RL-897 a/c compressor oil - my pain, your gain

I’m in the middle of changing out my compressor: Delphi part number CS20055. The paperwork with the new compressor instructs you to drain the oil from your old compressor and record the volume. Then drain the oil from the new compressor and refill your new compressor with the same volume of oil that you drained from your old compressor. “Failure to follow oil balancing procedure voids any and all warranty”. Both the Tacoma factory service manual and the refrigerant label in the engine bay specifies RL-897 oil for the compressor/refrigeration system.

Delphi part no. CS20055 is one of Delphi’s Compact Variable Compressors (CVCs). Link to CVC brochure (with cross section) here:
http://delphi.com/shared/pdf/ppd/heatcool/compact-variable-compressors.pdf

Link to Delphi warranty information for this compressor (also specifies RL-897 oil):
http://www.rockauto.com/info/Delphi/Warranty_English_11076.pdf

DOW Automotive page for UCON compressor lubricant RL-897:
http://www.dowautomotive.com/products/lubricants/rl897.htm

My problems were (1) my old compressor is bone dry (part of the reason it seized up, necessitating replacing it), and (2) I can’t find RL-897 oil anywhere.

I called 3 Toyota dealerships. Each time they had to inquire with service technicians and then call me back. The first 2 didn’t know what the compressor oil capacity was or where to get the oil. The third dealership said that the compressor oil capacity was 22.22oz (1.39lb). That sounded insanely high. They also told me that they’d never heard of RL-897 compressor oil. They asked me where I got that spec from. They didn’t know what to say after I told them that both Toyota and the compressor OEM calls out that oil spec. When I asked them what the service techs were putting into the compressors for customers’ A/C jobs, they said they use P134 oil, which they do sell to the public. I have been able to find zero online about “P134 oil”.

I figured I’d attack this from a different angle. I called DOW automotive to find out who their distributors were. After bouncing between the plastics side (1.800.441.4369) and the UCON lubricants side (1.800.447.4369), I was told that they would have to elevate my request to the next supervisor in order to get me the information I was requesting. As of the time of this post, they’re supposed to call me back and let me know.

I then called Delphi (1.877.GO.DELPHI) + 2 (automotive aftermarket parts lookup) + 2 (technical assistance) and talked to Clay, who sounded like an engineer who knew what he was talking about.

I asked him about RL-897 oil, which is Delphi part # RL10007. He told me RL-897 is a PAG 60 oil. I had already found this out online. (Sidenote: PAG = Poly Akylene Glycol. You can find PAG 46, PAG 100, and PAG 150 viscosity refrigerant oils at all the parts houses, but no one carries PAG 60). He said I was going to have an availability problem with PAG 60 [insert sarcastic comment here], but he said that PAG 46 would be okay to use. Hearing this from the OEM made me feel better about deviating from the recommended oil.

I also asked him what the oil capacity of the compressor was. He said 2oz. He said there is about 8oz. systemwide (3oz. in evaporator, 2oz. in accumulator/drier, 1oz. in condenser, 2oz. in the compressor). This correlates with an oil capacity chart that came with my new compressor for the non-compressor components’ oil volumes.

This whole episode makes it seem as though Delphi specifies an oil that there is little infrastructure for, Toyota just copied what Delphi recommended with little thought about how to support the future need, made no efforts to support that need (this truck has been out there for 4 years), and Toyota service departments are currently ignoring their own recommendations, servicing a/c systems the same as they did for vechicles prior to the Delphi CVCs.

Soapbox aside, I thought the above information might come in handy for anyone else who is going to replace their compressor or service their a/c and finds it near impossible to follow both Toyota's and the manufacturer’s recommended guidelines.

 

I don't know if the OE was a Denso or a Delphi. I got the Delphi from partsgeek and they said it was OE, for whatever that's worth.

In my investigating, I read the quote you found also. Sadly, it hasn't been addressed in 6 years. At least Toyota could've alerted the consumer that the oil they specified is unobtainable and given an acceptable equivalent. I guess no one was accelerating to uncontrollable speeds and having accidents because of this, so it didn't get much attention.

 

Good info @TX Tacoma! I'm replacing my AC condenser this weekend, so this was very useful to me when seeking out the right oil. I went with PAG 46 because that's all my local auto parts stores stock, aside from PAG 100 and 150. Hopefully it works out okay!

 

I have some pag 60 but it was hard to come by and I got it years ago. I actually think I got it off the tool truck. I have a bunch of pag 46 and pag 100. Pag 46 will be fine. I use that in most compressors.

 

Looking at the OP, from what the technician said, you only need 2 oz in the compressor because of the amount elsewhere in the system. Is that right? Is that what everyone else did, or did you just add 5 oz?

 

Only 2 oz in the compressor. Make sure to rotate by hand to distribute internally. And have plenty of rags.

 

hey guys I work in the parts department for my local Toyota/Honda dealer after getting a request for this RL-897 pag oil I went on a search found that yes we can get it (00289-AC897), and Dodge can and get it (68170681AB). The Toyota oil is a vendor ship meaning its not stocked by Toyota, we (the dealership) orders it through our system and then Toyota places a dropship order to the appropriate vendor. As I am placing this order for a 6 pack of 7oz bottles, I will report back in to see how long it took me to get this.

 

And yes I did forget to mention that list on the 00289-AC897 is $12.52 a bottle