Refrigerant 12 Leakage in Automobile Air Conditioner Systems

The paper presents measurements of whole vehicle refrigerant 12 leakage from a varied fleet of U.S. manufactured passenger automobiles in addition to measurements of some individual leak sources within the operating vehicles. Evaluation of Halogen leak detectors and of an R-12 refrigerant, Dytel, are also made with a view to determining their sensitivity or adequacy in detecting refrigerant leaks in operating automotive air conditioning systems. Recommendations regarding desirability of improvements in service, maintenance and system design to reduce R-12 emission levels are also presented.