Suction Hose Replacement:

[Burger]

I recently had to replace the suction hose, (air conditioning), on my 2005 PT Cruiser and this what I found to be the best way to perform this replacement if doing it yourself.

A. Purge any/all R134A refrigerant from the system.
B. Remove the negative cable from the battery.
C. Remove the Grille......six bolts.
D. Remove the Radiator upper support and sensor in front of the radiator letting the assembly rest on the bumper. I advise taping towels on the fenders and bumper just to be on the safe side.
E. Remove the fan assembly, two bolts at the bottom, two bolts at the top and one bolt in the middle of the assembly, (if Turbo), on the right side of the vehicle near battery box.
F. Remove the bracket that bolts to the thermostat housing.
G. If necessary use a tubing cutter to cut the line in half and then you can remove the two ends very easily.
H. Remove the bracket on the new suction hose assembly.
I. Carefully install the new hose assembly under the thermostat housing and behind the power steering pump taking great care not to cause any damage to the radiator as its a real tight fit and kind of a bear.
J. Reverse the order of tips, install 1lb of freon, check for leaks and if all looks well, purge the 1lb, evacuate the system for 30 to 45 minutes, recharge and your on your way.

Note: Make sure that you keep track of the bolts that came from holding the sensor and the suction line at the compressor as they are different lengths....very important !

Take your time and good luck.

Burger