I need to get my air conditioning system refilled with Freon 12. I was quoted $220. I understand that Freon 12 is a lot cheaper in TJ.

Any recommendations for a garage where they speak English? Any guesstimate on how much it will cost?

Buy the freon yourself at any autoparts store. I don't know what kind I bought a couple years back, but it was like 9 bucks a can. Bought three cans and had some random shop install it for me for 20 bucks. 47 dollars and the A/C CRANKED.

Old car or new car?
The freon used in old cars (now illegal in USA) does not work in new cars.
The new freon will soften the AC seals and cause leaks.
Check your local Pep Boys.

Freon 12 is no longer manufactured in the US. It is thought to cause ozone depletion in the upper atmosphere. It is being sold from existing stockpiles and is going for $50-70 per pound. Most cars have 3-4 lbs.

Mexico is still manufacturing it and it is going for $7-10 per pound. It is one of most popular items to be smuggled across the border.

Another board recommended Royal, but it no longer does AC work. They referred me to La Nacional on Madero between 10th and 11th.

I needed a refill of Freon R-12. They charged me $65USD (I saw another shop on Revolucion that charged 770 pesos). It took 30 minutes. The head guy, Henricke, speaks fluent American. They also checked my system for leaks. There is a one month warranty.

They are a really small shop. There is a carport for one car. They did my work at the curb.

I saved $155 because Freon R-12 is really expensive in the US due to environmental regs.

I don't know how good of a job it was, but my AC is working a lot better now. My only fear is that they really didn't use R-12. The newer, cheaper Freon will degrade my seals.