Final answer:
Technician A is correct in suggesting the use of a refrigerant identifier to assess the purity and type of the air conditioning system's refrigerant, while Technician B is incorrect in claiming mixed refrigerants do not affect system pressures. Contamination from mixed refrigerants can lead to a host of air conditioning system issues. The correct answer is option A, endorsing Technician A's approach.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a vehicle has poor air conditioning performance, and R134a refrigerant has been added by the customer, concerns may arise about the purity of the refrigerant in the system. In responding to the statement, Technician A recommends using a refrigerant identifier to ensure that the correct type of refrigerant is in the system and to check for potential contamination.
This is an important step because contamination can occur when different types of refrigerants are mixed or when non-approved substances are introduced into the AC system. In contrast, Technician B claims that refrigerant mixtures will not affect system pressures, which is not accurate since mixtures can indeed lead to incorrect pressures and potentially damage the AC system.
In this case, Technician A is correct about the need for a refrigerant identifier because it's necessary to confirm the type of refrigerant in the system and prevent potential harm to the AC components. However, Technician B is not correct in stating that mixed refrigerants will not affect system pressures.
Refrigerant mixtures are not recommended and can cause various issues such as erratic cooling, corrosion, and even compressor failure. Therefore, it's critical to avoid using the wrong type of refrigerant and to ensure the system is properly serviced with the correct refrigerant specified by the vehicle manufacturer.
In conclusion, the mention of the correct option in the final answer is A, which implies that Technician A is correct in recommending the use of a refrigerant identifier.