Germans warned on cheap vehicle AC refills

GERMANY: Faced with rising refrigerant costs and decreasing availability, Europe’s largest automobile association has warned its German members against purchasing cheap vehicle AC refill kits based on butane or propane.

The German Automobile Club (ADAC), which boasts over 21 million members, has explicitly warned against the purchase of cheap refill kits which are sometimes offered online as R12 or HC12a, but actually contain flammable butane or propane. 

“These are usually not approved for vehicle air conditioning systems and can pose a fire hazard in the event of an accident or technical defect,” it warns.

The R134a refrigerant used in older vehicles is becoming more expensive across Europe due to the EU’s F-gas phase down but, as the ADAC points out, there are currently no widely available and legally approved alternatives for existing vehicles.

While some workshops offer conversions to the newer R1234yf refrigerant, existing R134a systems are not designed for it, and, according to the ADAC, clear approvals and technical certifications are lacking. In particular, potential impacts on vehicle registration and liability issues remain unclear.

The ADAC says it supports the EU’s goal of reducing fluorinated greenhouse gases. However, affordable, technically safe, and legally compliant solutions must be developed for millions of older vehicles. It calls for a binding legal framework, uniform technical requirements for retrofits, and vehicle-specific approvals from manufacturers.