More water, anyone?

[ccurzio]

Many of you may recall a while back when I posted a thread (http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?3906-Water-water-everywhere) regarding an apparent leak I had in my car. Since then, I had decided that for safety's sake I would not leave my car out or drive in the rain, just to try and avoid getting the interior soaked and mildew-laden again. After working on some electrical issues that cropped up yesterday during an outing with thirdmanj, I happened to take a look at the passenger side carpet while getting at the battery compartment.

It was absolutely sopping wet. The worst I had EVER seen it.

I was stunned. There was one point a few months ago that I got caught in some moderate rain, but there is no way it had been exposed to the level of moisture that would generate a freaking lake under the passenger seat. So I started thinking about things in the car that had changed recently. New fuel pump. A few minor electrical changes. Electrical problems. AC recharge. Oil change.

I backed up a bit... AC recharge. At the same time this water problem had been the worst it had ever been, my AC has currently been blowing the coldest it's ever blown. I started wondering if this was a leak at all, but an AC drainage issue. So I cranked the car, put the AC on full blast, and waited.

Sure enough, after a few minutes the culprit appeared:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSDZyybAmb8

If you can't tell what you're looking at, this is the underside of the airflow box at the top of the passenger footwell. You can see the wire running to the control arm to move the flap in the box. It's a little hard to see in the video, but it appears that this has been a problem before for the previous owner, as there is a good smear of sealant on this very area trying to prevent the leak from happening. It seems to have failed, no doubt for another of countless times. So it turns out I don't actually have a body leak at all, it is indeed an AC drainage issue. (Good call, Buddy.) The AC drain pipe is facing downward and should be dripping externally out of the car, but it doesn't seem as if the water is making it that far. Either there's an issue in the box itself or the drain hose is clogged or kinked somewhere.

The problem: What do I do now?

[Kenny_Z]

I remember when I was tracking down my leak (which I still have not solved) Bill told me to remove the drain completely and see if that fixes it. The AC isn't my problem but you might try pulling it just to see if it helps. If it does then you know that either there's a crack below your normal drain level or your drain is clogged. The clogged drain possibility would be easy to see as it would be in your hand at the time.

Good luck with it, I'm still chasing my leak a year later :\

[Michael]

I have usually had good luck putting a vacum tester on the drain outlet. If the debris isn't to tight it will usually pull it right out, and the flood of backed up water will flush out the remaining bits and pieces. If that doesn't work, and using a flex wire doesn't solve the clog, then you may have a clog right at the box outlet where the box drain connects to the rubber drain hose(right at the body), which is a PITA to get back in place once it's out. Some have just left it out and ran a straight piece of hose directly off the box to the underside of the car. Hopefully one of these methods will unclog the drain and it's not in the box itself.

[DMC5180]

Chris,

It sound like you need to do a little roto-rooting in the drain tube. Get a coat hanger, cut it open and straighten a 2 ft section. On one end, form a small loop. It must small enough to to fit freely inside the drain tube. Once you have this made up, chuck the other end in a drill. Insert loop in the tube and spin slowly while moving the wire up the tube. You will need to stabilize the wire (keep it from whipping) while working it up the tube. No guaranty this will work but it's worth a shot. FWIW: I did an evaporator replacement a few years ago. Blower side of the Evap was 40% blocked with crap(mostly ground up leaves) the back side wherer the drain is was clean as could be. It really surprised me. I figured there would be all kinds of crap in there. This was not the case.

[Nicholas R]

When I rejoined my body and frame, I made sure everything was exactly where it should be... or so I thought...

The only thing I forgot was the evaporator box drain hose. It ended up getting totally crimped and plugged. When I first figured it out, I removed the hose and routed the drain to a water bottle in the car. 20 minutes of driving on a hot florida day and a 16oz bottle was full. Amazing.

I ended up just cutting the hose off of the little funnel thing and putting just the funnel back on the drain, pointing it back through the hole in the fiberglass. No problems since. I also used silicone rtv to make sure the AC box was sealed.

[Citizen]

I had this exact same problem. The drain somehow got clogged, and it flooded the passenger compartment. The PO obviously had the same problem, because when I researched it, I found the little hose had been previously cut, so to clean it out I guess. So I just did the same thing, re-cut in the same place, cleaned it out, and repaired the hose.

Haven't had the problem since, but I'm attributing that to my A/C not working.

Thomas

...

[jawn101]

OK, stupid question maybe. But where is the drain tube? I ask because I took out my blower motor recently to clean the inside of the box and it was clean as a whistle in there. But a passenger once commented that her feet were getting dripped on with the A/C running. I also washed my car this morning and felt some water on my feet on the driver's side. I've looked at the diagram on DMCH's site but it isn't clear where the tube actually is.

[Citizen]

But where is the drain tube?

On the passenger side, if you look where your feet go, closest to the console, you'll find it. It's kinda hidden, but it's there.

Curious thing though, I could never find it on the underside...

...

[DMC5180]

On my car it runs between the right side of the frame and underbody. It drains out behind the A/C accumulator. Its more like a 5/8 inch tin wall black plastic tube.

[Tillsy]

OK, stupid question maybe. But where is the drain tube? I ask because I took out my blower motor recently to clean the inside of the box and it was clean as a whistle in there. But a passenger once commented that her feet were getting dripped on with the A/C running. I also washed my car this morning and felt some water on my feet on the driver's side. I've looked at the diagram on DMCH's site but it isn't clear where the tube actually is.

Mine is tucked right in behind the aircon accumulator - have taken a photo and attached. Only know of it because a while ago I was doing work in there and while finishing up thought I had left something disconnected, before discovering it was a drain tube and is meant to be hanging there...

[thirdmanj]

So it WAS the A/C!? Jeeze. Well I'm happy you found it, but it sure is nice to know it isn't the body that's leaking.

[Bitsyncmaster]

If you ever pull out that drain hose you will see why it clogs so easy. It is crimped to form a 90 deg. bend right near the box drain. The open ID of that crimp is maybe 1/8". And you will never get a wire to make that bend trying to unplug it.

Pull the cap off the box. You probably have to cut the cap unless you want to cut some fiberglass away. Make up a new drain hose and run it out the bottom of the car. Just doing that made my AC work 200% better.

[ccurzio]

It was the drain tube!

Shoved some pressure in there to clear whatever blockage was present, and lo, the tube started GUSHING water. I let it completely drain and then tucked it back into its spot and ran the AC again. The water drained from the tube rather than into the car. Problem solved (for now). Thanks guys! :)


Pull the cap off the box. You probably have to cut the cap unless you want to cut some fiberglass away. Make up a new drain hose and run it out the bottom of the car. Just doing that made my AC work 200% better.

I would like to do this. How much of the car do you have to take apart to get at that cap though?

[Bitsyncmaster]

I would like to do this. How much of the car do you have to take apart to get at that cap though?

Just pull the carpet back a little. Right by the passenger left foot.

[jawn101]

I found the tube inside the car but haven't looked outside yet. All this time I've been checking the "motor cooling tube", thinking it was the drain and wondering what genius put a drain that pours onto your feet inside the car. I am very much looking forward to pulling the tube and checking it for debris/damage sometime this week :)

So it is not possible/"easy" to remove the tube from the evap box without cutting something?

[ccurzio]

I found the tube inside the car but haven't looked outside yet. All this time I've been checking the "motor cooling tube", thinking it was the drain and wondering what genius put a drain that pours onto your feet inside the car. I am very much looking forward to pulling the tube and checking it for debris/damage sometime this week :)

So it is not possible/"easy" to remove the tube from the evap box without cutting something?

On the outside it should be in the fuel pump access area, right by the fuel lines on the passenger side of the car.

[jawn101]

On the outside it should be in the fuel pump access area, right by the fuel lines on the passenger side of the car.

Good call. I keep forgetting those access areas are there. We reinstalled my accumulator without removing that panel and I installed a new steering shaft without undoing the one on the other side. Both are jobs that would have been made much, much easier if I'd remembered you could come in from above....

So you did something to pressurize yours and blow the goop out?

[jawn101]

I just checked under the fuel tank access panel and only see the connections to the accumulator, the two lines from the fuel pump, the fuel filler neck and overflow hose. I am gonna have to jack up that side and see if it's routed somewhere else :)

[Bitsyncmaster]

I just checked under the fuel tank access panel and only see the connections to the accumulator, the two lines from the fuel pump, the fuel filler neck and overflow hose. I am gonna have to jack up that side and see if it's routed somewhere else :)

You should see the end of the hose there. Look carefully, it may be under those fuel lines. You won't see anything under the car.

[ccurzio]

So you did something to pressurize yours and blow the goop out?

Yeah. I spritzed in the slightest of slight sprays of PB blaster to break down whatever mess was in there, then cranked up my air compressor and blasted the shit into one end of the hose. Gunk popped out along with a shitload of water.

Ran the AC afterward and it's draining properly from where it's supposed to.

[jawn101]

I can feel it back there on the frame rail, but definitely can't see it. It's really jammed in there between the fuel tank and frame. Well this will be a fun project!