Non-Approved Air Conditioning Refrigerants
WARNING: This page does not describe the selected car, but rather 41 other vehicles, including the 2003 BMW M5, 2003 BMW M3, 2003 BMW 540i, 2003 BMW 530i, and 2003 BMW 525i. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.
Recently, "alternative" refrigerants for automatic air conditioning have been marketed in certain areas. These refrigerants are claimed to be compatible replacements for the BMW approved R-12 refrigerant (also known as Freon). The "alternative" refrigerants usually consist of a mixture of various components; among then may be R-12, R-22, R-142b, R- 76, isobutance, propane or ammonia.
These refrigerant components are not related to, and not as ecologically sound as, the new R-134a refrigerant.