Results 1 to 2 of 2

Thread: A/C condensate leaking into cab but also appears to be draining ok

  1. #1
    Formerly "mlelsafe"
    Name:

    mikelemoine's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Orlando, FL
    Posts
    995
    Like
    0
    Liked 1 Time in 1 Post

    A/C condensate leaking into cab but also appears to be draining ok

    Has anyone had experience with water leaking into the cab from the A/C even though the A/C seems to be draining fine? I noticed a few months ago that my 03 Shamu had a musty smell again (last year the rear window leaked-fixed that). I found the carpet on the passenger side was saturated, moldy and had browiniish gunk under the padding.
    I don't drive it much, but noticed every time I took it to my buddy's house about 40 minutes away I'd have sinus issues and a sore throat that night. I thought it was pollen, but turns out it was mold in my truck and it was making me sick. I gutted the interior and deep cleaned everything and am ready to reassemble, but I need to fix the leak first. We sprayed it and left it in the rain and no water at all. As soon as I turn on the A/C, water is running in around the foam pad that is in the firewall pass through.
    Everything I've found says it's a clogged A/C drain, but it pisses a good stream out on the ground with it on. The headers are making it really difficult to get direct access to it to try to blow it out for good measure, but I'm just doubting that it's clogged since it drains so fast. It really appears like the water sticks to the tube and runs back into the cab like when you use a garden hose and water runs down the bottom of your arm and soaks your shirt!

    Any ideas? Can it be clogged just enough to have a nice stream but still overflow, is the foam grommet around the tube supposed to stop the water intrusion? I saw a TSB for 04 up that added an elbow to the tube to stop water intrusion, so I'm thinking of that. I can't put the interior back in until I get it sorted out. We were going to tear the dash out and do the heater core (been disconnected 10 years) but my buddy and I both have such bad neck problems we can't do that kind of work anymore. I don't care about the heater anyway being in Florida, but I need my A/C to work and definitely don't want mushrooms growing in the floorboards!

    On a positive note, I was able to add some sound deadening material and insulation to the floor and roof so it should be quiet and have even better A/C performance when it's back together. Yeah, I'm getting old and chose to add heavy sound deadener. A/C and quiet is more important than it used to be:-).
    Thanks in advance for any advice.

  2. #2
    Formerly "mlelsafe"
    Name:

    mikelemoine's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Orlando, FL
    Posts
    995
    Like
    0
    Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
    Update in case anyone runs into this issue. After finally disassembling the inner fender well and removing a plastic cover over the drain, it was the foam bushing around the drain that was deteriorated. Water was running out of the drain and clinging to the bottom side of the pipe and running right through the firewall into the cab since the bushing had shrunk and left a little space around the drain. There is a TSB for newer F150s to add a 90 degree elbow to the fitting and that would appear to help with this as well. We ended up using body seam sealer around it to repair the gasket/grommet. No more leaks!

    So if your passenger side carpet is getting wet but your drain is still dumping AC condensate outside, you might have this issue as well.
    Mike

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •