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No puddle under car after using the A/C

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by pasadena_commut, Jun 14, 2021.

  1. pasadena_commut

    pasadena_commut Senior Member

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    It has been hot lately here in SoCal and so the A/C in our 2007 has seen some use, and a lot more is expected soon. Oddly, when returning from trips no puddles/drips are appearing underneath the car. Every other car I have ever owned has dripped condensation under those conditions. So far no wet carpets, sloshing sounds, or any other of the typical symptoms of a blocked drain line. It does have the slightly moldy "A/C was used yesterday smell" which many other cars also have. Also the A/C was broken for most of the last hot season, until the dealer finally replaced the evaporator. I'm hoping those don't come with a plug in the outlet which must be removed during installation, since given the number of times they had it in the shop trying to fix the A/C, leaving a plug like that in would be about par for the course!

    There was a video on youtube for a "Prius" (no year given) showing the drain line running under the carpet in the front passenger foot well. Is that the position on a Gen 2, and is there a junction there that can be pulled apart to access the line up into the evaporator and down to the actual drain outlet?

    Thanks.
     
  2. Krokettenslayer

    Krokettenslayer Junior Member

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  3. Pdaddy

    Pdaddy Member

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    The carpet has a plastic backing. If its draining under the carpet it has to puddle up quite a bit to soak through. Hope that's not it. I had to take mine out and clean it from an ac leak.

    SM-G960U ?
     
  4. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    The easiest test probably is:
    After you arrive at home, let it sit running for a minute or two with the AC on and the fan on low (NOT on recirc.).
    Then shut it OFF and look under the car a minute or two later.
    Parking spot should be as level as possible.
     
  5. Priusjames

    Priusjames Member

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    Since nobody else has confirmed yet, my Gen 2 in SoCal leaves nice puddles.
     
  6. pasadena_commut

    pasadena_commut Senior Member

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    Drove it around with the A/C on in recirc mode, all windows up. The A/C was blowing nice and cold. Parked it in the driveway and waited. After a while it started dripping, but not very much, through an approximately 2" diameter round hole in a transverse grey metal member, about 2 feet in from the passenger side front wheel. Note it was dripping off the metal (hanging drops), at the point closest to the front of the car, not dropping cleanly through the hole. So it looks like the drain outlet is over the metal and not positioned to drip through it. The exhaust path is nearby and that metal is probably pretty warm, so it may be that most of the missing condensate is evaporating. I would need to jack up the car and crawl in there to see better.

    Presumably the drain is supposed to drop water through that hole rather than drip it onto the metal member?
     
  7. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    Not necessarily.
    When the car is in motion, the water won't stay where it drops for very long.