No, uses R134a.
r12
probably r12 if not it will say under hood, if it is r12 you will need to have it retofitted for r134 not worth it Go to walmart or autozone and buy a retrofit kit they come with a DVD and its easy to do.
Was built for R12, should be converted to R134a
anything 94 and below is going to be r12, unless someone has put a retrofit kit on there then it could be r134a. some people have been know to put other dangerous things in there freon. r12 freon is really expensive. the best thing to do is go to local auto parts store and buy a r12 to r134a retrofit kit and have the system retrofitted
THERE IS NO FREON IN A 98 IT IS R134
The simple way is to remove the R12 and install R134A. by a kit with that will have a hose, R134A with oil. The new oil may plug your leaks. or go to Mexico and cross the border and buy R12 in 12 oz cans The border guards may take your R12 cans when you come into USA. or Drive your car into Mexico and have them fill your system with R12.
R12R12 is now illegal to use. older cars still using it are okay, but no shop will fill it or fix it using r12. you are required to have the freon flushed and the ac compressor oil changed. you then need to buy an adaptor kit and upgrade the system. You need to then use R134A Freon. R12 was banned because of what it did to the environment. Check with a local auto parts store before you attempt to use R12 and get more info. It won't tell you in your manual.Adding freon is something that should be left to someone that knows what to do and has the gauges to measure how much is being put in. If you put too much in, you can damage your air conditioning system.Now for the other side of this. Nowdays, a shop can't just add freon to a system. They have to pull the old freon out, check the system for leaks, and repair the leak if found before adding freon. Something that gets to be expensive very quickly so I can see where you would want to do it yourself and save a lot of money.See if you can find someone that will do it for you, use your freon, and not go through all the crap. maybe a mechanic that will do it on the side or something...
89 Volvo is R12(Freon).You need to go to a qualified tech to have it checked.A good idea is to have it converted to R134(have to have old R12 vacummed out first,and change charging valve)then you can refill yourself.but be aware,that the valve is behind the compressor,and not easy to get to.
If your looking to change from R12 to R134a why not purchase a refill kit from Red Tek which will refill either type of system. It is an EcoSafe Non-Ozone Depleating alternative to Freon. I've used the product and it works well. Go to http://www.redtek.com/ for more details.
It came with a R12 system. If you're not the original owner of the vehicle, I'd recommend that you have a refrigerant purity test done to determine if it was converted or not - many such conversions didn't go all out, due to the expense, and thus retain the R12 schrader valves.
I'm not sure about the 1993 model but in the 2001 they don't have "Freon" (meaning R12) any more. The refrigerant is stored in that silver canister on the front left side of the engine-bay. R12 is expensive to replace. AC service providers are EPA licenced to service R12 & R134 systems, but they won't sell you the "stuff". So, you have to go to a service provider. I hope this helped. == 1993 Prizms still used Refrigerant-12, commonly known as "Freon". Later models use R-134. Refrigerant is distributed throughout the system. The excess refrigerant and oil is held in the drier/receiver. If you have a tight system and can afford it, stick with the R12. You will not regret it. Retrofit to R134 can be very problematic and expensive.
With a refrigerant id tester. Go to a service center and have them perform a refrigerant purity test. Many R12 to R134a conversions did not actually have a complete conversion done, as the full conversion was very expensive, and one could get by with replacing some fittings and the compressor oil. Thus, the R12 schrader valves were often retained on these converted systems.