CFC REDUCTION AND REFRIGERANT RECOVERY (RECYCLING PROGRAM)

Models Affected: 1980-89 ALL MODELS

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are believed by the international scientific community to cause harm by depleting the layer of stratospheric ozone which helps protect us from the sun's ultraviolet rays. In response to this discovery, an international accord known as the Montreal Protocol became effective January 1, 1989. This accord controls CFCs internationally and requires reducing the production and consumption of CFCs worldwide.

General Motors Corporation fully supports the Montreal Protocol and has been actively working with the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association, the Mobile Air Conditioning Society, the Society of Automotive Engineers, Underwriter Laboratories (UL) and recovery/recycling equipment manufacturers to develop and validate equipment and to implement a program allowing air conditioning service and repair facilities to recover and recycle CFCs. Two materials which are scheduled for reduced usage under the Montreal Protocol and which are frequently used in dealership service areas are R-11 (CFC-11) and R-12 (CFC-12).

CFC-11 is primarily used in dealer service areas to clean failed mobile air conditioning refrigeration systems by flushing. In place of flushing the system with CFC-11 during repair service, General Motors recommends the use of liquid line filters. The filter should be used after repeated orifice tube plugging or when replacing a seized compressor. These filters are available through Service Parts Operations and eliminate the need to use CFC-11 to flush a failed mobile air conditioning system.

The second material, CFC-12, the refrigerant in mobile air conditioning systems, accounts for approximately 25% of all domestically consumed CFCs and makes the mobile air conditioning system the single largest user of CFCs. Procedures to recover CFC-12 were not deemed necessary in the past. Current service practice is to exhaust the CFC-12 refrigerant to the atmosphere when an air conditioning system is being serviced. Emissions of CFC-12 to the atmosphere which result from such practices will be substantially reduced with the adoption of recovery and recycling during service.

An industry research effort has shown that CFC-12 refrigerant recovered from vehicles in service can be reused if recycled. Purity and equipment certification standards have been developed through laboratory analysis and testing. An equipment certification program has been established with Underwriters Laboratories to assure recycling equipment meets standards for operational safety and compliance with SAE Standard J1991, which is the test procedure to validate equipment to industry standards.

General Motors has determined that CFC-12 refrigerant recovery and recycling is a necessary step in reducing the amount of CFC-12 vented to the atmosphere. GM assembly plants and fleet garages are presently developing programs for recovery and recycling during vehicle service for implementation as soon as certified equipment becomes available. Hawaii and Vermont have already enacted legislation requiring recovery and recycling of CFC-12 refrigerant during the service of mobile air conditioning by January 1, 1991. Many other states have similar bills pending before their legislative bodies. General Motors has announced publicly, that General Motors is encouraging our dealers to recover and recycle CFC-12 and that all GM dealers will have recovery/recycling equipment at the start of model year 1991. Recovery/recycling equipment used by GM dealers under this program must be UL certified to insure new car warranty will not be voided by its use.

CFC-12 recycling equipment will become an essential tool for all General Motors dealerships for model year 1991. Production capacity constraints prevent complete rollout prior to this time. Beginning with the 1990 model year, CFC-12 refrigerant recovery equipment will be available to General Motors dealers through the essential tool program on a first come, first serve basis. All dealers are encouraged to obtain and utilize CFC-12 recovery/recycling equipment as soon as possible to minimize ozone depletion and to maximize the return on investment made in the recovery equipment.

Shipments under this program will begin as Underwriters Laboratory approved equipment becomes available, with delivery of the essential tools to all dealers completed by the start of the 1991 model year.

Specific product and pricing has been finalized. Service procedures will be included in the 1991 Service Manual publication.

General Motors bulletins are intended for use by professional technicians, not a "do-it-yourselfer". They are written to inform those technicians of conditions that may occur on some vehicles, or to provide information that could assist in the proper service of a vehicle. Properly trained technicians have the equipment, tools, safety instructions and know-how to do a job properly and safely. If a condition is described, do not assume that the bulletin applies to your vehicle, or that your vehicle will have that condition. See a General Motors dealer servicing your brand of General Motors vehicle for information on whether your vehicle may benefit from the information.