Service Equipment

WARNING: This page does not describe the selected car, but rather 28 other vehicles, including the 1996 Mercury Villager, 1996 Mercury Tracer, 1996 Mercury Sable, 1996 Mercury Mystique, and 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

Because R-134a is not interchangeable with R-12, separate sets of hoses, gauges and recovery/recycling equipment are required to service vehicles. This is necessary to avoid cross-contamination and damaging system.

All equipment used to service systems using R-134a must meet SAE standard J1991. The service hoses on the manifold gauge set must have manual (turn wheel) or automatic back-flow valves at the service port connector ends. This will prevent refrigerant from being released into the atmosphere.

For identification purposes, R-134a service hoses must have a Black stripe along their length and be clearly labeled SAE J2196/134a. The low pressure test hose is Blue with a Black stripe. The high pressure test hose is Red with a Black stripe. The center test hose is Yellow with a Black stripe.

NOTE: Refrigerant R-12 service hoses will ONLY be labeled SAE J2196.

R-134a manifold gauge sets can be identified by one or all of the following:

Labeled FOR USE WITH R-134a on set.
Labeled HFC-134 or R-134a on gauge face.
Light Blue color on gauge face.

In addition, pressure/temperature scales on R-134a gauge sets are different from R-12 manifold gauge sets.