i just got a 2007 XK and was already aware of the issue with the duckbill draining problem. so, i got with the car some service records that stated that the problem had been corrected at 19K miles under the warranty. recently my passenger got a small amount of water on the feet at a start from a stop. i have used a borescope to look at the duckbill and it does look like some crud has accumulated at the tip but i can't tell that it has been cut or anything. this morning i drove the car approx. 50 miles with the air on, did some hard stopping and accelerations to see if water came down in the footwell area. no sign of any water ( i put blue shop paper towels down on the floor so any water would show up well ). towels are dry, carpet is dry, no puddle onb the garage floor, so my question is, how long does the air have to run to get any amount of water accumulated throughout the drain system to begin to spill into the footwell?

 

One procedure is to set the vents to the dash vents close all the dash vents and run the blower on full - I open the center vents and close then open and repeat.

 

did that, no water on the garage floor, no water in the footwell.

 

i just don't know how much condensation the system produces. if it takes quite a while to accumulate before it spills into the footwell then i may not see it until the air is run for quite some time. taking a 200 mile trip this weekend so maybe something will show up.

 

Hit it with a leaf blower in a vent with it blowing full, but not for long. It'd mess with the car's blower fan.

 

The fact that you got some water at some point, and the duckbill appears to have ‘crud’, makes me think you’re going to have the problem again, even if it seems to have ‘fixed’ itself for the moment.
Depending on when the service was done, they may have simply replaced the clogged duckbill with another of the same design. And now the problem repeats. Cut it off, and stay dry.

 

@fishbait1 The duckbill issue is not the only reason for condensate drain problems. The cabin air filter cleans outside air drawn into the cabin but not air already in the cabin. Dust on the passenger floorboard is easily drawn into the HVAC. Some dust is carried with the condensate out of the system. However, a small accumulation of dust in the condensate pan promotes the growth of mold and mildew.
That accumulation can help retain condensate and more dust. Over time, the growth can completely block the condensate drain. During mold/mildew buildup, you may notice a stinky smell, especially during humid weather.

Try using your borescope to view the condensate pan (lower end of evaporator) via the fan duct. Remove the fan resistor for access.
Post-duckbill modification, I used a large funnel with plastic tubing, elevated outside the cabin, to add WD40 aluminum safe cleaner followed by a hot water flush.
Caution: small quantities at first as the volume is small.
With borescope positioned at the modified duckbill, I watched the slow emergence of sludge followed by free-flowing water.
Now: condensate flows perfectly and no stinky smell.


PS: per Stuart S:
Lots of duckbill threads on this Forum. It's easier to reach it from the top on an XK because there is no supercharger in the way. The duckbill is inside a hole and it's helpful if you have a skinny arm!

See:
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...lution-149349/

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...s-like-176954/

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...-issue-222857/

 

i was able to make a tool to reach into the hole and massage the tip of the duckbill. all of the crud that was on the tip came off. i drove it 500 miles this weekend on a family visit with the air on the whole time and no water in the footwell. others mentioned they had a puddle of water under the car when they parked. i have had no puddles or any other signs of water leakage. i would think after 500 miles there would be some water showing up if there was a drain problem. i will monitor it to see what happens, in any case there is a shop in town that does foreign cars that said they could drop the trans and cut off the end of the buckbill. that may be the option down the road.

 

There SHOULD be water below the car on the pavement if the system operates correctly, but that is dependent upon the humidity in the area. The higher the humidity, the more water is condensed and should drain out the duckbill.
Me, I have very little condensation drip since the air here is very dry. There is some, but not much.

 

i live in eastern Washington state, desert all around. 104, 95, mid 90's last week and summer is just starting. you don't sweat here you bake .

 

@fishbait1 ,
You can test the AC drain by adding water to the condensate pan. As previously mentioned, remove the fan resistor and feed plastic tube down into the pan. Add a few ounces at a time and see what happens.
Repeated exposure to condensate overflow will damage the fan motor as shown: Duck-bill, wet floor fan motor aftermath - Jaguar Forums - Jaguar Enthusiasts Forum

 

I presently am doing the secondary drainage laid out by rm1111 and Denver DDS. My evaporator plate drain is in place and draining to a plastic bottle, while I'm installing the lower drain next to the tranny. Will let everyone know if I'm successful.

 

The above drain is catching about 80% of the water but the 20% dripping onto the floor comes from around the electric blower. Not. good!

 

I will be adding a second drain and possibly tap a few drain holes in the electric motor housing, of the blower.

 

Seems to be a lot of holes, when snipping the duckbill would allow the water to drain where it was intended.

 

I don't feel like asking an independent garage to do it by removing a Cat Converter. My effort over the transmission failed, and I am doing a list of repairs at home now, before the intense summer heat that lasts just 3 weeks.

 

Quite awhile ago some member I can't remember decided to cut through the heater box on the bottom PAX side and clear the duckie that way. Then he repaired the I think 2" x 2" hole with the cut piece and some metal tape. The pics showed nothing obvious as the carpet covered the tape, which could be made the correct color anyway. I'd probably do it this way, but I don't have this problem.

 

How much condensate is produced depends upon too many variables (relative humidity, external air temp, internal set temps, etc) to have a single, simple answer. In my experience, this duckbill problem, like many others, can be avoided/postponed-almost-indefinitely by frequent regular usage. My 2008 XK has done 110,000 miles with almost no problems. I use it at least 4 times a week when I drive at least 10 miles; maybe once a month, I drive 150-200 miles in a day. I am now 81 and expect it to see my driving days out. Of course, I live in the South of England, so see no extremes of temperature.

Rubber suspension boots, shock dampers, water hoses, are all still original and undeteriorated. I have had the gearbox oil and pan changed and the drive belts replaced on a precautionary basis. I had disks and pads replaced a year ago. Every 12 months, when the MOT is done, I have an engine oil and filter change. I change the air filters myself every 18-24 months. I have fitted a water temperature gauge to the computer socket, so I hope I will get an early warning of any water leakage and I shall stop immediately. Whenever I move away from a parking place, I look for signs of any leakage on the tarmac.

The only failure in my tenancy (I have had it for 5 years and from 70,000 miles) has been one rear window regulator, which I managed to replace on my own but it was a struggle. The Forum was a great help with this.

I still find it an extraordinarily cheap purchase for a hugely comfortable car that gives me great pleasure just to drive. And occasionally, the power available allows safe overtaking on our congested roads when no ordinary car could.

I read all relevant Forum posts out of concerned interest, but I do feel that doing so tends to make one feel that they are problematic cars. In my experience, if used and maintained regularly, they are very reliable, and hugely satisfying to own and drive.

 

My drains on the evaporator plate only work for 80% of the water so back to step one.
I reformed the wires to go under the firewall above the center of the transmission and enter the large circular hole as before, but added left a hook to reach the passenger side of the hole and rise up 1.5 inches, to a sharp point. Some good vigorous movements must have opened the duckbill quite quickly.
In England it may be said, "spot on"!

 

Is it an absolute given that every XK150 will have a duck bill failure? I'm always listening to my a/c (which whistles when starting up for a few minutes) and reach over to the passenger floor expecting a "Poseidon Adventure". So far so good, and the a/c is blasting every day in heat ridden Florida. Always crossing my fingers. Between watching the cooling system, and the passenger floor, it's a full time job!