MACS Service Reports - 2015 - MAY4

WHAT ABOUT J3030 "MULTI-REFRIGERANT" MACHINES?
As we've reported (see the MACS trade show report
in the May 2015 issue of ACtion magazine), there is a
new standard for recovery/recycle/recharge equipment that can work with both refrigerants: SAE
J3030. It has been passed by the SAE Interior Climate Control Committee and has been working its
way through the SAE process to a formal publication. We expect to see J3030 equipment on the market later this year. There are two "flavors" possible
with a J3030 machine: 1) switches back and forth
between R-134a and R-1234yf; 2) a one-time conversion kit to change a machine from R-134a to R1234yf system service. This type of machine would
be far less expensive because it would not include a
built-in refrigerant identifier in any case, although
it might include the electronics and the USB port
to simplify a future conversion. In that latter case,
the primary savings would be for specific R-1234yf
hoses, tank connectors and the like, which might
not be a lot. A J3030 machine also has to pass three
certifications (and they aren't pocket change): 1)
J2788 for R-134a; 2) J2843 for R-1234yf and 3) a special test to ensure there is minimal cross-contamination of refrigerants (no more than 0.5%) when the
machine is switched from servicing one refrigerant
to the other.
This has led to some technicians asking, "How can
I convert my existing R-134a machine to service R1234yf?" The answer we've given (over and over)
is: YOU CAN'T. The reason is simple: any R-134a
machine that is capable of a conversion comes with
a lot more than an upgrade kit with new hoses and
fittings. It is built with all the anti-incendiary features of an R-1234yf machine, including anti-arc-

ing switches and solenoids, and the safety venting
design (both an initial air change and the six air
changes per hour). So unless you want to put yourself and your employees at risk with a jerry-built
conversion, fuhgeddaboudit!
At the outset we expect the back-and-forth machine to hit the market first. In fact, depending
on the response it might be the only type that the
equipment manufacturers supply.
As for a buying decision, if you can hold off, we
keep saying: wait for a J3030 machine because the
high-volume, multi-manufacturer phase-in of R1234yf is not going to come this year. Yes, Chrysler is there already and so are a few other car companies. But the way the regulations are set up,
the major changeover will be coming in 2017. The
Chrysler systems with R-1234yf have been out for
two years now, and there has been some collisionrelated work, but that's it. If you have to farm out
an occasional R-1234yf recharge in the next several
months, so be it.
By 2017, the German manufacturers are expected
to have systems that use carbon dioxide (CO 2) as the
refrigerant, designated R-744. We don't think they'll
be bringing cars with such systems to the U.S. early
in the game. They'll surely want to get lots of field
experience with so new and different a system in
the markets close to their home base. But if you're
a shop technician that specializes in German cars,
you're certainly going to want to watch this development. Yes, we know the Germans' original CO 2
system development was mothballed in 2010, but
this time it seems to be for real. ■

THE COMPRESSOR IS NOT JUST A COMPONENT
"It's a bad compressor." How often have you or
any of the technicians in your shop said that to a
customer? The compressor is generally regarded as
a single component, certainly in recent years when
most shops have given up on replacement of leaking shaft seals. Even clutch replacement, once a
common service job, seems to have become obsolete. "It's cheaper to put on a new pump" is a very
common attitude, and one of the lower-cost alternatives are aftermarket generic new compressors
available in a variety of mounting configurations to
fit popular OE applications.
When the only alternative was a reman, a lot of
shops would hesitate, because they didn't trust the
ones their parts jobber was sourcing, or more simply, they had a few bad experiences. That's all it
takes when the compressor is buried and you also

May 2015

have to go through recovery, recycle and recharge.
Why take a chance? The situation has reached the
point where parts availability has made some of
the decisions. The remans are technically still available, but many shops pick them only when there's
no choice. That is, you can't get a new compressor
for the application. Piston compressors remain generally available as remans, but scrolls are somewhat
tougher, although there are some remanufacturers.
The OE compressor suppliers tell us they don't remanufacture scrolls, but there are aftermarket-only
companies that do. We can't tell you exactly what
they do, nor what their standards are for remanufacturable cores, but we suspect they're pretty
high; perhaps limited to seals, rpm sensor, thermal
switch, relief valve, or failures other than ones that
affected the internal interleafed scrolls.

MACS Service Reports

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