A/C drain line

Yes I'm quite familiar with it. I saw your other AC post too and I doubt your drain is getting clogged. If it was the carpet up front would be soaked as the water will have to go somewhere. You'll know real quick if its clogged. Why is it getting clogged? Whats the condition of the cabin filter? It would take alot of debris to clog the drain line resulting in a clogged e-coil also.That debris would first have to get by the cabin filter...then through the e-coil but anyway:
If you lay down right behind the front pass wheel about 2 feet in is a little black rubber hose
thats jutting out of the firewall at a 70 degree angle. Put the air on full blast and you'll quickly see water dripping from it. You'll quickly see it but you cannot reach it without jacking the car up or putting the car on a lift.
Good luck & welcome to the STINKY PRIUS AC CLUB. You owe us membership dues btw.

 

I believe it is common for the drain to become blocked. This would be my first port of call if I had a smelly AC.

 

Common? Why? Whats happening? Whats in the condensate thats clogging the line? This car even has a cabin filter to prevent debris from getting in there to prevent that very problem. I don't ever remember owning any other car that got a clogged line. I wish it was that easy to fix the smelly problem but if the line is clogged you'll know it. The pass side floor will quickly get wet.But thats not why are cars are smelling.

 

I may have a clogged drain or dirty cabin filter too. During an 800+ round trip this weekend about the 4-5 hour point every time I made a turn water would drip on my foot. My first guess was AC condensation. I'd also like to see pics of the AC hose and cabin filter.

 

Wow, that's not good considering you have an '08. I'm curious as to what the dealer has to say about that. I finally over the weekend had the first few drips from my '08 from the A/C. In AZ it's so dry we usually only get the drip during our monsoon season where the humidity goes through the roof.

 

I will probably schedule maintenance at the dealer this week. I've only owned the car 3 months.

 

Algae and bacteria commonly build-up and clog AC drain lines. But, you're right, usually the water will drip into the passenger cabin.

 

Ahhh yes the telltale wet carpet. You didn't mention that on the first post. Very good. its clogged for sure. Wonder why? Have not seen alot of clogged lines on the Prius though. Although with all the stinky AC posts going around everyone immed. says the line is clogged. The people that say that do not have stinky cars. Thats not why the Prius stink. With a clogged line your complaint won't be smell from the AC it will be a wet carpet and a poor working AC system. It might stink cause your carpet is soaked with condensate but smelling will be the least of the problem. Its had for the e-coil to stink when its underwater.
I wonder...hows the maint. been on the cabin filter? Do you smoke? Dogs in the car alot? Correlation on the clogged line.

 

Ok...I like that but I have lived in Florida since 1982. Owned 35 cars since then..some new..some old..and always drive with AC on. Never once had a clogged AC line. Not once. Never had a stinky AC either or I would have sold it pronto much less than a stinky ac from a car 2 months old. I don't smoke. Car is detailed to the max. No pets in the car hardly ever except a very clean Sheltie once in a blue moon. Only me & the wife. I clean the cabin filter weekly. Its algae build up for sure but only on this car's system.

 

Went to the dealer today when I found the carpet under my floor mat wet last night. Previously read about cleaning the cabin air filter here, so it was clean. Asst Svc Mgr initially said "probably no charge" for clearing what I the suspected was a clogged a/c drain line. I have owned cars near 40 years, and as a paramedic have the same years experience with other vehicles. I've had heater cores go-no missing the antifreeze smell, color and feel. I never heard of clogged a/c drain line with a soaking wet carpet! I was not expecting what happened next. The ASM brought me to his office (everyone else he spoke to in the waiting room-oh oh!), and he told me the charge was $60, and carpet replacement is $1,300, if I would like that done. The tech said he had to clear the a/c drain hose "with a special tool," but didn't tell me where the hose was when I asked, so I might see for myself. (BTW Thanks for the direction to find it). It's out of warranty, and reading these posts sounds as if Toyota is not interested in seeing this as a system engineering issue. I still don't see how the water came into the front passenger floor, but I do not want it to happen again. Adding insult to injury the tech orASM noted "removed a gallon of water from clogged a/c drain line. Must be one large thick line, except forthe ? gallon in my carpet. I am calling the Toyota number listed to note the issue for what good it may do. Any more suggestions are appreciated. Thanks.

 

My husband's 2005 Prius has had this problem twice now. We first found the passenger floorboard soaked in April 2008, and again just this week. Our mechanic says it is a clogged AC drain, but can't seem to tell us how to fix it. He says you have to pull the entire dash. If we jack the car up and find the hose, how do we clean it? Can we find the hose if it is clogged such that water is not dripping from under the car but into the cabin instead? If dues are less than $70 per year, we will certainly come out ahead on this game!

 

Blow the hose out with compressed air. If it happens more than once in a while try to find the underlying cause.

There is a product called Frigi-fresh or something like that that you can spray into the evaporator area to kill the musty, mildewy smell. Mould and mildew are not something that you want in the car!

Icarus.

 

You can also clear it by poking a coat hanger or some such in the tube. We have two '98 Camry's that did this every 2 years.

 

We'll pick the car up from the mechanic today and see if we can find the tube. Hopefully, this will be easy and we can avoid future trips to the shop by being proactive with spraying the tube and changing the cabin filter at least quarterly. I assume that is often enough unless someone advises otherwise. Thanks.

 

1) There's a thread on another forum that covers where to find the OUTlet for the A/C draining hose, under the car. Have to admit that I was (1st-in-my-life) uneasy scooching that deep under the overhang weight of this much mass.
I was forbidden to post it as a hot link, but copy this to use at priusonline for "lot of water on front floor, passenger side" as a thread topic.

2) There's a video (sadly, in non-translated Russian!) that makes it entirely clear how to find the INTERNAL path of the drainage hose.
I was forbidden to post it as a hot link, but copy this to use inside YouTube's search: DncXkTq5WR0

3) After performing these 2 technical feats, and finding on each time a rewarding pint+ of clear, condensed H2O from each, I still worry that the obstruction along the rubber hose is still there.
I used a long screwdriver & then a straightened coat-hanger... but found no satisfying glop of mold or hair or insect debris.

If you have an answer, might be nice to post to both forums/threads.

- G

 

I have a cat-pee smell when starting the car.

I wanted to get a can of spray-up-the-drain-tube-cleaner at the Toyota dealer, but they only had one kind which cost 31€
Them doing it was 45€ (normally 60). So I figured getting the thing up on jacks and half an hours work is easily worth 14 euro's, so I had them do it.

Turns out they pull out the glove compartment, put the AC on full and recirculate and drop a spraycan in the car that is put on spray-continuously.

I have a strong feeling I payed 45 euro for a simple carperfume...

Please tell me it does more than that?

 

all this info was helpful I tried to DIY watched videos and consulted this forum! Lets hope I fixed my what would have been a $130 fix according to the dealer!

 

My filter looked better (and has been replaced since).

Thanks for the pictures! So I gently put something up that tube to see if it is blocked? Like installation wire? (e.g. solid 1.5mm^2 (~15AWG) wire with insulation). How much should I be able to put in there?