My ac evaporator drains do not seem to drip and water when the ac is running, and there is a musty smell in the cabin when I start the ac.

The carpet on the passenger side is dry. I tried going underneath the car and putting a coat hanger up the drains from underneath but nothing came out. Also sprayed compressed air up there.

Is there another location under the dash where I can check to see if there is something clogging the evaporator drains?

 

Compressed air up through the drain tubes usually does the trick. Not too much.

Sometimes the scum clogs the tube again right away. Try a little mixture of detergent and bleach to kill it. Good luck. It can be frustrating and require several attempts to cure.

 

The problem for me is the drains seem perfectly clear. Perhaps the drains just weren't clogged after all? I just wonder why there is no water dripping

 

If it is clogged, I wonder if it is clogged on the evaporator side of the tubes which is impossible to reach with compressed air. How do I get inside there?

 

Does anyone have any idea how to get to the evaporator assembly under the dash?

 

Alan,

I had a similar problem with an XJS when I lived in Ga. Apparently the climate promotes algae growth in the ac unit. I had a hell of a time getting it cleared out. The most effective apparatus was a small rag swab on the end of a coat hanger.

Following cautions apply:

1. if you get the apparatus stuck up in there you could pull the drain off. Not good.
2. if the swab comes off your coat hanger it becomes a new obstruction. Not good either.
3.if the coat hanger penetrates the evaporator you are in a world of hurt. OMG scenario.

 

If there is a clog, I think it is too far up for me to reach. I put the coat hangar as far up as it would go (gently). I've definitely dislodged a drain tube before and it was not fun having the floor fill with water from the ac over weeks of use.

The clog's probably on the evaporator pan or something. How do I access it? I don't want to tear up the dash if I don't have to. On previous cars I could disconnect the tube from under the carpet.

 

Well it seems like water is indeed coming out of the car when the AC is on, just at a rate that doesn't seem normal. Also, it doesn't seem to be coming out of the side drains, it appears to be coming out of the middle somewhere. I have visitors in town this weekend, so the car has been driven all weekend chauffeuring them around, and I have not had time to investigate further.

I wonder if the drain has somehow become disconnected (I assure you I was very careful with my clothes hanger), and where I can reconnect it. I don't feel any wet carpet in the car, and I guess it really isn't that muggy inside. The musty smell seems to have decreased.

 

Stay with it Alan. It sounds like you are gaining on it. My experience is that the "gook" tends to reform and collect around the drain requiring one to do the clearing procedure more than once to get ahead of it.

Seems to me that that if you had pulled the drain tube loose you would have no water on the ground at all.

Relative to coat hangers, being too stiff/thick is not a good thing. I know this goes against the male instincts. Mechanics wire is a better material to use.

 

It's amazing how big the diameter of these tubes is. It's almost an inch! Other cars I have had (including other luxury cars) have only had tubes with about half inch diameter!

 

Well, I started the car for the first time in about a week, and had the A/C running. It's very hot here (maybe 95 degrees or so) and very humid. I did not notice any water coming out the bottom, and there also seems to be a "gurgling" sound coming from somewhere (like water is stuck somewhere?) that seems to be there when the car is cold, but seems to go away as it warms up. Could this be related to the drains not functioning properly?

Also, nobody has answered my question about how to access the evaporator drain from inside the car. I assume it comes out from under the dash somewhere, but where?!

 

FWIW, Brutal and I have been exchanging PMs. He said that on the XJ, drain problems are not common, and that if I DID have a problem, my car would have a lot of water in the carpet, which it does not.

I guess it's just not that humid today (40% or so). It sure is hot, though! (My car is reading 100 degrees, and it's been parked in the shade for a week!)