Environmental Information
- Until roughly 1992, refrigerant R12 was used for A/C systems. Due to its chlorine atoms, this CFC has a very high potential for depleting the ozone layer as well as a tendency to increase the greenhouse effect.
- From 1992 the A/C systems in newly manufactured cars have been successively converted from R12 refrigerant to refrigerant R134a. This refrigerant does not contain chlorine and does not deplete the ozone layer. Do to its high global warming potential of 1400 (Global Warming Potential = GWP) it may no longer be used from 01/2011 in new type-approved vehicles. Vehicles which were type-tested before 2011 with Refrigerant R134a may be place on the market until 12/31/2016 (this applies to EU countries, countries outside of the EU can have other laws).
- After 01/01/2011 only vehicle whose refrigerant has a GWP less than 150 filled in the refrigerant circuit will receive a new type approval. The refrigerant R1234yf has a GWP of approximately 4 and is significantly under the specified value.
- From 2011 the A/C systems in newly manufactured cars have been successively converted from refrigerant R134a to refrigerant R1234yf. This refrigerant has a global warming potential of approximately 4, the global warming potential of carbon dioxide = 1 (Global Warming Potential = GWP) and for this reason has a much smaller impact on the Earth's atmosphere than refrigerant R134a.
- Conversion programs were developed and are available for old existing systems filled with the ozone-depleting substance R12. Refer to service information for A/C Systems with Refrigerant R12 (this service information is only available in hard copy).
- The refrigerant R134a may according to the current legal situation be filled on vehicles which were type-tested with refrigerant R134a (or in vehicles retrofitted from R12 refrigerant to refrigerant R134a) until their decommissioning. For this reason retrofitting the A/C system from refrigerant R134a to refrigerant R1234yf is currently not available. Refer to REFRIGERANT R134A CAPACITIES .
- For environmental protection reasons, refrigerants must not be released into the atmosphere. Refer to LAWS AND REGULATIONS .
- Refrigerant R1234yf is chemically stable in a closed system. In the Earth's atmosphere it decomposes after a short time from the influence of UV light (within approximately 14 days) into non-hazardous compounds for the Earths atmosphere (for this reason the GWP of 4).