Automotive Air Conditioning Information Forum (Archives)

chris142 on Thu July 21, 2011 10:31 PM

Year: 06
Make: chev
Model: impala SS
Engine Size: 5.3L
Country of Origin: United States

Had one of these in my shop this week. Only had 55k and the compressor was rattling. GM is using an expansion block on this car but also has a filter that resembles an orifice tube right after the condenser output.

Filter was plugged so it got a major AC job.

A tip incase anybody has to replace a compressor on one of these. Remove the upper motor mount where it bolts to the core support. With the car on a lift. Put a jack under the front of the X-Member. Remove the 2 front X-Member bolts and loosen the 2 rear X-Member bolts. Lift the car up and the engine and trans will lower enough to get to the upper compressor nut and stud.

I don't think that you can get the compressor out any other way. I sure couldn't. Oh and have fun with the belt tensioner from hell.

JJM on Fri July 22, 2011 12:13 AM

Lovely... so they put the filter AFTER the condenser to ensure the condenser gets trashed. Why bother with the filter then?

A car that's just 5 years old needs nearly a total system replacement. Nice.

More reasons GM should have been allowed to fail.

Joe

When considering your next auto A/C purchase, please consider the site that supports you: www.ACKits.com

bohica2xo on Fri July 22, 2011 2:25 AM

Makes sense, in a Genital Motors kinda way.

Place a secondary filter in the system - the condensor is the primary filter. This saves a 21 hour job to replace the evaporator, and the 5 comebacks for customer complaints of squeaks & rattles.

Obviously the system worked as long as it needed to - an '06 was shortly before the 100k warranty cars, would have been a 5/50 car. That filter was cheap insurance for the 10% that did not make it past warranty.

Thanks for the heads up on the compressor Chris.

B.



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"Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the act of depriving a whole nation of arms, as the blackest."
~ Mahatma Gandhi, Gandhi, An Autobiography, M. K. Gandhi, page 446.

mhamilton on Fri July 22, 2011 12:13 PM

They put the filter on the condenser outlet? Hmmm... I just found out a few weeks ago that most GM cars the past ~5 years or so went back to a TXV and they had a filter in the liquid line. Thought they finally went back to a high quality ac system. At least it's a step up from the ccot systems.

TRB on Fri July 22, 2011 4:05 PM

I personally don't; think in line filters hold up well in the discharge line.

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