A/C Unit Removal/Installation: Notes

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2009 Mazda 6. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

Disconnect the negative battery cable.
Discharge the refrigerant. See REFRIGERANT CHARGING .
Drain the engine coolant. See ENGINE COOLANT REPLACEMENT [MZI-3.7] . See ENGINE COOLANT REPLACEMENT [L5] .
Remove the following parts.
1. Glove compartment. See. GLOVE COMPARTMENT REMOVAL/INSTALLATION .
2. Dashboard under cover. See DASHBOARD UNDER COVER REMOVAL/INSTALLATION .
3. Front scuff plates. See FRONT SCUFF PLATE REMOVAL/INSTALLATION .
4. Front side trims. See. FRONT SIDE TRIM REMOVAL/INSTALLATION .
5. Upper panel. See. UPPER PANEL REMOVAL/INSTALLATION .
6. Decoration panel. See. DECORATION PANEL REMOVAL/INSTALLATION .
7. Shift knob (MTX). See. MANUAL TRANSAXLE SHIFT MECHANISM LOCATION INDEX .
8. Shift panel. See. SHIFT PANEL REMOVAL/INSTALLATION .
9. Center panel lower. See. CENTER PANEL LOWER REMOVAL/INSTALLATION .
10. Climate control unit. See. CLIMATE CONTROL UNIT REMOVAL/INSTALLATION [FULL-AUTO AIR CONDITIONER] . See. CLIMATE CONTROL UNIT REMOVAL/INSTALLATION [MANUAL AIR CONDITIONER] .
11. Rear console. See. REAR CONSOLE REMOVAL/INSTALLATION .
12. Hood release lever. See. HOOD LATCH AND RELEASE LEVER REMOVAL/INSTALLATION .
13. Lower panel. See. LOWER PANEL REMOVAL/INSTALLATION .
14. Driver-side air bag module. See. DRIVER-SIDE AIR BAG MODULE REMOVAL/INSTALLATION .
15. Steering wheel. See. STEERING WHEEL AND COLUMN REMOVAL/INSTALLATION [WITHOUT ADVANCED KEYLESS ENTRY AND PUSH BUTTON START SYSTEM] . See STEERING WHEEL AND COLUMN REMOVAL/INSTALLATION [WITH ADVANCED KEYLESS ENTRY AND PUSH BUTTON START SYSTEM] .
16. Column cover. See. COLUMN COVER REMOVAL/INSTALLATION .
17. Combination switch. See. COMBINATION SWITCH REMOVAL/INSTALLATION .
18. Meter hood. See. METER HOOD REMOVAL/INSTALLATION .
19. Instrument cluster. See. INSTRUMENT CLUSTER REMOVAL/INSTALLATION .
20. Center panel upper. See. CENTER PANEL UPPER REMOVAL/INSTALLATION .
21. Audio unit. See. AUDIO UNIT REMOVAL/INSTALLATION .
22. Steering shaft cover. See. STEERING WHEEL AND COLUMN REMOVAL/INSTALLATION [WITHOUT ADVANCED KEYLESS ENTRY AND PUSH BUTTON START SYSTEM] . See STEERING WHEEL AND COLUMN REMOVAL/INSTALLATION [WITH ADVANCED KEYLESS ENTRY AND PUSH BUTTON START SYSTEM] .
23. Steering shaft. See. STEERING WHEEL AND COLUMN REMOVAL/INSTALLATION [WITHOUT ADVANCED KEYLESS ENTRY AND PUSH BUTTON START SYSTEM] . See STEERING WHEEL AND COLUMN REMOVAL/INSTALLATION [WITH ADVANCED KEYLESS ENTRY AND PUSH BUTTON START SYSTEM] .
24. Side panel. See. SIDE PANEL REMOVAL/INSTALLATION .
25. SIRIUS satellite radio unit. See. SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO UNIT REMOVAL/INSTALLATION .
26. Passenger-side air bag module. See. PASSENGER-SIDE AIR BAG MODULE REMOVAL/INSTALLATION .
27. A-pillar trims. See. A-PILLAR TRIM REMOVAL/INSTALLATION .
28. Dashboard. See. DASHBOARD REMOVAL/INSTALLATION .
  CAUTION:
  - If moisture or foreign material enters the refrigeration cycle, cooling ability will be lowered and abnormal noise or other malfunction could occur. Always plug open fittings immediately after removing any refrigeration cycle parts.
Disconnect from A/C unit in the order indicated in the table. Do not allow compressor oil to spill.

Fig 1: Identifying A/C Unit Components
Courtesy of MAZDA MOTORS CORP.
Remove the A/C unit. Do not allow compressor oil.
Install in the reverse order of removal.
Perform the refrigerant system performance test. See. REFRIGERANT SYSTEM PERFORMANCE TEST .
Inspect for engine coolant leakage. See. ENGINE COOLANT LEAKAGE INSPECTION [L5] . See. ENGINE COOLANT LEAKAGE INSPECTION [MZI-3.7] .

Fig 2: Identifying A/C Unit
Courtesy of MAZDA MOTORS CORP.