Camaro Air Conditioning System

The air conditioning system evolved over the years in the Second Generation Camaro. It is often seen as (and is) a complex system. When it breaks it can be expensive and difficult to fix. Many people tend to rip it out of the car after it falls apart - for whatever reason.

Hopefully the depictions contained here will make it easier for you to understand, and therefore identify, fix or maintain your air conditioning system.

YOU CAN NOT SIMPLY SWAP A HEATER COVER OVER A FORMERLY AIR CONDITIONED CAR. A car with A/C will have a large, rectangular hole in the firewall, and the heater core hoses come through the firewall in a different location. If you place a non-AC cover on the firewall, it won't cover the holes and the heater core won't fit.

Helpful tip: The 411 on how to replace heater core.

A/C wiring diagrams: Wiring harness routing (1974) | 1972 | 1974 | 1976 | 1978 | 1980

A/C Vacuum Diagram: 1972 | 1974

Assembly diagrams:
1973 underhood system layout | 1974 A/C case | 1974 underhood hose layout

Exploded diagrams:
A/C housing (1974) | Dash vent ducting (1974) | control panel (1974) | evaporator & case (1974)
hose routing (1971) | Vacuum hose routing (1974) | Kick panel valve (1974) | Compressor

Air Conditioning Component Usage

Year	Type	Part #	Code/Comments
1970 - 1973	Evaporator
1974 - 1976	Evaporator
1977 - 1979 (early)	Evaporator		non-metallic liquid lines
1979 (late) - 1981	Evaporator		metallic liquid lines
1970	Condenser (hang-on)	3940259
1970 - 1971 (early)	Condenser (integral)	3967920
1971 (late) - 1973	Condenser	3992158
1974	Condenser	3029589
1975 - 1980 (early)	Condenser	3031783	hose & metal liquid line
1980 (late) - 1981	Condenser	3046763	solid metal liquid line

Integral A/C is a factory installed system.  The heater and A/C are combined.  "hang-on" A/C means a system installed by the dealer or aftermarket after the car was made.  The heater and A/C will have separate blower motors.

Graphical views:
A/C heater core case (under dash) - showing under dash view, still installed.
A/C housing (under hood) and again, with the housing removed
Removed heater box - showing relationship of core to case.