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France, Paris
1 Level
728 Review
54 Karma

Review on Auxiliary Chevrolet 2000 2006 Conditioning Replacement by Isaac Logan

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Fixed air conditioning issue in 2006 Chevy Suburban LT, but get ready!

The air conditioning on my 2006 Suburban stopped cooling. While loading the system, I heard a horrible "hissing sound" under the rear passenger side wheel. A quick youtube check showed the problem was probably a leaking rear condenser line. Not wanting to risk finding out which line was bad, I decided to replace both. Although they are cheap their quality is "OEM" level and being a flexible rubber it is a bit easier to install compared to a hard line especially if your Suburban has running boards as the OEM Lines run inside the brackets, meaning you have to remove the footrest to get to the lines. I had no problem getting the original lines out of the engine bay area. They parted well. My problem arose with the rear capacitor terminals. The connections are on the passenger side, just above the exhaust pipe. Aside from having very little room to work, it's almost impossible to use any levers on the lines to pull them. I ended up cutting the seat belts (those are aluminum tubes) and then got into the back by removing the panels on the passenger seat. side and then break the case holding the capacitor. To be honest, I think it took over a dozen screws to get it loose and then I had to "pull" the capacitor. While this was an outright problem, after removing it I was at least able to confirm that the capacitor was in good condition. I found that the connections I had to remove were practically glued to the threaded bolt holding them in place. I ended up using a dremel with a cutting wheel to cut off the old connections. After cleaning the connections on the condenser, I put everything back together in the Suburban and then got to work on the hoses. I started at the back and routed the lines forward into the engine bay. I don't think there is a right or wrong way to do this other than doing everything possible to ensure they are protected as best as possible. I was able to make a smaller diameter line next to the footplate using the old lines, but the larger diameter line was a bit more difficult. The lines have some ties, but there's more. As well as adding more I've trimmed some and moved the lines a bit after bringing them to the front as they are a bit longer than they should be and you may need to make some adjustments. The hoses themselves are high quality and the connections are as good as OEM. Both lines snapped instantly and I confirmed they were properly sealed as soon as I loaded the system. Freezing air conditioning is blowing again! While it's not a job I'd happily repeat, it can be done "in the backyard" with the right tools (and in my case, a little ingenuity with a Dremel tool) and a little patience. As with any repair on a 15 year old car, be prepared for a little more than just removing 4 bolts and installing new lines and you should be fine.

Pros
  • Automotive
Cons
  • Available in white only