Help! anyone know how to unblock a mark x ac drain valve?

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › Help! anyone know how to unblock a mark x ac drain valve?

iamsammajor

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#248163 12-Mar-2019 20:00

A week ago I found soaked carpet under the front passenger seat in a 2006 mark x.

After googling and youtubing most likely cause should be a blocked drain value. But there is really limited info about how to locate them or fix them.

anyone knows where I can located the valve or know some affordable guy can unblock it.

thanks you advance for any help

Sam

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#2196799 12-Mar-2019 21:38

AC's don't generally have drain valves.

On my corolla I lay on the floor of the passengers side, and pulled the flexable hose (about 20mm outer diameter. that runs through the firewall into the vehicle interior. I was resolving an odor issue, so I then used a specialist chemical cleaner that is dispersed via inserting a long hose.

If you have trouble locating the drain hose, you could look at the firewall from the other side. If it is only partially blocked, you will see drips on the ground if you leave the air con during a hot day.

Given you are trying to resolve a blockage, perhaps you could try squirting some water or similar up first to dislodge the blockage. That is probiably the limit of what you can do as DIY. to get at the actual evaporator, you generally need to dismantal most of the dash.

iamsammajor

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#2196868 13-Mar-2019 07:02

Scott3:

AC's don't generally have drain valves.

On my corolla I lay on the floor of the passengers side, and pulled the flexable hose (about 20mm outer diameter. that runs through the firewall into the vehicle interior. I was resolving an odor issue, so I then used a specialist chemical cleaner that is dispersed via inserting a long hose.

If you have trouble locating the drain hose, you could look at the firewall from the other side. If it is only partially blocked, you will see drips on the ground if you leave the air con during a hot day.

Given you are trying to resolve a blockage, perhaps you could try squirting some water or similar up first to dislodge the blockage. That is probiably the limit of what you can do as DIY. to get at the actual evaporator, you generally need to dismantal most of the dash.

I was trying to isolate the water source, and found there is a tube under the passenger seat that has water coming out. I suspected that was the AC outlet. doing a bit research on what that part is.

Bung

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#2196943 13-Mar-2019 08:40

iamsammajor:
I was trying to isolate the water source, and found there is a tube under the passenger seat that has water coming out. I suspected that was the AC outlet. doing a bit research on what that part is.

If you've found a tube with water coming out in the cabin presumably there's a joint that's come apart. If the tube is intact and the water is coming out higher up the tube probably is blocked.

Under the car you'll find a rubber open ended tube. Depending on how many bends there are clear any blockages with either a length of wire or blow some air up it. Airbed inflator pumps often have a suitable nozzle. Use ramps or stands, don't go under the car with it held up just on the jack.

iamsammajor

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#2198018 14-Mar-2019 14:18

The circled part is where the water coming from, and I believe it is the AC outlet.

One of the mechanic came back with the quote about unblocking the pipe would take 10 min and taking apart of the dash could take 6-10 hrs T.T

ShinyChrome

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#2198074 14-Mar-2019 15:36

Yeah, thats an A/C outlet.

If you can locate the drain hose in the engine bay and have access to compressed air, you could dry giving it a gentle burst of air to see if that would dislodge anything. I do mean gentle though, otherwise you will definitely be dismantling the dash to find the other end that blew off.

I used to have a length of vacuum hose that I could jam on the end of an air duster gun and insert into tight cavities for that purpose. Otherwise you could try a length of something like stiff wire to shove up there and give it a gentle reaming. </straightface>

Apart from that, you will most likely have to get the core pulled apart.

I have the same car, so if I get a chance I will have a look for it and see if I can add anything useful.

robjg63

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#2198084 14-Mar-2019 15:43

I imagine if the drain is blocked there will be no water dripping on the ground (as normally happens) when the AC has been on a while?

Perhaps @ShinyChrome can run his AC for a while and see where the water drips out.

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

Coil

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#2198093 14-Mar-2019 15:53

robjg63:

I imagine if the drain is blocked there will be no water dripping on the ground (as normally happens) when the AC has been on a while?

Perhaps @ShinyChrome can run his AC for a while and see where the water drips out.

This requires a hoist to be honest..
Generally speaking, The heater core and AC core is going to be center left of the trans tunnel on the cabin side of the firewall.
Should find a hose around that area under the car.

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robjg63

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#2198096 14-Mar-2019 16:02

See if this helps

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Qob8Zis_Mo

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

robjg63

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#2198099 14-Mar-2019 16:04

or this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLGdh9nnpKw

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

iamsammajor

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#2198128 14-Mar-2019 17:14

ShinyChrome:

Yeah, thats an A/C outlet.

If you can locate the drain hose in the engine bay and have access to compressed air, you could dry giving it a gentle burst of air to see if that would dislodge anything. I do mean gentle though, otherwise you will definitely be dismantling the dash to find the other end that blew off.

I used to have a length of vacuum hose that I could jam on the end of an air duster gun and insert into tight cavities for that purpose. Otherwise you could try a length of something like stiff wire to shove up there and give it a gentle reaming. </straightface>

Apart from that, you will most likely have to get the core pulled apart.

I have the same car, so if I get a chance I will have a look for it and see if I can add anything useful.

if you can have a look that would be awesome, I tend to see if the easy way fix it before getting someone pull it apart, one garage came be to me with a quote more than a grand :(

iamsammajor

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#2198129 14-Mar-2019 17:15

thanks @Coil and @robjg63 for you help :)

andrewNZ

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#2198132 14-Mar-2019 17:34

It is common for this to be caused by something like a leaf stuck over the drain. Blowing it from underneath will likely be a temporary fix at best.

Mark

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#2198276 14-Mar-2019 21:53

May or may not help ... my Smart did the same thing, got my feet wet while driving, it was the drain that is supposed to drip on the outside floor, it got blocked and the water would backup through the system to drip on on my feet.

Got under the front of the car, found the pipe which has a rubber sphincter on the end and after a bit of milking that pipe (sorry best description Icould come up with) I got about half a kilo of dirt out .. guessing over time it picked up dust which slowly got drawn in.

iamsammajor

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#2198351 15-Mar-2019 07:16

andrewNZ: It is common for this to be caused by something like a leaf stuck over the drain. Blowing it from underneath will likely be a temporary fix at best.

I think I need the temporary one then save up a bit. Only just paid for a holiday on Easter, now this, sigh.......

iamsammajor

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#2198352 15-Mar-2019 07:17

Mark:

May or may not help ... my Smart did the same thing, got my feet wet while driving, it was the drain that is supposed to drip on the outside floor, it got blocked and the water would backup through the system to drip on on my feet.

Got under the front of the car, found the pipe which has a rubber sphincter on the end and after a bit of milking that pipe (sorry best description Icould come up with) I got about half a kilo of dirt out .. guessing over time it picked up dust which slowly got drawn in.

what do you milk the pipe with?

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