Red Tek

[DMC1890]

I did get this from Delorean several years ago, when they said they were actually using Red Tek in their shop. I don't know if that's still the case.

[JohnnyK]

Propane is a VERY good refrigerant too but it is also flammable.

I believe Redtek 12a is just propane (or a similar hydrocarbon). Since you need a license for r134a in Canada, Redtek 12a is just what all the parts stores sell (whereas in the US, you can just buy 12oz cans of r134a).

[Bitsyncmaster]

Propane is a three-carbon alkane gas (C3H8

From the Red Tek safety data sheet.

Alkanes 100%

There are no additional ingredients present which, within the current knowledge of the supplier and in the concentrations applicable, are classified as hazardous to health or the environment and hence require reporting in this section.

[David T]

If Redteck is Propane (or even it it only contains a small amount), it is illegal for use in mobile equipment in the US. In California a lot of people who were having problems with their A/C in their leased cars went to Mexico where they got them fixed cheap (they filled them with Propane!). So many did it that the dealers all got refrigerant testers to check for Propane when people turned the cars in. Propane is a great refrigerant but it is extremely flammable. Many years ago a house trailer with propane tanks caught fire in the Holland Tunnel (it connects NY & NJ under the Hudson River). The fire was so intense it was difficult to put out once the Propane tanks were involved. Every since then trailers with propane tanks are expressly forbidden in all of the tunnels. Most house trailers have 2 30 lb tanks, a car would only have a couple of pounds but it is still very dangerous because it is heavier than air and goes into the storm drains where not only will it burn, it can explode. We just saw the most recent example of this in Philadelphia under I-95. It was gasoline and the fire was so intense it weakened the steel understructure of the overpass causing it to collapse. If you look close at the videos you can see fire coming out of all of the nearby storm drains. All of the underground utilities in the area were also damaged. R-12 is still available on E-bay and a couple of pounds of it is not all that expensive. If you still won't use R-12, R-414a is a viable drop-in replacement. It is a blended refrigerant and won't work as well as R-12 but it works better than R-134.

[Ron]

From redtek.com:
"Although RED TEK 12a is developed to give similar operating conditions and capacities as R12 and R134a, this product is an Alkane / Hydrocarbon and comes from the same hydrocarbon family as propane and butane."