United States	EPA430-F-93-009
Environmental Protection June 1993
Agency
Office of Air And Radiation (6205J)	
oERA Auto Air
Conditioners
and the
Ozone Layer:
A Consumer
Guide

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This pamphlet was developed to help you - the
owner of an air conditioned car or truck -
understand how efforts to protect the ozone
layer will affect you and your vehicle now and
in the future.
. Our Threatened Ozone Layer
Scientists worldwide have concluded that
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs, also known by the
trade name Freon) deplete the ozone layer.
CFCs have been used in the manufacturing of
many products, such as foam insulation,
electronics equipment, refrigerators and air
conditioners. When allowed to escape, these
chemicals drift some 30 miles above the Earth
to the stratospheric ozone layer - a layer of gas
that screens us from the sun's powerful
ultraviolet (UV-B) radiation. Once there, CFCs
break apart - a process that releases chlorine,
which then attacks ozone. A single chlorine
atom can destroy more than 100 thousand
ozone molecules.
The ozone layer is being depleted over
Antarctica (the so-called Antarctic ozone hole),
but also to a much lesser extent over North
America, Europe, and other populated areas.
A depleted ozone layer allows more UV-B
radiation to reach Earth, harming human,
animal, and plant life in many ways. Scientists
around the world agree that increased UV-B
radiation could over the long run cause a rise
in cases of skin cancer and cataracts. Also,
increased radiation could damage important
food crops and marine ecosystems.

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Protecting the Ozone Layer
The United States and over 110 countries are
working together to protect the ozone layer by
phasing out the production of ozone depleting
substances in developed countries by the end
of 1995. In
addition, the
Clean Air Act of
1990 contains
requirements that
ban the release of
refrigerants
during the
service,
maintenance, and
disposal of air
conditioning and refrigeration equipment and
for labeling of products that are manufactured
with or contain CFCs. Shops are required by
law to use approved recover or recycling
equipment when servicing air conditioning
systems. Also, the technicians must be
certified in the proper use of the equipment.
You can help save the ozone layer by getting
professional vehicle service at a shop that uses
recycling equipment and by having leaking
systems repaired. Recycling and leak repair
helps to conserve CFCs and limits the release
of the chemicals to the environment.
All automakers are responding to the CFC
production phaseout by beginning to produce
vehicles with an alternative refrigerant called
HFC-134a. This refrigerant does not deplete
the ozone layer because it does not contain
chlorine. By the end of 1994, virtually all new
cars, trucks and vans will be equipped with
HFC-134a air conditioning systems.

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How does the CFC Phaseout
affect your vehicle?
All but the newest designs of vehicle air
conditioners use CFC-12 as a cooling agent.
CFC-12 is one of the chemicals known to
destroy the ozone layer - our planet's
protection against harmful rays from the sun.
The phaseout of the substance means that
production will stop, but it does not mean
that you have to stop using or having your air
conditioner serviced with CFC-12. The first
important step for all vehicle owners with
CFC-12 air conditioners involves reducing
unnecessary loss of refrigerant. Preventive
maintenance, fixing leaks, and recycling at
service are key actions to minimize the need
for additional refrigerant after the phase-out
of production at the end of 1995.
But many vehicles with CFC-12 air
conditioners may require service past that
date. What choices will these vehicle owners
have? For vehicles under warranty, please
consult your dealer. For vehicles not under
warranty, you may have the choice to either
continue to service your air conditioner with
CFC-12 or to have the vehicle modified to use
HFC-134a.
Despite the halt in production of CFC-12,
government and industry are developing
programs cooperatively to ensure that some
supply of this refrigerant will be available
after 1995. While the available supply will be
limited and the costs will certainly rise in the
future (in part due to a federal tax on CFCs),
for many vehicle owners the option of
continuing to use CFC-12 may be the most
attractive one.

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Other owners may decide that it makes
more sense to have their air conditioning
units modified to accept the alternative
refrigerant. For example, if you are having
major service performed on your CFC-12
air-conditioner, modifying the system to
use HFC-134a may be appropriate.
The automobile manufacturers are
working diligently to identify the required
procedures for each of their models that
would permit the use of HFC-134a while
maintaining
reliability and
cooling
performance.
Make sure that
your service center
uses the
manufacturer's
recommended
alternative
refrigerant and
follows their
recommended procedures. Using
substances that have not been thoroughly
tested may cause performance and safety
problems and void your warranty.
Since the complexity and the cost of
modifying a CFC-12 system will vary by
make and model of car, the decision to
retrofit may make more sense for some
vehicles than others. In many cases,
retrofit of newer vehicles will require

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fewer changes and cost less than retrofit of
older vehicles. Actual costs of modifying a
system to accept an alternative may vary
widely.
If you are considering the purchase of a
new or used vehicle, ask if the air
conditioner uses HFC-134a, and if not, find
out about any
applicable
warranties
covering air
conditioning
service and
repair. If you
buy an
extended
warranty or
service
contract,
make sure you find out whether it covers
future air conditioning repairs or services.
EPA and the automotive industry are
working together to make the transition
away from ozone-depleting chemicals as
smooth as possible, but we need your
support and cooperation to make this
effort a success.

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This pamphlet was developed by EPA in
cooperation with:
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
American Automobile Manufacturers
Association (AAMA) members: Chrysler
Corporation; Ford Motor Company; General
Motors Corporation.
Association of International Automobile
Manufacturers (AIAM) members: American
Honda Motor Company, Inc.; American Isuzu
Motors, Inc.; American Suzuki Motor
Corporation; BMW of North America, Inc.;
Fiat Auto U.S.A., Inc.; Hyundai Motor
America; Mazda Motors of America, Inc.;
Mitsubishi Motor Sales of America, Inc.;
Nissan North America, Inc.; Porsche Cars
North America, Inc; Rolls-Royce Motor Cars,
Inc.; Rover Group USA, Inc.; Subaru of
America, Inc.; Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A.,
Inc.; Volkswagen of America, Inc.; Volvo
North America Corporation.
Office of New York State Attorney General
Robert Abrams
Mobile Air Conditioning Society (MACS)
Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)
Alliance for Responsible CFC Policy
National Automobile Dealers Association
(NADA)
National Institute of Automotive Excellence
(ASE)
International Mobile Air Conditioning
Association (IMAC A)

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For Further information, please call the
Stratospheric Ozone Information Hotline
1-800-296-1996. Hours: 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p
Monday through Friday, except federal
holidays.
This pamphlet was reprinted courtesy of:
Recycled/Recyclable
Primed on paper that contains
at least 50% recycled fiber

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