REAR REFRIGERANT RESERVOIR
REMOVAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
INSTALLATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
REAR SUCTION LINE
DESCRIPTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
REMOVAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
INSTALLATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
REFRIGERANT LINE COUPLER
DESCRIPTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
OPERATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
REMOVAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
INSTALLATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
UNDERBODY LINES
REMOVAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
INSTALLATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
PLU M BI N G
DESCRIPTION
The refrigerant lines and hoses are used to ca rry
the refr iger ant bet ween the various air conditionin g
system component s. A barrier h ose design with a
nylon tube, which is san dwiched bet ween rubber lay-
ers, is u sed for the R-134a air con dition ing system on
this vehicle. This n ylon tube h elps to furth er cont ain
the R-134a refriger ant, which ha s a smaller molecu-
lar structu re th an R-12 r efrigera nt. The ends of the
refriger ant hoses a re m ade from lightweight a lumi-
num or steel, and common ly u se braze-less fittings.
Any kinks or sharp bends in the refr igeran t plumb-
ing will r educe the capacity of t he entire air condi-
tioning system . Kinks and shar p ben ds reduce the
flow of refriger ant in the syst em. A good rule for th e
flexible hose refrigerant lines is to keep th e radius of
all bends at least ten times the diameter of t he hose.
In addition, the flexible h ose refr iger ant lines should
be routed so th ey are at lea st 80 millimet ers (3
inches) from the exhaust manifold.
OPERATION
High pressu res a re pr odu ced in th e refrigera nt sys-
tem when th e air conditioning com pr essor is operat-
ing. E xtreme care must be exercised to ma ke sure
that each of th e refrigerant system connections is
pr essu re-tight and leak free. It is a good practice t o
inspect all flexible hose refrigera nt lines at least once
a year to ma ke sure they are in good condition and
pr operly rout ed.
The refriger ant lin es an d hoses ca nnot be repa ired
and, if fau lty or da maged, th ey mu st be repla ced.
WARNINGS
WARNING: The A/C system contains refrigerant
under high pressure. Repairs should only be per-
formed by qualified service personnel. Severe per-
sonal injury or death may result from improper
service procedures.
WARNING: Avoid breathing the refrigerant and
refrigerant oil vapor or mist. Exposure may irritate
the eyes, nose, and/or throat. Wear eye protection
when servicing the A/C refrigerant system. Serious
eye injury can result from direct contact with the
refrigerant. If eye contact occurs, seek medical
attention immediately.
WARNING: Do not expose the refrigerant to open
flame. Poisonous gas is created when refrigerant is
burned. An electronic leak detector is recom-
mended. Severe personal injury or death may result
from improper service procedures.
WARNING: If accidental system discharge occurs,
ventilate the work area before resuming service.
Large amounts of refrigerant released in a closed
work area will displace the oxygen and cause suf-
focation and death.
WARNING: The evaporation rate of R-134a refriger-
ant at average temperature and altitude is extremely
high. As a result, anything that comes in contact
with the refrigerant will freeze. Always protect the
skin or delicate objects from direct contact with the
refrigerant.
WARNING: The R-134a service equipment or the
vehicle refrigerant system should not be pressure
tested or leak tested with compressed air. Some
mixtures of air and R-134a have been shown to be
combustible at elevated pressures. These mixtures
are potentially dangerous, and may result in fire or
explosion causing property damage, personal injury
or death.
WARNING: The engine cooling system is designed
to develop internal pressures of 97 to 123 kilopas-
cals (14 to 18 pounds per square inch). Do not
remove or loosen the coolant pressure cap, cylin-
der block drain plugs, radiator drain, radiator
hoses, heater hoses, or hose clamps while the
engine cooling system is hot and under pressure.
Allow the vehicle to cool for a minimum of 15 min-
utes before opening the cooling system for service.
Failure to observe this warning can result in seri-
ous burns from the heated engine coolant.
VA PLUMBING 24 - 61
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