Last week, Daimler announced that it would be sticking with R-134a refrigerant in its cars due to some tests it conducted that showed the newer, more environmentally friendly R-1234yf ignited in certain crash tests. Apparently, this R-134a replacement had already been installed in the 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class, so the automaker is electing to issue a recall for a small number of SLs to replace the refrigerant. While theNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced the recall, this worst-case scenario crash was only verified by Daimler, and the refrigerant recall is not yet affecting any other automakers.
Since the two refrigerants are interchangeable, all Mercedes-Benz dealerships will have to do is replace theR-1234yf with R-134a and swap out the A/C lines. Mercedes-Benz will be notifying owners this month whose cars were built between December 19, 2011 and May 31, 2012; NHTSA states that only 432 cars will be affected.
Currently, General Motors is the only other automaker in the U.S. using the R-1234yf (in the 2013 Cadillac XTS and 2013 Cadillac ATS in addition to the European-spec Chevrolet Malibu), and it has responded with a statement of its own regarding this matter:
source: Autoblog"The safety of our vehicles and our customers is GM's highest priority. The new vehicle refrigerant, called R-1234yf, was evaluated and tested over many years through industry-wide cooperative research programs with organizations such as SAE and other independent engineering organizations and involved 10 major global automobile manufacturers including GM. We believe these tests demonstrate that R-1234yf is a safe, effective and environmentally beneficial motor vehicle air conditioner refrigerant for our future vehicles. However, we are trying to learn more about the Daimler test experience and will, of course, make any decisions and take any actions with our customers' safety in mind."
by Jeffrey N. Ross
http://www.boscheuropean.com
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