Air condition in a car needs a cooling liquid. Old ones destroy the atmosphere. So a new one was approved and 2 US companies hold the patent and are only producers. For all new cars it is the only liquid allowed. A deal of several billion dollars, it is better for environment- everyone agrees. It is save?--- and here the oponions split.
Mercedes says in an internal test they got explosions and high toxic acid in a burn.
The producer says this cannot happen. Well europe has no speed limit so engines parts can become quite hot, reaching the heat which would cause an explosion if there is a leakage like at an accident.
The producers did a new test with a smalll car and no explosion: Mercedes did neutral tests with big cars who drove a distance on the Autobahn and got the temperature needed for an explosion.
Why I wrote this....
Got an email with an invitation for a firefighter meeting. Probably to talk about the riscs for firefighters and if the firefighter union should unite to fight for a better solution, like a more expensive but safe CO2 cooling.
So if the car involved in an accident has no Mercedes star and is brand new, stay away and watch it burn ?!? Sometimes there is just no time to wear acid and gas resistant gear when arriving. We are not paid and may be called from work or home. In an extreme scenario insurance companies accept that we risc life if there are unknown dangers we couldn't know before. If we get injured or die they pay.
But at known riscs all is different... Your whidow may need an lawyer to get money, or has to pay the lawyer and gets less than nothing.
Here is the 1234stuff:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2,3,3,3-Tetrafluoropropene
What is not in the english wiki yet: Mercedes did a call back for their new cars even riscing a punishment because they refilled the now iillegal old stuff.