As the summer sun approaches, air conditioners, refrigerants and retrofitting take the spotlight of mechanical repair.

The International Mobile Air Conditioning Association (IMACA) recently released the results of its 1997 Retrofit and Refrigerant Contamination Survey. When shops performing A/C service were asked where they typically purchase automotive refrigerants, 36 percent of respondents cited auto parts distributors. Other sources of refrigerants included wholesale clubs (33 percent), retail outlets (31 percent) and auto parts jobbers (26 percent).

According to survey results, 96 percent of shops report having some kind of CFC-12 equipment, 24 percent have CFC-12 recover-only equipment and 87 percent have CFC-12 recover/recycle equipment.

Retrofitting is not a new repair activity for some facilities. Of those shops that have performed retrofits to-date, 3 percent started this service in 1993 or before; 6 percent started in 1994; 15 percent in 1995, 45 percent in 1996; and 27 percent in 1997.

Service facilities that retrofitted in 1997 performed an average of 74 retrofits per facility, which greatly surpasses the 1996 average of 25.

Retrofits are generally not a stand-alone repair order. Businesses reported that 89 percent of the vehicles they retrofitted in 1997 required A/C system repairs prior to retrofitting.

Retrofitting comes with an economically feasible price tag. According to the IMACA survey, 17 percent of the businesses that performed retrofits during 1997 said the average cost was less than $100; 33 percent said the average cost was $101 to $150; while another 20 percent said it was $151 to $200. Only 30 percent report charging more than $200.

Stat Corner is written by Denise Caspersen, ASA's research management specialist. She can be reached at (800) 272-7467, ext. 236.

RATE THIS ARTICLE What do you think of this article? Your input will help AutoInc. develop additional articles on this subject. Share your thoughts! Your name Your e-mail address

MOST ACCESSED ARTICLES Fuel Injection Service, Not Just Cleaning The Art of Extraction EGR Systems: Operation and Diagnosis Proactive Target Marketing:_Rethinking Your Business Strategy Engine Performance: HO2S Diagnostics MOST E-MAILED ARTICLES Developing Employee Potential How Critical Thinking Can Help Your Business How to Diagnose the Ford Glow Plug What to Look for When Shopping for the Right Shop Management Software Putting a Price Tag on Complaints

AutoInc. Web Site | ASA Web Site | Safety Inspection: A National Strategy | Stop Chasing Fault Codes When Servicing EFI Systems | Body Shops: Independently Owned, Dependently Operated | Customer Database Marketing | Guest Editorial | Tech to Tech | Tech Tips | Shop Profile | Net Worth | Stat Corner | Chairman's Message