichon (Doby)

Try E-Bay

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http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/l...aman/Fleet.jpg

Peach Parts W124.128 User Group.

80 280SL
85 300SD
87 300TD
92 300D 2.5 Turbo
92 300TE 4Matic

I just converted a 300D last night after replacing its compressor. It blows ice cold, even colder than the R12 system still in my 300CD although it was last charged 2 years ago.

It was very easy to convert! pretty cheap too, almost less total than what the r12 refrigerant will cost you.

__________________


1980 500SE/AMG Euro
1981 500SEL Euro
1982 380SEL
1983 300TD
1983 500SEC/AMG Euro
1984 500SEC
1984 300TD Euro
1986 190E 2.3-16
1986 190E 2.3
1987 300D
1997 C36 AMG
2003 C320T 4matic

past: 1969 280SE 4.5 | 1978 240D | 1978 300D | 1981 300SD | 1981 300SD | 1982 300CD | 1983 300CD | 1983 300SD | 1983 380SEC | 1984 300D | 1984 300D | 1984 300TD | 1984 500SEL | 1984 300SD | 1985 300D | 1986 300E | 1986 560SEL | 1986 560SEL/Carat | 1987 560SEC | 1991 300D 2.5 | 2006 R350

That seems like what everyone else isn't saying about R134a, but I don't live in texas, so I think I'll be ok.

THanks

__________________
-Randy Wakefield

1969 220D 4 speed (parts car)
1976 280C
1976 280S
1981 240D 4 speed (parts car)
1982 300D
1983 300TD (Ivory)
1983 300TD (gold)
1985 300TD (gray)
1987 190D 2.5
1970 280SEL (sold)
1977 240D 4 speed (sold)
1974 280 (rusted to death)
---
1927 Chevy 4 door sedan
1938 Chevy 2 door sedan
1950 Willys Jeepster
1955 Studebaker President 4 door
1977 Ford F250
1979 Glastron 17'
1948 John Deere A
1960 John Deere 2010
1979 Satoh S650G
--
2000 Bichon (Doby)

Autozone, $15/can. Of course considering that you have the proper licensing, a 609. So far that is the cheapest that I've heard about. It's worth an extra $30 to stay with the R12. Plus, when switching you have all the flushing to do, etc.

Thanks
David

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2000 Honda Accord V6 137k miles

1972 300SEL 4.5 98k miles

_____________________________________________

I was also told about the low price from Autozone, however the local autozones here only sell them in huge containers for $200 each. However, the EPA has approved the following refrigerants as substitutes for R-12:

HFC-134a (R-134a)
FRIGC (FR-12)
FreeZone/RB-276
Ikon-12
Freeze-12

So you can purchase any one of the above and use it instead of R-12 as far as I know. I need to get the A/C in my new 300SD up and running so I guess I'll be purchasing some freeze-12 soon.

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1999 Mercedes-Benz S600, 103K miles - garage queen
1988 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL, 89K miles - daily driver
2007 Hyundai Sonata Limited, 31K - daily driver

R124a Sucks Ass
Nest Friday the good stuff is going back in

__________________
1984 300D / The only Benz I have

Completed weekend projects

1. R/R front crankshaft seal
2. R/R nearly the whole vacuum system
3. Converted to WVO www.greasemachine.com
4. Upgraded to electric power locks
5. Upgraded and rewired stereo/amp/speakers
6. Installed 2.88 differential

autozone sells r-12? where do you all live? i work for autozone and everystore i work at doesnt carry it. they say its too expensive to carry for the amount of people with licenses. the only thing other than 134a that we carry is r-22 and you need a license for that. the only things we carry for r12 vehicles is one hose for filling.maybe it differs from state to state. from what i understand freeze 12 isnt even r12

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have no worries.....President Obama swears "If you like your gun, you can keep it

Indeed, Freeze 12 isn't R-12 however it is a compatible, legal, direct replacement for R-12 and doesn't contain CFCs which contribute to ozone depletion.

__________________
1999 Mercedes-Benz S600, 103K miles - garage queen
1988 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL, 89K miles - daily driver
2007 Hyundai Sonata Limited, 31K - daily driver

Any good AC shop will not touch a car with substitute coolants if you have a problem. It will contmainate their recovery tanks and cost them big bucks. If you have a leak from one of the substuitute/approved coolants, the different components leak out at different rates and then you have no idea what you have in the system. Most folks will be better off in the long run using R12 or R134.

I was skeptical too about Autozone carrying R12 at $15/ can. I assumed that it was something that said "12" on the can like Freeze 12 which will never see the inside of my garage let alone the inside of my AC system.

Len

I'd never recommend mixing refrigerants. However I'd fully recommend flushing out all of your old R12 (whatever is left in the system) and fully recharging with Freeze 12, that way you have one type of refridgerant in the system.

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1999 Mercedes-Benz S600, 103K miles - garage queen
1988 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL, 89K miles - daily driver
2007 Hyundai Sonata Limited, 31K - daily driver

there's no "direct" replacement for R-12, because by law, anyone servicing your system for consideration is required to install special fittings specific to the refridgerant used. Due to other factors such as oil miscibility and hose porosity, the CHEAPEST option for most people will be to keep R12. Now, you can find it on E-bay, and if you look enough you'll find an auction that doesn't require a 609 cert#. Illegal for anyone to sell it that way, but it still happens occasionally.

Another option is to go to a site like http://www.epatest.com and do it legally. You can download the training document for free, then take the online, open book test for only $15 or $20. Plus, you'll learn quite a bit just by reading the information and feel better knowing more about how your system works and confident that you will be working safely, I know I did. Boy, what a great country we live in, with the choices we have!

__________________
'82 300SD - 361K mi - "Blue"

"Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement."

listen, look, .........and duck.

"Direct Replacement" is one of those nonsense terms when used to describe Freeze 12... or any of those other masqueraders....

It applies only in the most narrow and meaningless of definitions in that the Freeze 12 will occupy the internal space where the R12 used to work.

It will not match any of the important parameters for which R12 was designed to be utilized inside your AC system.

We don't have cheap automobiles with cheap AC systems... so being cheap to the point of using the wrong refrigerant is truely penny wise and pound foolish.

Well said...I am hardly an expert on A/C and even I know that.

__________________
Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
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Section 609 MVAC Certified
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"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

I've read half of the material there, it's actually semi interesting. And for the $20 to not be hassled when purchasing as much R12 as you need, it's WELL worth it.

__________________
I'm not a doctor, but I'll have a look.

'85 300SD 245k
'87 300SDL 251k
'90 300SEL 326k

Six others from BMW, GM, and Ford.

Liberty will not descend to a people; a people must raise themselves to liberty.[/IMG]