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On my 1995 940 my passenger floormat is wet and there is a water leak at the evaporator cover. I can feel that the grommet (from the car interior) is wet and spongy and about an inch above that it is also wet. I poked a wire from the engine side into the drain and it appears to not be plugged up. I could move the wire around freely as though it were going into the drain area. So what is the likely cause of the leak? I did notice that the cover is attached upward with a series of screws and there is a small gap near the front-most screw but I'm thinking "so what" cause the water should be draining out cause it ain't plugged. I cant see in there but is there a small breakable part (a tube) that is part of the cover and that is inserted into something (I don't know what)? Maybe that tube broke internally. I've seen pictures that suggest there is a tube. If it breaks then what? Can I insert my own little tube to make up for it? Anyway, I've read a faq that suggests removing the cover is extremely difficult so I don't think I can just explore here. Lastly, why is is wet about one inch higher than the drain tube area. By that, I mean that some of the spongy material that looks like it may be sort of a a filler is saturated. That's seems a bit too high if the problem was merely the drainage at the tube. But I don't really know.One my trip of about 1000 miles I would guess about a quart of water was dumped in the floormat area. I'm on a trip right now so I'm hoping I can get it fixed for the return trip. Thanks. Also (from the engine side) there is no tube extension - is there supposed to be?
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Remove the cowling, maybe one or two bolts on either side and one in the middle tucked behind some wiring. Remove two plastic gutters which is the source of the leak since water is getting in from the vents. The gutters are glued in with a semi soft when warm butyl material. Clean it off and reseal with the same or use RTV.
The pic is from a new purchase where the screen was caved in and when this happens it is a leaf magnet. Even the fan, visible with the gutters removed, was loaded with leaves. It was not leaking but the gutters had to be removed to get to the top of the fan.
Tom
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As Spook notes, the evap drain can be plugged. One potential fix is to remove the passenger kickpanel, drill a hole in the plenum upstream of the evap, and use a narrow vacuum tube to suck out debris. Use a fish tape or other probe to unclog the drain tube, then vacuum the last bits out. Seal the hole with aluminum tape.
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See the 700/900 "FAQ" at the menu bar top screen left side.
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Thanks for comments. Am I right in thinking that the "tube" is on the inside of the evaporator cover so I am not supposed to be able to see it? When I probe with a hanger wire it seems as if I can freely move it without obstruction. Today I will run the AC and really observe the situation. I wonder if there are any pictures showing where to drill a hole - even though for now I am not ready to do that. I will also make a tube that extends into the engine compartment. I am away from home so I can't do everything I'd like but I'm working on solutions. Thanks for info.
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The FAQ has a diagram of the plenum area:
http://www.brickboard.com/FAQ/700-900/HeatingAirConditioning.htm#EvaporatorReplacementTips
You can remove the blower motor resister for access as well. I drilled a small hole just inboard of that to give access to the far reaches of the cavity. You need to be careful not to drill into the evaporator.
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See the 700/900 "FAQ" at the menu bar top screen left side.
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Okay - on my return trip from Florida the AC was generating a lot of water like this:
1. It drips onto the floormat and seems to come from the passenger right knee area (right side of car near that jetronic box) but also by grommet where I think the ac tubing exits the cab. It gets fuzzy because stuff is wet and I can't get a perfect fix on the leak.
2. When I pulled into a rest stop slowing from 70 mph to 10 to zero I could see upon inspection that I had trailed water into my parking space. There was a arc of water perhpas five feet before my parking space that trailed all the way to my parked position. So it looks like slowing the car forces the water forward and out.
3. One big question I have. Is there supposed to be a visible tube that extends into the engine compartment. I can only see the rubber grommet with no extension. Maybe this means my tube is broken? Also, as I noticed last week - there seems to be no obstruction when I probe with a coat hanger from the engine compartment. It seems to be not plugged up.
I just wanted to post this because now I know that my real problem is the AC and there is only a minor cowling leak from rainfall. (Like a tablespoon after 20 minutes) If there is a broken tube I don't really know how I would fix that. It looks like removal of the fan cover tends to result in a lot of broken plastic and might make things worse. I'm pretty bad with handling plastic too. So, should that tube extend out where I can really see a tube sticking out?
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Dear Horatio,
Hope you're well. Where the A/C condensate drain comes through the firewall, there is no factory-inxtalled tubing extending downward from the drain. The drain protrudes about 1/4" (6.5mm) into the engine compartment.
Because I did not want water running along the floor pan, I put in vinyl tubing, that takes the water below the floor pan. I inserted the vinyl tubing about 1/4" into the drain, and sealed the connection with black butyl rubber sealant.
No water leaks into the passenger cabin.
Hope this helps.
Yours faithfully,
Spook
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Okay - I have returned from my trip to Florida and have removed some carpet to reveal the area of a leak caused by my a/c use. It seems that the evaporator drain tube is not plugged (it lets out water to the ground) yet I have a leak in the area where I am pointing the pencil in the cabin - actually that foam gets saturated. Also the foam on the other side. I can't figure this out becasue I can't get back there to see anything. Any ideas? It seems like it is not the drain tube but the area around it - though I don't see how??? I would like to somehow glop it up with goo but I think I would still not really reach the leak.
I hope this image works here.
[URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v241/pixhopwow/?action=view¤t=volvoleak.jpg][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v241/pixhopwow/th_volvoleak.jpg[/IMG][/URL]Thanks.
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Dear Horatio,
Hope you're well. If your picture is taken from the center console, looking towards the firewall, then it seems to me that someone tried to seal the area. The yellow foam seems like that which comes out of a spray can. It does not seem to have been applied with the care (precision), that a car-maker would take, if only to avoid waste of material (and so save a penny or so). Such foam will stop a flow of air. It won't do much to contain water.
Can you provide a picture looking up at the area, to which the pencil points?
How the leak should be plugged, depends on the materials present and their shape.
Generally, to plug a low-pressure water leak, butyl rubber - a black, sticky sealant much used by heating and air-conditioning (HVAC) installed - is ideal. It adheres strongly, is very flexible, and does not harden. You should be able to get some from a plumbing supply house. It will come as a "tape", either flat or in a round "bead".
I would not apply butyl - or any other sealant - over the yellow foam, because the foam is porous, and so allowed water to flow through it. Butyl should go between the solid materials, e.g., plastics or metal.
Hope this helps.
Yours faithfully,
Spook
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Thanks for comments. I will get better photos. But for now I will say that the picture was taken from about from where the passenger's shins are. I don't really think that the foam was added on because it looks like it is the backing to the rubbery padding that is supposed to be there. But it does look like the cover squished it in an odd way. It really does look odd to me too. Like someone put the cover in and the padding was just 'in the way' and it is sorta squished. But I was also worried that it was *supposed* to look like that - as a filler or something.
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I agree with Spook: somebody tried to kludge a fix to a cracked evap cover. Remove the foam, apply butyl tape around the area of the leak, and hope for the best.
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See the 700/900 "FAQ" at the menu bar top screen left side.
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Dear horatio,
Hope you're well. Is there any scent of coolant, or is the water condensate? A leak in the heater core often leads to wet carpets, in the passenger's footwell.
The condensate drain opening protrudes about 1/4" (6.5mm) from the firewall. I put a drain tube into that opening, and sealed it with butyl rubber. Butyl rubber is a sticky, flexible, black sealant, much used in heating and air-conditioning work. The extended - lightweight, flexible plastic - keeps the condensate from being blown onto the underside of the floor pan.
I've never had to take apart the evaporator/heater core housing. To test if the drain is working, dry the carpets as best you can. Ideally, park the car nose down on steep hill. This will cause any condensate to drain towards the drain opening in the firewall.
Extend the drain as above, and put a plastic bag at the end of the extended tube. Run the air-conditioner with the car parked. If the condensate drain system is clear, condensate should run into the bag. If none does, the drain is plugged, even though it seems clear. If the dry or semi-dry carpets are saturated, there is a leak in the evaporator housing.
If you can find the leak, dry the area and apply butyl rubber. You likely can get butyl rubber from a place that installs auto glass, or from a heating/air-conditioning supply house.
Hope this helps.
Yours faithfully,
Spook
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Okay- here is the update. Peeling back carpet and such I found that the A/C does not cause a leak but I can get a leak when, using a garden hose, I direct water into the vents in the cowling at the bottom of the windshield. So maybe something is plugged up there. I read the faq on that. I can observe more water draining from the left side than the right (through those ducts or whatever they are called). So, I'll remove the cowling when I get a chance.
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Dear horatio,
Hope you're well. Is there a mesh screen underneath the air intake grille, that is molded into the cowl? If not, someone could have removed it. If it is present, put not in place directly under the air intake grilles, you can re-adhere it with butyl rubber, as below.
If the mesh is missing, when you remove the cowl, take some window screen, cut it to fit, and adhere it to underside of the air intake grille. To adhere the screen - or to re-adhere the mesh - use butyl rubber. The mesh - or the screen - will keep debris - leaves, pines needles, etc. - out of the air intake. This will prevent debris from plugging the drain holes.
To ensure a lasting repiar, clean the underside of the grille bars with rubbing alcohol. Press a strip of butyl rubber onto the cleaned underside of the first, last and every third grille bar.
Lay the piece of screen (cut to fit) atop the butyl. Press the screen onto the butyl, so that butyl oozes through the holes in the screen. The butyl will form a row of "dots". Then, apply a strip of butyl atop each row of butyl dots, and press firmly. The upper and lower butyl strips will bond to each other, locking the screen into place. This will ensure that the screen stays in place for a very long time.
Hope this helps.
Yours faithfully,
Spook
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Thanks for the info. Today I thought I'd remove the cowling but I'm wondering about the wisdom of that (given my skill level). I'm not sure how to detach the rubber strip at the windshield from the metal of the cowling. Is it glued? Or just looks that way? Thanks.
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The plastic strip at the bottom of the windshield is attached to the cowling and comes off with the panel. Ditto the rubber strip under the hood. Per the FAQ, remove wiper arms and rubber hole covers, remove three cowl fixing bolts, open the hood, and pull the cowl panel back using your fingers in the wiper cutouts. Then rotate it up and pull it out toward the windshield. Piece of cake.
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See the 700/900 "FAQ" at the menu bar top screen left side.
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Wow! Thanks, maybe I will try it then. Today I did more testing with the garden hose and I noticed the following:
1. Running water down the cowling vent I could see water drain from the right and left side of the car down these built in drain channels.
2. The driver side always seems to drain more water than the passenger side (and it is on the passenger side that I have the interior leak).
3. I shot some water and snaked a tube up the passenger side drain and a small amount of leafy stuff came out (maple seeds) but not much.
4. I ran a lot of water down the vent (like 20 minutes - strong stream) and only got about 1/2 teaspoon on the floor - however the fan motor area (where the fan bolts upwards) has water coming outward (as though the fan housing is filling with water and then it is seeping outward from there. However I don't think this is really happening because the fan seems to work fine and no sloshing sound is heard.
Anyway, I am now wondering if I unplugged enough matter so that even with an extreme rain I would only leak an insignificant amount. I am also wondering if this can be unplugged with a snake (maybe a wire) instead of removing the cowling. (But I may just remove the cowling, regardless).
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Dear Horatio,
Hope you're well. If you want "to snake" the drain tube, use soft iron wire, 1/16" in diameter. I'd guess you need about three feet.
Be sure, to round the cut end, using a file or sandpaper. That ensures there are no rough edges, to snag the rubber and punch a hole.
Alternatively, after rounding one end, fold 1/4" it backwards, so the wire is doubled at one end. Use a pliers to press the folded-over section against the full-length.
If you hit an obstacle, pull back and press gently. If the obstacle doesn't yield, you'll have to pull the cowl and clear the blockage from above.
Hope this helps.
Yours faithfully,
Spook
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There is a water shield under the cowl that has to be mounted under the windshield with waterproof butyl tape. Guaranteed that has come loose.
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See the 700/900 "FAQ" at the menu bar top screen left side.
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