Can smell freon (134) in my cab of truck.

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Jan 12, 2011
Messages
78
Location
Texas
1992 Silverado, 305...150,000 miles. Switched on AC the other day, and it did not get cold. The "AC" led was blinking, I assume indicating it was in distress of some sort. Ive had the truck 4 years, cold AC every summer, but now I guess thats out the window. Anyway...I started smelling freon in the cab and when I opened the hood, I again smelled it. You cant miss that smell, it stinks bad. Besides repairing, besides refilling, what can I do stop the the smell? It cant be good to breath this stuff. Truck got "totaled" by ins. compnay last week, but runs and drives, so its hardly worth putting any real bucks into it. Thanks.
 
Fix it. Leave it. It is kind of rough that you don't feel it is worth the effort to keep it running but don't whine. Add some freon and see if it leaks again. It it does, either put another can in or ignore it and hope the pump don't seize up.
 
R134a DOES have a smell. I smelled it a lot when I was fixing my Explorer's AC. If you smell it inside the cab, my guess would be a bad evaporator.
 
Originally Posted By: exranger06
R134a DOES have a smell. I smelled it a lot when I was fixing my Explorer's AC. If you smell it inside the cab, my guess would be a bad evaporator.


The odor is so light that usually, and especially in older equipment, the odor of whatever the refrigerant is blowing past will mask the smell of the refrigerant itself. It by no means stinks. Stinky usually means organics getting too hot, like rubber belts or clutches.
 
Originally Posted By: exranger06
R134a DOES have a smell. I smelled it a lot when I was fixing my Explorer's AC. If you smell it inside the cab, my guess would be a bad evaporator.
You were smelling the odor that Pag oil has.
 
When my 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan ended up with a leaking evaporator (these things were almost guaranteed to leak...thank you Chrysler), the smell from the vents reminded me of the smell of a box of band-aids...really.
 
I never noted a smell of R12 or R123a, either.
I don't think they have a smell.

So you have a smell from a totaled car?
Coolant or oil on the hot exhaust is more likely.
And on that totaled car, don't you think that you may have more that one problem?
 
Originally Posted By: Chris142
Originally Posted By: exranger06
You were smelling the odor that Pag oil has.



DING DING DING. r134a has no smell. Its the pag oil you're smelling. And yes likely issue at the evaporator/connections to. AC systems have pressure switches, if you have a leak once pressure drops below certain amount it will force compressor clutch from engaging to avoid damage to compressor.
 
Originally Posted By: Chris142
R12 and R134a Have no smell.


R134a has no smell? A slight smell, yes; odorless, no. Here are two MSDS sheets from DuPont and National Refrigerants.

Originally Posted By: DuPont SUVA 134a MSDS
SECTION 9. PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
Form : Liquefied gas
Color : colourless
Odor : slight, ether-like


http://msds.dupont.com/msds/pdfs/EN/PEN_09004a35804fa7ff.pdf

Originally Posted By: National Refrigerants MSDS
EMERGENCY OVERVIEW: Colorless, volatile liquid with ethereal and faint sweetish odor.


http://ww2.ramapo.edu/libfiles/HR/Environmental_Health_and_Safety/MSDS/Facilities/HVAC/134a.pdf
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top