Hi Does anyone know where I can get my aircon topped up in Swansea? I have a Mazda Eunos 1990?
Thanks Jan
I seen Halfords advertising a recharge for about £10 - might be worth a phonecall to see what exactly they do.
Iddy
Thanks for the info Iddy, I have just rang them they say they only sell the gas in canisters they do not do the filling? I belived Japanese imports have a different gas than uk cars but I may have that wrong?
Cheers Bridge
Hi Bridge,
Cannot help you round your area but we have a local bloke who comes to your home, checks seals and refils your system for around £50. Would recommend this as against Halfords stuff as system of that age needs some kid glove handling and checking. Also not sure but the stuff they sell maybe the spray which removes bacteria from the system by re-circulating it through the ducts. Seaching the net will find you a mobile technician I’m sure.
Good luck.
Phil…
I take it is for your V spec 1990. The problem is R12 refrigerant as installed in your car does not mix with the new R134a as used from around 1993 onwards. R12 is cooler but has been banned in the UK. This is not strictly true. Some places can still charge R12. In the air con line there are two caps and you fill the system via one of these. The canisters that say Halfords sell are very good but the nozzel will not fit onto an R12 system. It is infact the oil that does not mix and the new R134a oil will destroy the seals in your system. R12 is only for use by professionals, contact an industrial air con (building A/C) company. They sometimes keep R12 canisters as they have to remove it when they take an R12 system out of a building. They can legaly charge your R12 system. As my MK1 (she’s gone now) had it, I bought some from Ebay.com (not .co.uk). You will have to state that you will give it to an air con company and you will not use it yourself!!!
The other way to go is have the R12 taken out and fit a compressor from an MX5 that had R134a in it. Your compressor seals will not take R134a. You still then have the nozzel problem so you do this http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/R12-R134a-A-C-Manifold-Gauge-Conversion-Kit-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem1c13d2f9f7QQitemZ120591677943QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories and get the R12 flushed out.
There are coolants with a “universal oil” that will mix with R12 and R134a to get over this problem. So they say, I’ve never tried them. You must make sure the nozzel adaptor fits your R12 system http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/3-REFRIGERANT-R12-ADAPTERS-HOSE-1-OIL-DVD-A-C-KIT-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem19c47a90f5QQitemZ110670549237QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories
There is also a lot of system sealers that do not contain R12, check before you buy. So off to Ebay.com (not .co.uk) with you and type in R12.
(some cars have been converted to R134a in the past so you could be lucky and it already takes R134a but I doubt it. Get the R12, who needs an atmosphere anyway, all I’ve heard in recent years about the atmosphere is only trouble, the Govenment should just get on and ban it and we can all go back to R12 and be a lot cooler and we wouldn’t need forced induction)
Hi Ratdogfink,
I was looking for a more comprehensive answer!! lol.
Thank you very much for clarifying the air con situation, I was right in thinking it was a different gas. I don’t really feel confident to re gas the car myself. I will do a bit more digging to see if I can find an air con company who will do it…other than that I will just have to fry or hope when I open the windows that I can get them to close again!! 
Thanks again for all your help & to the previous posters…
Regards Bridge
Hi Bridge, Halfords wont touch the older type AC as they claim to not be licenced to evacuate your system of the old, now illegal R12 refrigerant. The problem is quite complex but basically the more modern (post 1994) systems use a gas called R134A, if this gas is mixed with any trace of the old R12 then a poison similar to mustard gas` or fosgene can be produced. Also the two types of lubricating oil used are not at all compatible.
If you are lucky you may find a cowboy aircon merchant with old stocks of R12 who may be willing to risk a 2 year jail sentence by filling your system, but they are getting pretty thin on the ground nowadays…
In order to convert your car to R134A the reciever/drier would need to be replaced, and the filler connections replaced, not an easy job and certainly not cheap.
I am told Ariazone Autocentre 
May be able to properly convert your system over, but at what cost I do not know.
Hope this helps?
Dr. Eunos
Hi Guys, it look like I may be in luck, with a little perseverance & a few phone calls I have managed to locate a guy in Swansea who can top up my aircon with an equivelant substitute gas (413).
He is only charging me £50.00 + vat which isn’t too bad.
I will be one cool dude then!!
Dr Eunos I rang a couple of places & convertion & top up was approx £120.00
Thanks again for all your help !!
R12 is not illegal you have to have a license to use it. Thats why you have to fill in a disclaimer when you buy it and it is delacired to customs and excise when it gets posted here. If it were an illegal product I am quite sure they would stop the trade. No one would be doing anything ILLEGAL. It’s not illegal to re fill car with R12. Is it illegal to vent it to atmosphere and the rules say an average person may do this so you have to have a license to use it. Get a can of R12 and give it to your fella and get him to push the button on the can!!!
Alternativly place a large block of ice in the back of the car and you’ll get cooled down.
I used to get a lot of my car parts from Kilvey Hill!!!
Hi Guys,
Just an update, had my top up yesterday & i am pleased to say i am as cool as a cucumber happy days!!! 
Hello Bridget, I need my Eunos topping up, I think. Would you mind saying how much you were charged just to make sure I don’t pay over the odds, please.
Hi Pollyanna,
I paid £60 for the top up, didn’t think that was too bad as I was quoted £95 on first investigations! Or £125 to have a conversion & top up…Good luck 
Bridge
Could you please tell me where you had it done.
Going to Swansea looks like the best way forward to me.
Allan
Hi Allan the place Bridge used was Mistermatic SA5 4DH tel:01792 589 469
Let us know how you get on?
Dr. Eunos
You can also use a "Drop in gas " ( By a commercial air con specialist ) Known as RS24 Gas !! Works fine on R12 Systems and is legal to use in motor vehicles.
Not sure if this helps anyone, but the aircon was the only thing that wasn’t working on my Mk1 1800 (1993) when I bought it last year and I just assumed it was dead. Last week I thought I’d give it a try, bought a connector hose and can of drop-in gas and leak sealer on EBay, followed the instructions and the whole system came back to life. Cost me about £40, took 10 minutes to do of which 5 were spent reading the bit of paper which came with the cans.