Suburban 3/4 Ton 4WD V8-305 5.0L (1986)
contact or return to the previous repair facility. Explain that environmental regulations prohibit repair facilities from discharging ozone depleting A/C
refrigerants into the atmosphere. Explain that recovery of this unknown refrigerant could damage your service equipment.
If the customer wishes to pursue repairs through your facility, it is recommended that the proper A/C service equipment be purchased. General Motors
recommends the Kent-Moore J 41428 "Scavenger", an air operated refrigerant recovery station, be used to remove unknown refrigerants. The air
operated feature reduces the hazard of recovering potentially flammable refrigerants. Dealers should evaluate the need to purchase the equipment based
on the number of contaminated vehicles they encounter.
As an alternative to the initial purchase of a recovery only station, dealers should check locally for A/C specialty shops which may have the equipment to
service substitute or contaminated refrigerants. They may be able to provide contaminated refrigerant recovery service to the dealer.
The GM Service Technology Group has tested a recovery procedure where a 15 or 30 pound DOT approved refillable tank is fully evacuated then
connected to a vehicle A/C system to recover the charge. Testing has shown that even when the recovery tank is cooled down in dry ice, the procedure
does not guarantee the entire charge will be recovered. Since EPA regulations require full recovery of ozone depleting substances, GM does not
recommend this procedure.
Contaminated Refrigerant Disposal
Although A/C refrigerant testing and disposal have not been a service practice in the mobile A/C industry, It has been common in the stationary A/C
service industry for many years. Listed at the end of this bulletin are companies that provide refrigerant disposal service for the stationary A/C industry.
Please be advised that GM has not independently evaluated these companies and is not in any way endorsing or promoting the use of these companies.
Each of these companies has expressed an interest in providing refrigerant disposal service to GM dealers.
In working with the stationary A/C industry, these companies typically receive large volumes of different refrigerants that have been mixed together.
Unfortunately, because the volume of material returned by the mobile A/C industry will be in much smaller quantities, the cost of handling will be
greater.
To arrange for return of the refrigerant, simply call the company nearest you using the phone number listed below. The company will advise you on
billing and shipping procedures. Disposal cost will vary between $3.00 and $5.00 per pound plus freight and handling. Shipping charges will vary by
distance and location. In general, a 7 to 10 day turn-around time on the tank can be expected. The tank can be shipped via common carrier. Documents
that your refrigerant has been properly disposed of will be sent to you with the return of your tank.
As an alternative, many dealerships already have contracts in place with a disposal company who manages their hazardous wastes. In these cases, the
disposal service may agree to handle containers of mixed refrigerants. Initially, the local disposal companies may be surprised by this inquiry. They may
want to evaluate how much material will be collected before deciding whether to provide this service.
As we move forward with the practice of testing R12 refrigerant, it will take time for all the questions to be answered. STG will provide additional
information as soon as it is available.
Understanding The PureGuard
The PureGuard is a highly sensitive instrument capable of detecting R12 with 3% or less cross-contamination with other refrigerants. Any refrigerant
mixture in excess of this amount poses a threat to both your refrigerant supply and recovery equipment. The PureGuard uses a pass/fail approach when
monitoring the refrigerant and is precisely calibrated to cut power to the recovery machine if it encounters R12 mixed with any substitute refrigerants.
The PureGuard ignores the presence of the air, dyes or oils in the refrigerant sampled.
At least 20 psi must be present in the vehicle's A/C system for the PureGuard to function. Otherwise, refrigerant cannot be introduced to the PureGuard's
test chamber. If a vehicle's A/C system contains less than 20 psi, it is an indication that the vehicle's system is nearly depleted of refrigerant.
Occasionally, erratic PureGuard operation or service code 002 display will be encountered when A/C system pressure is exactly 20 psi. If this occurs,
simply cycle the on/off switch to reset the PureGuard. After the 30 second PureGuard warm-up cycle, proceed immediately with vehicle recovery
operation.
Feedback from the field has indicated PureGuard service code 002 will also be displayed if the oil drain port is not sealed. Make sure the "0" ring seal in
the cap is in place and that the cap is tight.
If the PureGuard fails to clear or if you experience any other problems operating the PureGuard, contact Kent-Moore Technical Service at
1-800-345-2233. The unit should not be returned without first contacting Kent-Moore to obtain return authorization.
Refrigerant Disposal Locations:
United States Refrigerant Reclamation Inc.
12420 North Green River Rd.
Evansville, IN 47711
800-207-5931, FAX - 812-867-1463
