Water drippin on feet from AC

[Lenny]

I was driving in the FL heat and humidity and my wife said water was dripping on her ankles. Then last week it dripped on me.

Is there a drain tube that could be plugged. I'm assuming it's from the evaporator

[Farrar]

That's correct. Clean it out and you should be good to go.

Farrar

[sean]

Might be a good idea to put a screen over the air intake(in front of the windshield on passenger's side) to prevent future blockage too.

[John U]

drain tube runs along the frame along side of the fuel lines into the area of the right front wheel well

[Lenny]

Thanks,
I'll work on it this weekend. any suggestions i.e. Blow it out, Vacuum, use a snake. Or call Roto Rooter:wave2:

Lenny

[content22207]

Drain tube itself isn't the problem -- it's the hard plastic elbow. Throw it all away in favor of a flexible rubber coil boot (acts like a funnel to get condensed water through the body, after which it just washes over the frame like rain water). A coil boot can be popped off with a screwdriver in a matter of seconds (evaporator box in place) if you ever need to clean it out again.

Bill Robertson
#5939

[Lenny]

"rubber coil boot"???



Drain tube itself isn't the problem -- it's the hard plastic elbow. Throw it all away in favor of a flexible rubber coil boot (acts like a funnel to get condensed water through the body, after which it just washes over the frame like rain water). A coil boot can be popped off with a screwdriver in a matter of seconds (evaporator box in place) if you ever need to clean it out again.

Bill Robertson
#5939

[JIMJAM]

Part of my ritual is parking the car with its fron up high and letting it sit for awhile. Later its amazing how much water had built up.
I am yet to find the drain and have been all up in that area and know it well.

[WelmoedJ]

The elbow, Bill refers to, can be found on the passenger's side of the footwell.
It's a connection between the bottom of the A/C-heater case on top of the tunnel.
Passenger's side about halfway the housing (between rear and front).
Use a flash light and you will probably see it almost immediately.
Or move your hand in the space between housing and tunnel to find it.

While at DCS 08 I had the same problem.
Has been cured by lung power after opening the access to the pump and blow on the end of the hose that connects to the elbow.

[Bitsyncmaster]

I had the same problem until I did something similar to what Bill did.

[DMCMW Dave]

I had the same problem until I did something similar to what Bill did.

What's the hose hanging from the gas tank plate??

[sean]

What's the hose hanging from the gas tank plate??

Yikes, looks like AC hose to me.:shocked:

[content22207]

I simply ran mine through the original body hole:
3485
Only takes a few seconds to pop it off with a screwdriver.

Bill Robertson
#5939

[Bitsyncmaster]

What's the hose hanging from the gas tank plate??

Yes the AC hose that would not fit sliding it in. Will have to wait to lift the body.


I simply ran mine through the original body hole:
3485
Only takes a few seconds to pop it off with a screwdriver.

Bill Robertson
#5939

I like having the hose not dripping on the frame and I instantly see that the AC is draining by the puddle under the car.

[content22207]

I get a puddle underneath mine as well -- it just runs off the "rustproof" frame (DMC's actual words, not mine).

Bill Robertson
#5939

[Nicholas R]

Water drips out of my evaporator box but for me it's actually through the seams in the box. I've been chasing down the areas where the water seeps out with silicone RTV. I just replaced my evaporator (for the second time) so the box was very recently split. Is this unusual? I assumed it was just water that condenses on the inside of the box. Not sure if the hole is plugged but that's not where it's leaking from.

[content22207]

Water is supposed to go out the hole by the frame, though a hard plastic elbow, then down a tube that ends up in all sorts of weird places (#5939's is still pinched between then frame and the body). It's a choke point for debris and detrius that causes condensed water to back up and come out elsewhere.

Bill Robertson
#5939

[Bitsyncmaster]

Water drips out of my evaporator box but for me it's actually through the seams in the box. I've been chasing down the areas where the water seeps out with silicone RTV. I just replaced my evaporator (for the second time) so the box was very recently split. Is this unusual? I assumed it was just water that condenses on the inside of the box. Not sure if the hole is plugged but that's not where it's leaking from.

Do you have a black thin foam glued to the outside of your evaporator box. I think that was done to prevent condensation on the outside.

I would think if your drain hole lets it out fast enough, you would not get leaking at any seams above the drain.

[content22207]

I would think if your drain hole lets it out fast enough, you would not get leaking at any seams above the drain.

Obviously his elbow/hose is clogged.

Even if he could keep the box from leaking, condensed water would eventually find its way through the blower motor hose and potentially even the ductwork.

Bill Robertson
#5939

[DeloreanJoshQ]

I simply ran mine through the original body hole:
3485
Only takes a few seconds to pop it off with a screwdriver.

Bill Robertson
#5939

I did mine exactly like this. Before installing that boot, I ran a wire up inside several times and found no blockage.

However, my wife also has felt the water drip onto her feet everytime the A/C is on and when I make too quick of a turn. I also have yet to find the leak.
Is there an easy way to find leaks from the box?
Would just idling with the A/C on be enough to see seepage?
The next thing I may have to do is build a shield to direct the small drips away from feet...

[Bitsyncmaster]

I did mine exactly like this. Before installing that boot, I ran a wire up inside several times and found no blockage.

However, my wife also has felt the water drip onto her feet everytime the A/C is on and when I make too quick of a turn. I also have yet to find the leak.
Is there an easy way to find leaks from the box?
Would just idling with the A/C on be enough to see seepage?
The next thing I may have to do is build a shield to direct the small drips away from feet...

You won't ever clean it out with a wire (been there done that). When you remove that elbow you will see why. As soon as I did the "Bill" modification all the inside drips stopped.

If the air is humid and I run the AC on normal at idle I will get a very large puddle in a few minutes. Probably 2 to 4 oz. of water.

[DMCMW Dave]

To really speed up the testing process, take the blower fan out, also the resistor pack so you don't break it. Reach in there and you can manually remove any leaves etc. on the evap core. Then you can trickle some water in there from a hose and make sure it runs out the bottom.

A agree -you really can't clear the drain without removing the elbow. I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned popping the plastic elbow to the side (with a pick tool), clearing it and the case drain, and putting it back. It is more flexible than you think.

You might have to do this every 5-10 years depending on what you park under.

Bill's rubber coil boot funnel fix does get completely rid of the elbow and more permanently solves the problem.

[John U]

well it sounds like my drain is probably blocked as well....I get zero water dripping from it, but no water in the passenger footwell either....where is it all going?

[Bitsyncmaster]

well it sounds like my drain is probably blocked as well....I get zero water dripping from it, but no water in the passenger footwell either....where is it all going?

You won't get much water if you always run it on MAX AC. That quickly drys the air in the car and keeps recirculating that dry air.

[DMCMW Dave]

well it sounds like my drain is probably blocked as well....I get zero water dripping from it, but no water in the passenger footwell either....where is it all going?

Is the A/C really working?

[John U]

Is the A/C really working?

vent temps are just above freezing.....

[John U]

Drove today for about 25 mins with the AC on norm...no drips from the tube, just some water condensing on the metal can in the rt front wheel well. No moisture leaks in the cabin at all (and no sloshing noises inside the car, lol).....strange....

[Bitsyncmaster]

Drove today for about 25 mins with the AC on norm...no drips from the tube, just some water condensing on the metal can in the rt front wheel well. No moisture leaks in the cabin at all (and no sloshing noises inside the car, lol).....strange....

Maybe it's running down the frame and collecting in the tank closing plate. That is what I found with mine but I would also get a wet passenger carpet.

[Nicholas R]

So it turned out my drain hole was plugged. Not sure what with. I opened up the panel going to the fuel pump and grabbed the hose that leads to the drain. I blew into it and it was definitely mostly blocked. After it cleared, quite a bit of water drained out. No more leaking!

I'm a little concerned about what I may have blown BACK into the ac box but I guess I'll never know. Hopefully whatever it is will now flow little by little back OUT the drain hose with the condensation that also flows out.

[Ryan King]

To really speed up the testing process, take the blower fan out, also the resistor pack so you don't break it. Reach in there and you can manually remove any leaves etc. on the evap core. Then you can trickle some water in there from a hose and make sure it runs out the bottom.

A agree -you really can't clear the drain without removing the elbow. I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned popping the plastic elbow to the side (with a pick tool), clearing it and the case drain, and putting it back. It is more flexible than you think.

You might have to do this every 5-10 years depending on what you park under.

Bill's rubber coil boot funnel fix does get completely rid of the elbow and more permanently solves the problem.

So you can remove the blower motor and physically stick your hand into the air box and yank leaves and crap out? How hard is it to do so?

[dmc6960]

So you can remove the blower motor and physically stick your hand into the air box and yank leaves and crap out? How hard is it to do so?

Yes, and its easy as long as your arms aren't huge.

[DMCMW Dave]

I'm a little concerned about what I may have blown BACK into the ac box but I guess I'll never know. Hopefully whatever it is will now flow little by little back OUT the drain hose with the condensation that also flows out.

It will probably just plug it again in time. If you remove the "funnel" you can pull the crud out from above with a small pick. If the clog is in the elbow, blowing from the outside like you did will now blow the clog onto your front floor instead of back into the evap case.

[TTait]

Hey Bill, is that a 90 degree coil wire cap, or a straight one like a spark plug boot? From the photo it looks straight...

[Ryan King]

I am planning on inspecting mine tomorrow too. The other day my whole passenger side carpet was completely soaked. I have some investigating to do...

Maybe John DeLorean stuck all his cocaine into the air box and now its clogged. :rolleyes1:

[TTait]

Maybe John DeLorean stuck all his cocaine into the air box and now its clogged. :rolleyes1:

Yours had coke? I found a crappy microphone and black and white camera jammed into mine - but they didn't work - manufactured by lucas...

[Bitsyncmaster]

Hey Bill, is that a 90 degree coil wire cap, or a straight one like a spark plug boot? From the photo it looks straight...

I used a 90 degree cap so I could run a new drain hose under the frame. Bill uses a straight cap.

[Ryan King]

I just had another thought. Could you stick a high pressured air hose into the air box to try and shoot the leaves and gunk out back through the top by the windshield?

[Bitsyncmaster]

I just had another thought. Could you stick a high pressured air hose into the air box to try and shoot the leaves and gunk out back through the top by the windshield?

I don't think your going to get everything out of the evaporator fins unless you open it up. Maybe if you can stick a video camera and light on the end of your hose;)

[dmc6960]

I did the "reach into the airbox with my arm" method of cleaning in 2001. Then posted about it on the DML as I dont think anyone had ever talked about doing that before. Along with a shop vac, I got a LOT of material out, and the AC worked better than ever. Fast forward 5 years and while rebuilding the entire AC, sans evaporator, I go through the effort to remove it from the car for cleaning. While the inside of the box itself was still pretty clean, the bottom 1/3 of the fins in the evaporator core had some level of crud attached to them. This crud reduced airflow and thermal transfer. Cleaned it really good with compressed air, water, and alcohol. Now I have airflow through my AC that'll make half of the DeLorean's out there jealous. Unfortunately this level of cleaning could not be obtained without removal of the evaporator.

[DeloreanJoshQ]

I did the "reach into the airbox with my arm" method of cleaning in 2001. Then posted about it on the DML as I dont think anyone had ever talked about doing that before. Along with a shop vac, I got a LOT of material out, and the AC worked better than ever. Fast forward 5 years and while rebuilding the entire AC, sans evaporator, I go through the effort to remove it from the car for cleaning. While the inside of the box itself was still pretty clean, the bottom 1/3 of the fins in the evaporator core had some level of crud attached to them. This crud reduced airflow and thermal transfer. Cleaned it really good with compressed air, water, and alcohol. Now I have airflow through my AC that'll make half of the DeLorean's out there jealous. Unfortunately this level of cleaning could not be obtained without removal of the evaporator.

I removed the blower fan and cleaned out some junk in the bottom of the box. It wasn't that clogged. I did shoot some water into the far end of the box with a suction gun hose and water did come out of the drain. However, the drain is on the unreachable opposite("front") side of the evaporator as opposed to the back side that I could reach where the junk collects, correct? The blower resistor had a spring come off when removing it and is pretty rusty on the contacts so I ordered a new "improved" one from DMCMW. Does this resistor only control fan speeds 1 and 2? Can I leave it unplugged until I replace it at Woodward when I meet up with Julee and Dave Swingle without any issues?
Also, water still leaks from the bottom on the far right(fender side) of the box just to the left of the blower fan. The insulation foam wrapped around the box was wet and eventually drips to the carpet. What can I do to solve this and keep the wife happy?

Thanks!

[WelmoedJ]

The blower resistor had a spring come off when removing it and is pretty rusty on the contacts so I ordered a new "improved" one from DMCMW. Does this resistor only control fan speeds 1 and 2? Can I leave it unplugged until I replace it at Woodward when I meet up with Julee and Dave Swingle without any issues?

Three positions use the resistor (pack), only the 4th position is direct.


Also, water still leaks from the bottom on the far right(fender side) of the box just to the left of the blower fan. The insulation foam wrapped around the box was wet and eventually drips to the carpet. What can I do to solve this and keep the wife happy?

Let your wife drive the car? :yesss:

[Bitsyncmaster]

I still bet your dripping is because the box is full of cold water and that is causing condensation where you see it.

Put in Bills fix.

[DeloreanJoshQ]

I still bet your dripping is because the box is full of cold water and that is causing condensation where you see it.

Put in Bills fix.

If you are referring to the spark plug boot trick, I already did that. I took it out when I shot water in the box to see it come through the hole and the passageway is clear.

Could there be debris on the other side of the evaporator? I cleaned all around the side that I could reach and in the crevice created below....argh..

[Spittybug]

My turn to have to fix this. After a terribly humid Sunday afternoon drive, I found my passenger side carpet soaked. Today I put it up on the lift and checked the drain hole by fishing an electrician's snake up it. It came back with some dirt/mud on it. Damned mud daubers will get anywhere! I ran the snake up and down a few times and then removed the air blower motor. Using a pressurized sprayer I then filled the evaporator case bottom with water and physically eyeballed it coming out of the tube, so I know I cleared it. I ran enough through to thoroughly dissolve any mud blockage that may have been present. To prevent their reentry, I wadded a bit of steel wool and placed it in the end of the drain tube. Yes, it will rust and fall out, but it was the best immediate solution I had. Next time at Ace I will look for a little screen like the ones in sink faucets.

Separately, just where exactly are the resistors and capacitors that are part of the fan speed circuit? Are they in the wiring loom? In the fuse area? They aren't at the motor; it just has a + terminal that gets a pink/black and red wire attached, and 3 black grounds all commoned together at one point. While I had it out, I oiled the shaft of the motor and cleaned the cage. A quick polish of the terminals, some gasket sealer and back in it went.

[DMCMW Dave]

My turn to have to fix this. After a terribly humid Sunday afternoon drive, I found my passenger side carpet soaked. Today I put it up on the lift and checked the drain hole by fishing an electrician's snake up it. It came back with some dirt/mud on it. Damned mud daubers will get anywhere! I ran the snake up and down a few times and then removed the air blower motor. Using a pressurized sprayer I then filled the evaporator case bottom with water and physically eyeballed it coming out of the tube, so I know I cleared it. I ran enough through to thoroughly dissolve any mud blockage that may have been present. To prevent their reentry, I wadded a bit of steel wool and placed it in the end of the drain tube. Yes, it will rust and fall out, but it was the best immediate solution I had. Next time at Ace I will look for a little screen like the ones in sink faucets.

Separately, just where exactly are the resistors and capacitors that are part of the fan speed circuit? Are they in the wiring loom? In the fuse area? They aren't at the motor; it just has a + terminal that gets a pink/black and red wire attached, and 3 black grounds all commoned together at one point. While I had it out, I oiled the shaft of the motor and cleaned the cage. A quick polish of the terminals, some gasket sealer and back in it went.

Just to the left of the motor is a connector with 4 pins on it, unplug it. The reddish part remaining is the resistor block held in by a couple of screws. Remove the screws and it will drop out.

[Farrar]

Just to the left of the motor is a connector with 4 pins on it,

Any chance the plugs under the air box are available? The previous owner simply "replaced" the cracked plugs by crimping spade terminals on all of the wires, and it's always merry hell trying to remember which wire goes where on the resistor and blower motor.

Sorry to veer off topic.

[Nuclearbacon]

I had the same problem until I did something similar to what Bill did.

Under the passenger footwell, can someone give me a better idea where THIS (http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?1179-Water-drippin-on-feet-from-AC&p=13198&viewfull=1#post13198) is?

[Bitsyncmaster]

Under the passenger footwell, can someone give me a better idea where THIS (http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?1179-Water-drippin-on-feet-from-AC&p=13198&viewfull=1#post13198) is?

You need to pull the carpet back in the pasenger foot well. You will see the OEM rubber boot when you do.

[Rich]

Any chance the plugs under the air box are available?

Based on the parts schematics probably not available.

Most of the wiring loom connecters came as parts incorporated in the looms sold to to the factory. You see them all over the looms, like on the engine bay light switch, the door lamp switches.

If you don't like what you have and want "originals" you could splice in something from a donor car.

[spikeygg]

To really speed up the testing process, take the blower fan out, also the resistor pack so you don't break it. Reach in there and you can manually remove any leaves etc. on the evap core.

So, this afternoon I took my blower fan and resistor pack out and used my borescope to take a peep at the 30+ years of collected dirt, sand, leaves, pollen, etc. It looked pretty nasty. I grabbed a long silicone hose and my vacuum and tried a quick vacuum in there. It was difficult to contort my hand enough to direct the hose into the proper corners but I heard a lot of stuff get sucked up my that hose and I used the borescope afterwards to see how clean it was. It worked really well.

Resistor Pack:
45434


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nS3ftlot-8

[David T]

Considering what the alternate method (removal) would take, you did a good job. Try to make sure you got all of the loose junk and there is nothing that could plug up the condensate drain. What also comes loose is the foam that is on the actuator doors.

[spikeygg]

Considering what the alternate method (removal) would take, you did a good job. Try to make sure you got all of the loose junk and there is nothing that could plug up the condensate drain. What also comes loose is the foam that is on the actuator doors.

I tried to find the inside end of that drain plug so I could vacuum out the hose from the inside but I couldn't find it. Anyone know if that cavity is accessible from under the dash somewhere?

[DMC5180]

The black plastic drain tube / hose in this photo sloped down 45 deg.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160816/8752ba1a2ef559bd1aa96881ac83eb9b.jpg

The top part is shown here

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160816/cc78e85a79244662397587073bbdf4d3.jpg

There is another recent thread that talks about removing and replacing the tube assembly.


Dennis

[spikeygg]

The black plastic drain tube / hose in this photo sloped down 45 deg.

... img ...

The top part is shown here

... img ...

There is another recent thread that talks about removing and replacing the tube assembly.


Dennis

Thanks Dennis, I knew where the hose was but I was wondering if there is someway to get to that hose from inside the airbox without removing it from the car. I want to vacuum the hose from inside the box if possible to guarantee that it's cleared out. I guess I can always vacuum the other end of the hose behind the wheel...

[DMC5180]

The is no access to the inside of the box without MAJOR disassembly. It has been suggested that you can remove the elbow (choke point) by warming it with a hairdryer. I haven't done it myself but I may try it in the near future. I a had clogged drain this summer too and had to shoot air up the tube for a quick temporary fix.


Dennis

[bfloyd]

Looks like I'll be tackling this issue next. Took my wife on a date last night for the first time with her riding in the car since the AC is actually working... She ended up with wet ankles before we ever got to the restaurant. Floor mats were soaked by the time we got home. I tried blowing out the drain hose with compressed air when we got home, but nothing came out after I did.

So, it's remove the fan and motor to clean out the box and then peel back the carpet under the console / tunnel to access the drain tube?

[DMC5180]

Only the front side of the evaporator is visible with the fan removed.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160824/6eebd1ee3d071b771ddc9a895a27dd2b.jpg

The drain port is on the other side.

You will need to remove the seat. Pull the carpet. Suck as much water out of the carpet and floor area as you can with a wet/dry shop vac. Mop out the inside as best you can, then park the out side in direct sun with the door open so the sun hits floor area including the back wood panel. The sun will dry things out nicely. Also let the sun dry out your carpets. Start with the foam pad side first then flip it to finish. This worked great for my water removal following DCS.


Dennis

[Andrew]

5052's evap drain plugged up on the drive back from DCS. After I arrived home I shot some compressed air in the drain hose which resulted in about a gallon of water pouring out of the drain. I'm banking on the possibility that the water flushed out a lot of junk that had accumulated in the box. Plus I've run the A/C extensively since clearing the clog and the drain appears to be working as intended.

[spikeygg]

I tried to look for this hose on my car behind the passenger's side front wheel and I couldn't see any drain hose there. Does anyone have a good photo of where the hose comes out of the fiberglass in relation to other nearby features?

46429 46430

[DMC5180]

It's hard to distinguish, but I think I can see it hiding behind the bottom white connector peeking out between the underbody and frame. You need a better photo looking behind the accumulator.


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