Newer vehicles are using this more environmentally safe refrigerant R-1234YF. If anyone has had the unfortunate experience that their vehicles uses this and needs a full recharge it can cost around $500. My questions is has anyone charged their system with R-134A instead?

Or has anyone used a product from Enviro-Safe (their 1234yf product), which is significantly cheaper than any other R-1234YF that i have found (3.80/Oz) compared to ~$10/Oz. from a dealer or private mechanic.

 

Although I'm a professional driver, but I studied auto tech in high school and junior collage, and air-conditioning was my forte'.so you came to the right place at the right time. I have not yet worked on a vehicle using 1234yf refrigerant, I have heard that it will not become a standard factory product. I have both installed a full A/C system into a car without one, and swapped my father's 1988 Chevy pickup to use R-134a from R-12, and both endeavors worked great. In my father's case, I had to flush all the mineral oil out, before adding PAG-150. I put in a new accumulator and orifice valve as well, and it cooled just great.

You do need to get the oil lubricant out if it's not compatible with your refrigerant. From what I just read, I believe that your PAG lubricant IS compatible with R-134A. To be legal you'll have to have the 1234yf recycled, and then have it pumped down to minus 28-30 PSI for at least half an hour, more if it's cold out and one hour is better, before you add the R-134A. Since they are cheap, I'd install a new accumulator as well, but if your Chevy is fairly new, you can likely forgo doing that, as long as you get all the moisture and the old 1234yf out, in with the vacuum pump. Any other questions, feel free to ask.