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wet floorboards, AC drain plugged?

47K views 18 replies 10 participants last post by  jbjorgen 
#1 ·
Hello all,

I have been lurking for a little while now and I have read a few fixes for the problem I am having already. I certainly appreciate all the help you guys can give. I have a 2005 Chrysler Town & Country Touring.

I read that if you have wet floorboards it's usually from a clogged AC drain. I have used compressed air, rag, my finger and even a coat hanger in the drain outlet on the engine side of the firewall. It still leaks. I have replaced my cabin filter (which was pretty filthy, and probably the culprit to the problem in the first place). I tried to reach into the hole where the cabin filter goes and only felt ribs of aluminum no real dirt in there. And it still leaks.

I read that a fix for this is to get the drain hose from Chrysler and put on the outlet stub and it will fix the problem.

So my question is, does the drain hose fix the problem even if the drain has not been "flushed out" or unclogged? And if not, how does one go about cleaning this small stub out? Any help is greatly appreciated.
 
#2 ·
A/C drain not clogged? Have you checked the drains on the bottom of the wiper tray? 3/4 inch diameter, one on left and right side. Debrie in the air inlet clogs them. I should say that's where they are on a 3rd generation van. Not sure on your 4th gen van.
 
#3 ·
Floorboards .... wow .... that's back in the days of wooden frames for vehicles. :)

Service Bulletin 24-001-06 REV A applies to 2001 - 2006 Minivans made before December 16, 2005 (MDH1216XX). Also applies to 2004 - 2006 Pacificas.

Some info:
SYMPTOM/CONDITION:
The customer may describe a wet front passenger floor or floor carpet. This condition may be due to water (A/C condensate) from the HVAC assembly drain tube.
DIAGNOSIS:
Verify the passenger side front floor or carpet is wet. Check the source of the water leak.
As A/C condensate leaves the HVAC drain tube, it may run back along the outside of the
drain tube, past the seal, and under the passenger side front floor carpet. If the HVAC
assembly drain tube is the cause of the water leak, perform the Repair Procedure.
PARTS REQUIRED:
Qty. Part No. Description
1 68001994AA O-ring
REPAIR PROCEDURE:
1. Disconnect the battery.
2. Disconnect the inlet air temperature sensor.
3. Loosen the clamp and remove the inlet hose from the throttle body (leave the other
end attached to the air cleaner housing cover).
4. Remove the air cleaner housing cover.
5. Inspect the HVAC drain tube. Clean out any debris or other restrictions in the drain.
6. Install the HVAC drain O-ring onto the HVAC drain tube, making sure the O-ring is 6
mm (0.25 in.) onto the keyway on the top of the HVAC drain and beyond the slot in the
bottom of the HVAC drain.
7. Install the air cleaner housing cover.
8. Attach the inlet hose to the throttle body and tighten clamp.
9. Reconnect the inlet air temperature sensor.
10. Reconnect the battery.
11. Set the clock to the correct time.
POLICY:
Reimbursable within the provisions of the warranty.
Time alloted for the repair is 12 minutes.
 
#7 ·
Floorboards .... wow .... that's back in the days of wooden frames for vehicles. :)

Service Bulletin 24-001-06 REV A applies to 2001 - 2006 Minivans made before December 16, 2005 (MDH1216XX). Also applies to 2004 - 2006 Pacificas.

Some info:


Time alloted for the repair is 12 minutes.
I have read that TSB, and it is very similar to the one for the Drain hose. However, my question is more to if you put this O ring or the Drain hose on, will it still leak, because the drain is clogged?

I really guess I need to try and see, lol. I just don't see how a O ring or a Drain hose will cause it not to leak inside if the problem was that it was clogged in the first place. I understand the "fix" is that the drain tube allows water to run along it and then it goes back into the cabin, and the new O ring keeps the water from "pushing" back in, but I am not sure that's my issue. I'll do the fix tonight, then report back.
 
#5 ·
The problem can be two fold. One, the outlet tube is clogged. You don't state your year or model, but my 90 GV had a 90 degree rubber nipple that had a pinch opening to let water out, but algae over the winter would sometime clog it. Other times, here in Florida, mud daubers, a wasp, would build a mud nest in any open hole. If you cleaned out the hole sticking out, you probably are not clogged. The other thing that can happen is that the water can follow the tube back into the cabin on the bottom side of the tube. putting a 90 on the pipe should fix it if it seals well. If you cannot get a 90, try a real fat O ring of the proper diameter to roll on the tube past the slit in the bottom where the water comes out. It should be between the firewall and the end of the slit. This will give the water a drip point and it should not follow the tube back into the firewall. If you have gotten the felt mat wet underneath the carpet, you need to peel the carpet back and dry it out. Spray with OdoBan (from Sams club) to disinfect to kill the mold and put a small fan in there to dry it out completely. If not you may have mold problems.
 
#6 ·
My understanding of the issue is that if you don't have the longer hose attached with the bend pointing down, that the water will actually follow the outside of the hose back into the van, eventually dripping inside, wetting the floor.
The same symptom can be caused by the hose being clogged by some debris which you seem to have already eliminated.
 
#8 ·
There is a lock on each side of the cowl that you can unlock and disconnect the drain tube to see if it is clogged. You can probably put the O ring on from underneath without removing anything if you are a bit agile. I can touch mine. 05 TC
 
#9 ·
I have had this problem several times and it is always clogged at the nipple. It can happen for the evaporator to get clogged by an animal storing food in it or some other reason, but it is highly more likely to be just being pulled back in the compartment by capillary action.
 
#10 ·
Hello all,

I have been lurking for a little while now and I have read a few fixes for the problem I am having already. I certainly appreciate all the help you guys can give. I have a 2005 Chrysler Town & Country Touring.
There is a lock on each side of the cowl that you can unlock and disconnect the drain tube to see if it is clogged. You can probably put the O ring on from underneath without removing anything if you are a bit agile. I can touch mine. 05 TC

Can you explain where and what the cowl locks are? That would help me out a great deal.

I too live in FL and going without AC is a pain.
 
#11 ·
On my 05, up under the cowl, there is a 2" tube coming down from it on each side to a drain. They are held on by a nylon reuseable locking device. You can unhook it and slide the rubber piece down, if I am not mistaken. I took them loose once.
 
#12 ·
You know what just occured to me? If you want to check out if the drain deal is your problem or can't get the part, you could use an ordinary large balloon with the end cut off it, about 3 inches long or so, and slip it over the nipple. Could be just the thing for an AC with an enlarged prostate.
 
#13 ·
It's easy to tell if it was plugged and you unplug it you'll get about a gallon of water out of it. Otherwise it's water clinging to the bottom of the tube following it to the interior, or the cowl drains.
 
#14 ·
That's right! I got a dousing when I got the mud daubers out last.
 
#15 ·
Alright gents,

I did the hose modification last night and it seems to have worked. I did what another member recommended and just got a 12" piece of 5/8 ID rubber hose from Lowes and put that over the drain tube and slid it on as far as I could. After I did that, the water all ran outside under the vehicle. There was a ton of it, and in FL that's pretty normal so I am not sure if that was from it being unplugged, or simply going where it should go now.

So then, so far so good. One last question for now. On the outside of the drain tube, there is a flat piece running along it off center. I couldn't push the hose beyond this piece but the hose was able to cover the slot in the underside. Should I push the hose over this flat piece as well? I included a picture:

 
#17 ·
I know this is an old thread, but I'm having the same trouble. Did you ever get a solid fix on this?
The underlying cause is that the condensate drain emerges from the HVAC housing and is sealed to the firewall by a large thick foam washer. There's a lot of foam exposed. The foam deteriorates and allows water to wick into the cabin. The slotted drain tube etc is to minimize the effect of exterior airflow on the drain by causing back pressure. There was a rubber add-on tube in an early service bulletin, the part no longer exists, but any 5/8 rubber elbow will do, you can find them listed as heater hoses for the T&C at the chain parts stores. A later bulletin described using silicone RTV to seal the firewall and some people make a droplet shape to encourage the water to wick downward and drop rather than to follow the floor pan.

Many owners say unkind things about Chrysler engineering in regard to this problem, but the truth is the entire HVAC housing is a buy-out from Valejo. If you ever change the evaporator core you'll find their name on the HVAC housing. At most companies when management decides to buy something instead of designing it in house the responsibility shifts to purchasing and the engineering department isn't involved. If the foam washer outlasts the warranty...
 
#18 ·
Home-made O-ring fix.

I have the same problem with the ac condensate leaking onto the carpeting on the interior. Mushrooms will be growing there soon!
After reading Chrysler's fix and looking at the drain from firewall side, it is obvious that the O-ring merely provides a "drip-lip". I looked on my workbench to see what I could find, and found that a (garden) hose washer fit very well. I ran the car for 20 minutes and found that the condensate was leaking onto the driveway, just as it should be. However, I don't know what the long-term effects of the engine heat on the hose washer will be. It might melt or otherwise disintegrate.
The drain piece on my 02 Voyager on the firewall is about an inch long and is the same diameter is the inside diameter of the hose washer. But it has a long slot on the bottom side and a fin on the top side so it takes a little effort to push it on. Make sure you push it as far on as you can so you get past the end of the slot, otherwise it will be useless.
I don't know if the orginal equipment had another piece on the drain, which has fell off over time. I just know what I see there now.
 
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