Industry Tips
Automotive Air Conditioning
The summer months are here, and many of you are wondering if the air conditioner in your car will last the season. The Better Business Bureau urges consumers to choose reliable service stations for repairs to air conditioning systems. Also, beware that utilizing an inexpensive poor quality refrigerant can prove to be a costly mistake.
The cost of keeping cool has gone up. Freon and other refrigerants containing chlorofluorocarbons or CFC's, are being phased out internationally to slow down the destruction of the ozone layer. The U.S. Government ordered CFC production to end in January 1, 1996. Because of lower supply and federal excise taxes, CFC prices have skyrocketed. Some black marketers have been importing refrigerant without paying the tax and skirting government agency requirements. The results are low-cost, poor
quality refrigerants that could ruin car air conditioning systems.
Because of new environmental regulations, motor vehicle air conditioner repairs are more complicated than ever.
If your system does need repair, get several estimates from service shops with a reputation for good work. Contact the BBB for a Business Review.
The Better Business Bureau suggests that the best way to avoid trouble is to ask the service station to use only name-brand refrigerants installed by a mechanic. Shop owners and technicians should use only reputable suppliers to ensure that the refrigerant they provide is legal and not contaminated.
Owners of older cars have an additional factor to take into account--their cars must be retrofitted with special adapters and hoses in order to accept the new refrigerant, at a cost of up to $800. Relatively inexpensive retrofit kits are now on the market, and may be appropriate for many cars. Before using such a kit, car owners should get advice from a trusted technician or experts on its suitability and safety.
If you feel your car may be the victim of Black Market freon, or a service station may be participating in the distribution of it, call the AIAG at (810) 358-3570, or write to the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) at 26200 Lahser Road, Suite 200-Southfield, MI 48034.
And remember, before you have that air conditioner system repaired, contact the Better Business Bureau for Business Reviews on service stations.
For more information, contact:
Better Business Bureau
(800) 828-5000
www.upstateny.bbb.org
This information is general in nature and is not to be interpreted as a Business Review on any particular product, company, or service.