AC dripping

[084runnerltd]

I bought the vehicle with a cracked windshield, so I paid out of pocket to replace it. (No Toyota dealership for a few hours, closest Lexus dealership is 8 hours away).

I called the shop and they are getting me in today at 130 for a leak test.

However, they called back about 5 minutes after I hung up and asked if it had a moonroof....

Guessing they will blame it on that, regardless of what they really find. (Maybe that is just my negative attitudes towards repair shops...)

Is there anyway I can rule out, or at least gain some knowledge as to whether or not it is leaking from the moonroof?

If it was the moonroof, would it leak down to the passenger side floor board?

Sorry I know I am kind of turning this thread off topic....

See if your insurance will even consider replacing with OEM. I hear it can take some convincing. Lot of threads on here describing the common mistakes made with installing them that can lead to a bad seal.

 

[CruiseLanderAZ]

I bought the vehicle with a cracked windshield, so I paid out of pocket to replace it. (No Toyota dealership for a few hours, closest Lexus dealership is 8 hours away).

I called the shop and they are getting me in today at 130 for a leak test.

However, they called back about 5 minutes after I hung up and asked if it had a moonroof....

Guessing they will blame it on that, regardless of what they really find. (Maybe that is just my negative attitudes towards repair shops...)

Is there anyway I can rule out, or at least gain some knowledge as to whether or not it is leaking from the moonroof?

If it was the moonroof, would it leak down to the passenger side floor board?

Sorry I know I am kind of turning this thread off topic....

Maybe block off the moonroof with something (perhaps a trashbag and painters tape?) and only spray the windshield to isolate the windshield being the problem.

 

[Dwight S]

Run your AC on high until you see a water puddle under passenger side, behind front tire. Then rub your hand under passenger side dash along the bottom of the black housing of the AC condenser. If your hand is wet, replace the cooler gasket mentioned in this thread.

 

[084runnerltd]

Thanks I will give that a try.


The shop tested the windshield for leaks and found none, they also said that they added some additional sealant.

I dumped some water into the sunroof drain holes and everything drains as normal.

I found a cut in the rubber on the A-pillar that I filled with silicone. Not sure if the outer layer that runs along the a-pillar is actually a seal or just cosmetic...either way it is sealed up now.

Next test will be as Dwight stated, run he AC on full bore for a while...

Run your AC on high until you see a water puddle under passenger side, behind front tire. Then rub your hand under passenger side dash along the bottom of the black housing of the AC condenser. If your hand is wet, replace the cooler gasket mentioned in this thread.

 

[Gnarwgn]

@084runnerltd -

What you are describing taking place on the floor of passenger side is exactly what I have experienced.

I think the answer is the cooler gasket as pointed out by folks on the thread.

Here are some shots of what that looks like, did this last night and hoping to never see wet floor again:

 

[084runnerltd]

I ordered the gasket, but can’t seem to duplicate the issue. Thanks for the pics though.

@084runnerltd -

What you are describing taking place on the floor of passenger side is exactly what I have experienced.

I think the answer is the cooler gasket as pointed out by folks on the thread.

Here are some shots of what that looks like, did this last night and hoping to never see wet floor again:

View attachment 1751678

View attachment 1751680

View attachment 1751681

View attachment 1751683

 

[jerryb]

Park uphill and run your ac. It will for sure drain to the floor if the packing is old and deteriorated.

 

[084runnerltd]

Thanks, I will give it a try.

Park uphill and run your ac. It will for sure drain to the floor if the packing is old and deteriorated.

 

[mdcoa]

Has the noise repeated? If not, it may have been debris in the blower fan, under the dash. Here's a link showing the blower motor.
HVAC Fan / Blower Chirping / Screeching Sound

A search may yield more results to help you.

I would start by removing and cleaning the blower motor of any debris.

If your A/C is working fine, it isn't the evaporator. The drip is coming from the bottom of the evaporator cover as mentioned above. Pretty easy fix, if you have the will to do it. 30 minutes to an hour, taking your time.

Take the part number listed above to the dealer, or you could use some type of form-a-gasket from a autoparts store, but the correct way to fix it is with the "cooler packing" listed above.

Here's quick instructions I shared with someone else a month or two ago...

To get to the evaporator, remove the glove box first, two screws underneath. The evaporator cover is a pain to get out. 8 screws hold it on. Two in top corners, 2 bottom and 2 each side. There is also a bolt in the lower left corner going through the edge of the dash, a metal brace behind it and the bolt is up against the evaporator cover. Remove antenna relay from cover and disconnect harness. Gently pull cover loose from the evaporator housing. It WILL NOT drop out. It takes some twisting, cussing and pulling. You will need to gently pull out on the bottom of the dash cross brace, where glove box attaches and the metal brace you removed the bolt from. I slid the cover down some to clear the top part and rotated it clockwise. Then pulled the brace out gently and lifted the cover out through the glove box hole.

While you have the cover off, vacuum out the debris in the evaporator housing, you'll see what I mean when you open it up.

The old gasket is in the groove on the evaporator housing. On the new gasket, one end is slightly fatter than the rest. That end goes up in the groove in behind the metal brace, left side. Can't really see it too well.... the gasket is friction fit and kind of hard to get it seated. I used a small controls, flat blade screwdriver to push against the gasket and seat it. My fat fingers wouldn't do the trick. The housing went back in easier than I thought it would.

Great post--probably the most concise summary of what needs to be done in the 30-some odd pages of posts in various threads I reviewed last night. Thanks for it. (very belatedly)

I converted my evaporator housing to accept filters about a year ago. This summer my wife noticed moisture at the bottom of the housing. I ordered a new gasket and disassembled. And what did I find? That I'm dumb sometimes. I had put the gasket in the skinny groove IN THE COVER instead of the groove in the housing it belongs in. . .

Interestingly, there was no old seal in the housing--I'll bet it came off with old (no filter hole) cover I removed and I didn't even notice it. . .

New seal properly installed; old one removed from the place it doesn't belong to keep it from interfering with the seal. Let's hope for dry feet for the wife next summer!

Here’s how not to do it:

 

[bdobyns]

Great post--probably the most concise summary of what needs to be done in the 30-some odd pages of posts in various threads I reviewed last night. Thanks for it. (very belatedly)

I converted my evaporator housing to accept filters about a year ago. This summer my wife noticed moisture at the bottom of the housing. I ordered a new gasket and disassembled. And what did I find? That I'm dumb sometimes. I had put the gasket in the skinny groove IN THE COVER instead of the groove in the housing it belongs in. . .

Interestingly, there was no old seal in the housing--I'll bet it came off with old (no filter hole) cover I removed and I didn't even notice it. . .

New seal properly installed; old one removed from the place it doesn't belong to keep it from interfering with the seal. Let's hope for dry feet for the wife next summer!

Here’s how not to do it:

View attachment 2837267

My wife just said the same thing. I converted my a few months ago and never gave this any thought since I drive. Time to pull it out and put in a new seal.

 

[Nightbrew]

Got my first drips this weekend. First try with string trimmer line to clean out the drain. I can only get the trimmer line in a couple of inches or so, and I hit something solid. Does the drain tube turn or bend there, or did I just find the problem? Thanks

 

[BullElk]

You are referring to AC drain correct? You may be hitting the big fat evaporator right in front of drain? Try to go to the left a bit. Is it draining at all?

 

[plainjanefjc]

Mine drips like crazy on the outside under the truck out the drain so the drain is working yet I still get a few drips out the bottom of black box, maybe a drip every 5 minutes. Part of me wants to just seal it from the exterior like someone else suggested, maybe the bottom and an inch up both sides

 

[BullElk]

Mine drips like crazy on the outside under the truck out the drain so the drain is working yet I still get a few drips out the bottom of black box, maybe a drip every 5 minutes. Part of me wants to just seal it from the exterior like someone else suggested, maybe the bottom and an inch up both sides

That is an option with a clear RTV silicone option. Or take off glove box, evaporator cover and replace seal or use silicone in place of seal is also a very easy option.

 

[bdobyns]

Mine drips like crazy on the outside under the truck out the drain so the drain is working yet I still get a few drips out the bottom of black box, maybe a drip every 5 minutes. Part of me wants to just seal it from the exterior like someone else suggested, maybe the bottom and an inch up both sides

I would be concerned that sealing escape tube on the firewall will cause issues with the housing under the glove box filling up with condensation.

 

[plainjanefjc]

I would be concerned that sealing escape tube on the firewall will cause issues with the housing under the glove box filling up with condensation.

Im talking about the bottom portion of the black box under glove box. Really its a poor design, the 2 philips head screws in the corners are spread too far apart, not enough clamping force in the middle of the box.

 

[Nightbrew]

You are referring to AC drain correct? You may be hitting the big fat evaporator right in front of drain? Try to go to the left a bit. Is it draining at all?

Sorry, yes referring to ac drain. I haven’t been driving enough to see how much is draining, but there is some water at least coming out of it. I will try and keep to the left more and see what happens. Thanks

 

[TLCJC]

Photo of the drain spout in outside lower engine compartment? I’ve got to do this on both of my 470’s. Thanks guys for all of the details. Perfect timing for me.