Improper clearance of a/c line

[Hunter Mike]

Had mine replaced yesterday. it's the updated one that looks like Silverarrow's. 4+ hours of labor to replace, it was my tech's first time, book time is 3.5hrs. Front bumper cover, pre-cat, airbox, and charge air cooler line have to be removed/moved in order to replace this part. Not a fun job by any means. While the bumper cover was off I replaced my fogs and got a good look at the pedestrian detection system. It's a tube between 2 sensors that sorts out whether the car has hit something soft or hard.

 

[autocomman]

Finally looked at mine. I have a 2019, it has the mesh braid that looks like it kept it from rubbing through. But the line was definitely against the head. A few pulls and a tweak of the clamp on the frame rail and it's got decent clearance now. Glad I saw this thread. Even with the braid it would eventually rub through the aluminum.

 

[JoeBlog]

When I looked at mine, there was not quite 1/4” between it and the engine. Thinking it wasn’t enough space, I took out the duct between the air box and the turbo to get a better hand on things. The bracket that attaches to the body and supports the A/C line can be tweaked a good amount. Mine now has 1/2” ~ 9/16” between the line and the engine.

 

[Fitzy2005]

The ordered the new line last Saturday, it arrived Tuesday, and they're installing it now. 👍

39123985
Here in Australia I recently purchased a second hand 2018 ZB LT Commodore (Liftback)

Taken to Holden Service department the day after purchase, Leak identified on this same hose, not at the same location, I just checked for this issue and all clear. The leaks are more toward the condenser.

Since the start of October, they can not source a replacement hose and can not give an ETA - Humid / warm summer here in Queensland Australia!

 

[Pacer69]

Thanks to OP and all who posted in this thread. Inspected mine yesterday, my '18 is the old poly sleeve. The factory zip tie is situated next to bolt, but zip tie is narrow...so bolt could eventually rub through the hose. No damage but why chance it? Added additional zip tie next to bolt as others have done. Read complete thread just now...going to line up zip tie "head" to bolt head today, great tips!

 

[Pacer69]

39123985
Here in Australia I recently purchased a second hand 2018 ZB LT Commodore (Liftback)

Taken to Holden Service department the day after purchase, Leak identified on this same hose, not at the same location, I just checked for this issue and all clear. The leaks are more toward the condenser.

Since the start of October, they can not source a replacement hose and can not give an ETA - Humid / warm summer here in Queensland Australia!

Sounds like they inspect used cars in Oz about as well as they inspect them here! 🙄 Hope you're able to get your parts soon, mate. Looking at an ice storm here today, hope your weather cools down!

 

[swarfer]

Checked my 2018 TORX with 15,000 mi. Similar problem but no contact with bolt head but with lip of casting aft of bolt. The insulation was pinched inward but not yet abraded.

The refrigerant hose/pipe is a combination of rubber hose and aluminum pipe sections swaged together and positioned by a clamp on the fender/body forward and down below and another aft of the engine above on the fender.

Clearance is dependent on how the on how the hose/pipe was positioned/rotated when the two clamps were tightened at the factory. The proper fix is to loosen both clamps and reposition the hose/pipe assembly which is possible because of the flexible rubber hose sections.

The attached picture shows the contact problem with the casting lip and the insulation but plenty of clearance with the adjacent bolt head. This may never have caused a problem, and I'm sure the dealer would have done nothing at this point. Rather than have the pipe slowly abraded and fail down the road after warranty I decided to fix it myself.

Bob's Simple Fix: Slightly reposition the lower clamp. It's only one bolt but difficult to get an extra long extension aligned on the bolt head. Instead I used a long metal rod (a long 1/2" wooden dowel rod will also work) and gave the clamp a couple nudges and gained a 1/4" extra clearance at the closest point.

 

[skypilot170]

Checked my 2018 TORX with 15,000 mi. Similar problem but no contact with bolt head but with lip of casting aft of bolt. The insulation was pinched inward but not yet abraded.

The refrigerant hose/pipe is a combination of rubber hose and aluminum pipe sections swaged together and positioned by a clamp on the fender/body forward and down below and another aft of the engine above on the fender.

Clearance is dependent on how the on how the hose/pipe was positioned/rotated when the two clamps were tightened at the factory. The proper fix is to loosen both clamps and reposition the hose/pipe assembly which is possible because of the flexible rubber hose sections.

The attached picture shows the contact problem with the casting lip and the insulation but plenty of clearance with the adjacent bolt head. This may never have caused a problem, and I'm sure the dealer would have done nothing at this point. Rather than have the pipe slowly abraded and fail down the road after warranty I decided to fix it myself.

Bob's Simple Fix: Slightly reposition the lower clamp. It's only one bolt but difficult to get an extra long extension aligned on the bolt head. Instead I used a long metal rod (a long 1/2" wooden dowel rod will also work) and gave the clamp a couple nudges and gained a 1/4" extra clearance at the closest point.

 

[mike69440]

Checked my 2018 TORX with 15,000 mi. Similar problem but no contact with bolt head but with lip of casting aft of bolt. The insulation was pinched inward but not yet abraded.

The refrigerant hose/pipe is a combination of rubber hose and aluminum pipe sections swaged together and positioned by a clamp on the fender/body forward and down below and another aft of the engine above on the fender.

Clearance is dependent on how the on how the hose/pipe was positioned/rotated when the two clamps were tightened at the factory. The proper fix is to loosen both clamps and reposition the hose/pipe assembly which is possible because of the flexible rubber hose sections.

The attached picture shows the contact problem with the casting lip and the insulation but plenty of clearance with the adjacent bolt head. This may never have caused a problem, and I'm sure the dealer would have done nothing at this point. Rather than have the pipe slowly abraded and fail down the road after warranty I decided to fix it myself.

Bob's Simple Fix: Slightly reposition the lower clamp. It's only one bolt but difficult to get an extra long extension aligned on the bolt head. Instead I used a long metal rod (a long 1/2" wooden dowel rod will also work) and gave the clamp a couple nudges and gained a 1/4" extra clearance at the closest point.

I just bent the line a very little bit, now have 1/4" space.

 

[visitor]

...I positioned a large nylon tie around the AC line with the "head" of the tie placed directly against the head of the offending bolt.

I tried the same thing, but then thought about how hot that engine runs and expect a zip-tie would eventually melt in that heat while directly in contact with that bolt head. I found that the bracket further forward on that a/c line that's supposed to attach to the frame was completely detached. I never even noticed, while in there applying the zip-tie fix, that it was just hanging loose off the a/c line. The threads in the frame hole look like they'd never been used - still had paint that looked untouched. I found a matching bolt, tightened that bracket down and bent the bracket a bit to line up everything for clearance.
I'm wondering how many people have a setup in which that bracket has never been fastened down to the frame like ours. 🤔

 

[Displayhawk]

A/C compressor would not cycle on any setting. After checking fuses/relay/obvious issues, went to dealer for diagnosis. They found the a/c line near top/front of engine was rubbing against an engine bolt. This wore a hole in it causing a leak. Dealer has a new line coming this week. Wanted to let others know to check for proper clearance of this line away from engine. Hopefully, mine is a one-off factory install goof.

I just checked mine, and even though it wasn't rubbing, it was about 1/8" away, so I will see about the warranty upgrade when I take it in for my complimentary oil change. I was thinking I could also try bending the bracket that sits below the air box hose back towards the air box until then to create more clearance.
But THANK YOU for posting this! I never would have checked or thought about that until it failed.

 

[GARY ANGUS]

I just checked mine, and even though it wasn't rubbing, it was about 1/8" away, so I will see about the warranty upgrade when I take it in for my complimentary oil change. I was thinking I could also try bending the bracket that sits below the air box hose back towards the air box until then to create more clearance.
But THANK YOU for posting this! I never would have checked or thought about that until it failed.

Definitely have the fix done under warranty. I have had no A/C issues since the repair. It’s the correct way to go.

 

[94cruiser]

Do you have the growl groan sound or is it quiet/normal?

 

[GARY ANGUS]

Quiet normal

 

[Displayhawk]

Definitely have the fix done under warranty. I have had no A/C issues since the repair. It’s the correct way to go.

So until I can get the warranty fix done, I took the butt end of a hammer and pushed the A/C line back towards the Air Box. I think it also bent the bracket holding the A/C line that is bolted to the frame down a little bit. So now there is about 1/2" clearance, and the A/C line isn't even with the offending bolt anymore.

 

[Jmlo96]

Question for those of you getting this repair done - is there a TSB or something to replace this line with an updated part? I can't see GM willing to fix this unless the line is leaking or damaged.

 

[GARY ANGUS]

I’m trying to remember, and I believe it had a TSB , because the dealership was familiar with the issue and did the repair willingly. If your Freon is leaking, and the A/c temp won’t stay cold, that’s reason enough

 

[Displayhawk]

So until I can get the warranty fix done, I took the butt end of a hammer and pushed the A/C line back towards the Air Box. I think it also bent the bracket holding the A/C line that is bolted to the frame down a little bit. So now there is about 1/2" clearance, and the A/C line isn't even with the offending bolt anymore.

 

[abizzle]

Figured I would bump this thread since it’s summertime and a large swath of the country is experiencing a heat wave (in Louisiana we call it, well… summer).

I checked my A/C line and it wasn’t rubbing. I went ahead and created some extra clearance just in case.

On a slightly different note, R-1234yf refrigerant SUCKS! I’m over here looking for ways to convert back to R-134a, even though it sucks too. I’ve been on this Earth long enough to have cars with R-12, R-134a, and now R-1234yf, and I’d LOVE to go back to R-12.

I’m really starting to wonder how many EPA regulations are based upon junk science and fearmongering. I’ve always just blindly trusted that they’re doing what’s best for the planet. Now that my eyes have been opened, I realize my government would absolutely enact policy based purely on an agenda rather than science.

We were told there’s a hole in the ozone, caused by the release of chlorofluorocarbons into the atmosphere. How big is that hole now, anyway?

The Earth is resilient and its weather systems work to repair and replenish the atmosphere. I’ve seen way too many instances of environmental disasters that were supposed to do irreparable harm to the Earth, but it never happened. Case in point… the BP oil spill. The Gulf of Mexico is thriving and one year after the oil spill, tests on seafood turned up zero contamination… zero. Also, the marine life near oil production platforms is 10 times more plentiful than natural reefs. Look it up!

 

[RegalMN]

Figured I would bump this thread since it’s summertime and a large swath of the country is experiencing a heat wave (in Louisiana we call it, well… summer).

I checked my A/C line and it wasn’t rubbing. I went ahead and created some extra clearance just in case.

On a slightly different note, R-1234yf refrigerant SUCKS! I’m over here looking for ways to convert back to R-134a, even though it sucks too. I’ve been on this Earth long enough to have cars with R-12, R-134a, and now R-1234yf, and I’d LOVE to go back to R-12.

I’m really starting to wonder how many EPA regulations are based upon junk science and fearmongering. I’ve always just blindly trusted that they’re doing what’s best for the planet. Now that my eyes have been opened, I realize my government would absolutely enact policy based purely on an agenda rather than science.

We were told there’s a hole in the ozone, caused by the release of chlorofluorocarbons into the atmosphere. How big is that hole now, anyway?

The Earth is resilient and its weather systems work to repair and replenish the atmosphere. I’ve seen way too many instances of environmental disasters that were supposed to do irreparable harm to the Earth, but it never happened. Case in point… the BP oil spill. The Gulf of Mexico is thriving and one year after the oil spill, tests on seafood turned up zero contamination… zero. Also, the marine life near oil production platforms is 10 times more plentiful than natural reefs. Look it up!

Don't want to get into a big debate but the ozone hole is repairing itself because CFCs were banned. It's a case where a cohesive international environmental policy reversed damage done by man-made processes.