Good Morning. I'm new, so hello. I just wasted $80 yesterday trying to recharge my AC only to find out I have a major leak in the rear AC evaporator. When looking through the back tailgate, it's located behind the wall panel on the right. Does anyone know how to remove that panel? I'd like to take a look at it before I send it into the shop to see if something I can fix. Any info would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

 

u cant fi and evaporator u just replace it The whole panel in the back will come off along with the HVAC housing and then split it apart about 5 hour job for the experienced.

 

Any idea how to remove the panel? There are no visual clips and I don't want to break anything. I've tried finding a diagram online but no luck.

 

REMOVAL
CAUTION: Disconnect the battery negative cable. Damage to accessory feed circuit can result.


1. Remove first row seat.
2. Remove second row seat.
3. Remove sliding door sill trim panel.
4. Remove quarter trim bolster.
5. Remove D-pillar trim panel.
6. Remove first row seat belt anchor.
7. Remove second row seat belt anchor.
8. Remove screws attaching quarter trim to quarter panel from bolster area.
9. Remove screws attaching rear edge of quarter trim to attaching bracket.
10. Disengage hidden clips attaching front of quarter trim to quarter panel rearward of sliding door opening and at locators.
11. Remove quarter trim from quarter panel.
12. Disconnect speaker wire connector on LWB quarter trim panel with rear air conditioning.
13. Pass second row seat belt through slot in trim panel on long wheel base vehicle.
14. Pass first row seat belt through slot in trim panel.
15. Remove quarter trim panel from vehicle.


REMOVAL
WARNING: Refer to the applicable warnings and cautions for this system before performing the following operation (Refer to 24 - Heating and Air Conditioning/Plumbing - Warning) and (Refer to 24 - Heating and Air Conditioning/Plumbing - Caution) . Failure to follow the warnings and cautions could result in possible personal injury or death.




NOTE: The rear HVAC housing must be removed from the vehicle for service of the mode door actuator, blend door actuator, blower motor, heater core, blower motor resistor or power module and it must be disassembled for service of the A/C evaporator, mode-air door and the blend-air door.

NOTE: To prevent any contaminates from entering the rear heating and A/C system, make sure that the area around the underbody line connections is clean of any dirt or foreign residue prior to disconnecting the underbody lines.
1. Disconnect and isolate the negative battery cable.
2. Recover the refrigerant from the refrigerant system (Refer to 24 - Heating and Air Conditioning/Plumbing/REFRIGERANT - Standard Procedure) .
3. Drain the engine cooling system (Refer to 07 - Cooling - Standard Procedure) .
4. Raise and support the vehicle.

5. Remove the nut that secures the underbody refrigerant extension lines and sealing plate to the rear A/C expansion valve which extend through the rear floor panel behind the right rear wheel housing Fig. 1 .
6. Disengage the metal retaining strap from the sealing plate and disconnect the underbody refrigerant extension lines from the rear A/C expansion valve.
7. Remove and discard the O-ring seals from the underbody refrigerant line fittings.
8. Install plugs in, or tape over the opened underbody refrigerant line fittings and rear expansion valve ports.


Fig. 1 - Underbody Refrigerant Lines And Sealing Plate
1 - REAR A/C EXPANSION VALVE
2 - NUT
3 - METAL RETAINING STRAP
4 - UNDERBODY REFRIGERANT REAR EXTENSION LINES
5 - SEALING PLATE


9. Disconnect the underbody heater lines from the rear heater core tubes which extend through the rear floor panel in front of the right rear wheel housing by releasing the insert in each rear quick connect fitting and carefully pulling downward on the fittings while using a slight twisting motion Fig. 2 .


Fig. 2 - Underbody Heater Line Rear Quick Connect Fittings
1 - REAR HEATER CORE TUBES
2 - INSERT
3 - QUICK CONNECT FITTINGS
4 - UNDERBODY HEATER LINES

10. Lower the vehicle.
11. Remove right rear quarter panel and D-pillar trim panels (Refer to 23 - Body/Interior/PANEL, Quarter Trim - Removal) .
12. Remove the metal support strap from the rear quarter panel and floor.
13. Remove the rear floor distribution duct (Refer to 24 - Heating and Air Conditioning/Distribution/DUCT, Floor Distribution - Removal) .
14. Remove the rear ceiling distribution ducts (Refer to 24 - Heating and Air Conditioning/Distribution/OUTLET, Air - Removal) .

15. Disconnect the body wire harness from the rear HVAC wire harness connector Fig. 3 .
16. Remove the two nuts that secure the rear heater core tubes to the floor panel.
17. Remove the bolt that secures the rear heater core tubes to the right inner quarter panel.
18. Remove the two bolts that secure the rear HVAC housing to the two metal brackets located on the rear inner quarter panel.
19. Remove the rear HVAC housing from the vehicle.


Fig. 3 - Rear HVAC Housing
1 - RIGHT INNER QUARTER PANEL
2 - NUT (2)
3 - METAL BRACKETS
4 - REAR HVAC HOUSING
5 - BOLT (2)
6 - REAR HVAC WIRE HARNESS CONNECTOR
7 - BOLT
8 - REAR HEATER CORE TUBES
9 - FLOOR PANEL

REMOVAL
1. Remove the rear HVAC housing and place it on a workbench (Refer to 24 - Heating and Air Conditioning/Distribution/HOUSING, HVAC - Removal) .

2. Disassemble the rear HVAC housing as necessary to access the rear A/C evaporator Fig. 1 (Refer to 24 - Heating and Air Conditioning/Distribution/HOUSING, HVAC - Disassembly) .
3. Carefully lift the rear A/C evaporator out of the inboard half of the rear HVAC housing and remove and discard the O-ring seals.


Fig. 1 - Rear HVAC Air Doors
1 - REAR BLEND-AIR DOOR
2 - REAR A/C EVAPORATOR
3 - REAR HVAC HOUSING (INBOARD HALF)
4 - REAR MODE-AIR DOOR

 

Thank you so much for the detail!! That was the most informative info I have gotten off of the whole world wide web! I've been searching for the "how to" info on getting to the unit and haven't been able to find any. You have been very, very helpful. I give you my thanks. I'll give it a crack and see if I can do it. I found a site that says that AC work on vehicles is some of the most simple but a mechanic can charge a hefty price because most people have no idea how to work on them and are willing to pay to get them running again asap. I'll give it a shot and see if I can get to it and hopefully I can change it out myself. Keep an eye out for a new thread. I'm sure I'll be on again once I get started. Thanks again.

 

I am very appreciative of the detailed description on the replacement procedure for the rear evaporator core!
Good news, though! I received a letter in the mail regarding the warranty being extended on the rear evap core, due to excessive corrosion causing a leak.
Before you do the job, take your VIN to the dealer and see if it is one that is covered regarding this issue. Free is better than doing the work yourself, usually.

 

http://www.topix.com/forum/autos/dod...JPBTRC8JVS7/p4

Here is a link to another forum regarding the same issue in Dodge Caravan rear A/C and reimbursement from Chrysler.