Read the label, Heed the label!

Have you ever lifted the hood of your car and noticed a label calling out specifications for your mobile A/C system? Did you ever wonder why it was there?
Your car’s manufacturer put that label in the engine compartment in compliance with a standard set by SAE International. It is SAE “J” standard 639.The label  is also required by some regulatory state and federal authorities.
Avoid removing this label from your car.
Look closely at the label photograph above. Notice the label recommends professional service for the air conditioning system. There are two basic reasons for professional service, first a personal safety concern as the system is under pressure and can cause injury and second the refrigerant charge and refrigerant lubricant amount are critical to system performance.
Notice it identifies the refrigerant in this particular vehicle as HFC-134a and tells the service professional the refrigerant capacity in both ounces and grams. It also calls out the plus (+), minus (-) tolerance, this means the system will still function properly within this range of over/under refrigerant charge.
Look to the far right of the label, in this column the type of compressor lubricant is called out for the service technician so he knows exactly what type and how much to add to the system.
When having your mobile A/C system professionally serviced, insist on proper repair procedures and quality replacement parts. Insist on recovery and recycling so that refrigerant can be reused and not released into the atmosphere.
You can E-mail us at macsworldwide@macsw.org or visit http://bit.ly/cf7az8 to find a Mobile Air Conditioning Society repair shop in your area. Visit http://bit.ly/9FxwTh to find out more about your car’s mobile A/C and engine cooling system.