MACS Service Reports - 2015 - MAY1

Total Vehicle Climate and Thermal ManagementTM

May 2015

By Paul Weissler, MACS Senior Technical Correspondent
DO YOU NEED NEW EQUIPMENT?

machine that will switch between R-134a and R-1234yf. It will
cost more, but not only because it has to be designed to pass a
more complex certification test. The R-1234yf standard is SAE
J2843; the R-134a standard is SAE J2788, so clearly there are differences beyond the two refrigerants. Some of the required operating parameters for an R-1234yf machine are similar to those
for R-134a. The machine must recover at least 95% of the refrigerant, although we're seeing some higher percentage recovery
performance on the newest machines for both refrigerants. The
vehicle used to certify to the 95% minimum refrigerant recovery
performance requirement is a 2005-09 Chevrolet Suburban with
a 3 pound system capacity. Because it has a rear evaporator and

Bosch

Mahle Service Solutions

You know that Chrysler (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles for a
name that's more up to date) is using R-1234yf virtually across
the board, having started in 2013 with the 2014 Jeep Cherokee.
So some R-1234yf system cars may (or soon will be) coming into
your shop, leading you to wonder about new equipment needed to service these vehicles. We suspect it may be a bit early to invest, but if you want to be the go-to shop in your area, you could
be ready to invest now or at least within the next six months. See
Figures 1, 2 & 3.
However, it can be confusing when it comes to deciding what
recovery/recycling/recharging equipment will do the job. Our
personal recommendation has been to wait until you can get a

Figure 2: Mahle/RTI's new R-1234yf machine is, like its new R-134a machine,
a redesign that drops the swivel head of the previous generation equipment to
simplify the construction for a lower cost.

Figure 1: The Bosch/Robinair R-1234yf machine was the first to be certified and posted on the SAE mobile air conditioning database macdb.sae.
org website.

ALSO INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
SAE "BUYERS GUIDE" .................................................................................................................................................................... 3
WHAT ABOUT J3030 "MULTI-REFRIGERANT" MACHINES? .................................................................................................. 4
THE COMPRESSOR IS NOT JUST A COMPONENT .................................................................................................................. 4
COLORADO/CANYON BLOWER ................................................................................................................................................... 7
ANOTHER "IT'S NORMAL" ............................................................................................................................................................ 8

MACS Service Reports is the official technical publication of the
Mobile Air Conditioning Society Worldwide, Inc., P.O. Box 88,
Lansdale, PA 19446. The material published in MACS Service
Reports expresses the views of the contributors and not necessarily that of MACS. Every attempt has been made to ensure

May 2015

the accuracy of the content of MACS Service Reports. MACS,
however, will not be responsible for the accuracy of the information published nor will MACS Worldwide be liable in any way for
injury, labor, parts or other expenses resulting from the use of
information appearing in MACS Service Reports.

MACS Service Reports

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of MACS Service Reports - 2015