GM Service Manual Online
For 1990-2009 cars only
Makes 🢒 Cadillac 🢒 2000 🢒 Catera 🢒 HVAC 🢒 Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning 🢒 Handling of Refrigerant Lines and Fittings
    • Ensure that the metal lines do not exhibit the following conditions.
        This will reduce the A/C system capacity due to line restriction:
       - Dents
       - Kinks
    • Do not bend the flexible hose to a radius of less than 4 times the diameter of the flexible hose.
    • Do not allow the flexible hose to come within a distance of 63.5 mm (2 ½ in) of the exhaust manifold.
    • Inspect the flexible hose lines regularly.
        Replace the flexible hose line if one of the following conditions exist:
       - Leaks
       - Brittleness
       - Deterioration
    • Wipe away dirt and/or oil before you open any refrigerant connection. This will reduce the possibility of particulate contamination.
        Before disconnecting any fitting in the refrigeration system, recover all of the Refrigerant-134a. Refer to Refrigerant Recovery and Recharging .
    • Once you open a refrigerant line to the atmosphere, cap or tape the line immediately.
        This will prevent any of the following items from entering the line:
       - Moisture
       - Dust
       - Dirt
    • Use proper size wrenches when you make connections on the O-ring fittings.
        Counter-hold the opposing fitting with a wrench to prevent distortion of the following areas:
       - The connecting lines
       - The components
    • Ensure that the O-rings and the seats are clean and in perfect condition.
        A burr or a piece of dirt in a O-ring fitting may cause a refrigerant leak.
    • Install new O-rings that you have lubricated with the mineral base 525 viscosity refrigerant oil.
        Do not lubricate O-rings with polyalkylene glycol (PAG) synthetic oil.
        Do not wipe the threads with a cloth.
    • Tighten all of the tubing connections to the specified torque.
        Too much or too little torque may result in the following conditions:
       - Loose joints
       - Deformed joint parts
       - Refrigerant leakage
       - An inoperative A/C system
    • Leak test the A/C system any time that R134a is added. Refer to Leak Testing .
    • Keep PAG synthetic refrigerant oil off fitting threads. Long term contact of PAG synthetic oil on threaded fittings may cause future disassembly difficulties. Flush the threaded fittings with mineral base 525 viscosity refrigerant oil.