OVER A PERIOD OF A FEW MONTHS THE FREON IN MY PICKUP'S AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM ESCAPED UNDER PRESSURE (WHEN THE A/C OR DEFROSTER WERE TURNED ON AND ENGINE RUNNING) INTO THE CAB OF THE TRUCK. I PERIODICALLY NOTICED AN OILY RESIDUE ON THE INSIDE OF THE WIND SHIELD WHEN THE A/C OR DEFROSTER WERE TURNED ON, BUT THOUGHT LITTLE OF IT. SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE FREON LEAKING UNDER PRESSURE INTO THE CAB, I DEVELOPED SERIOUS MEDICAL PROBLEMS INCLUDING A DIAGNOSIS BY A NEUROLOGIST OF POLYNEUROPATHY FOLLOWING ASCENDING PERIPHAL NEUROPATHY. I LOST FORTY POUNDS IN A TWO MONTH PERIOD. I DID NOT KNOW THE CAUSE OF MY ILLNESS UNTIL THE A/C STOPPED WORKING DUE TO A LACK OF FREON, AND THE MECHANIC TRACED THE LEAK TO THE INSIDE OF THE CAB. I HAVE NOT FULLY RECOVERED FROM THE PROLONGED EFFECTS OF BREATHING THE FREON.IT SEEMS THERE SHOULD BE SOME SORT OF DETECTOR TO INDICATE WHEN A PROBLEM SUCH AS THIS OCCURS. SINCE MY DODGE PICKUP HAD THIS PROBLEM, I SUSPECT THAT OTHERS MAY HAVE HAD THE SAME MALUFUNCTION, AND WOULD LIKE TO WARN OTHER DRIVERS. FORTUNATELY, I WAS THE ONLY USER OF THE TRUCK AND I AM OVER 60 YEARS OLD. MY DR. TELLS ME THAT THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF REGULARLY BREATHING FREON ALMOST DAILY FOR SEVERAL WEEKS IS UNKNOWN AND THAT I MIGHT RECOVER FROM THE NEUROPATHY OR POSSIBLY NOT. MY WEIGHT LOSS OCCURRED CONSIDERABLY IN THE ARMS AND LEGS (CONSISTENT WITH PERIPHAL NEUROPATHY ASSOCIATED WITH BREATHING FREON). PLEASE WARN OTHERS OF THIS PROBLEM.*AK