Question about A/C condensation drain.

Hello TW,

I was checking my air filter the other day and I noticed that there was a drain tube sticking out of the firewall and dripping water all over this wire and into the frame. It is located on the right side of the firewall.


I am concerned that eventually this wire is going to short out and/or the water that makes it inside the frame will eventually rust out. I think this tube is way too short and needs to be relocated. I can't help but wonder if this is the same for everyone else. Can you guys confirm this in your trucks ( I have a 2013 regular cab 5-spd)?

 

That wire is the O2 sensor wire. I would think there would be enough heat from the Cat to evaporate the water.

 

My 2013 double cab off-road is the same way. I was also worried about rust from the water that drips out of it onto the frame, so ended up getting cans of fluid film and sprayed that whole area good as well as the rest of my frame. I plan on touching it up once a year.

 

My 2011 has started to surface rust from the inside of the frame from that drain line. Just put a 5/8 hose over it to drain it at the bottom. Dealer said its just surface rust thats normal. Have 14 k on the truck/garage kept/never seen snow. Also had a spot on one of the welds.

 

Good find. It isn't a major issue, but I'm sure many would prefer it didn't drip there. I have some spare hose handy and will probably try to divert it around as well. I just want to make sure the weight of the addition doesn't tear the boot loose where it comes through the firewall. I seems Toyota could have just added another foot or so to the line, instead of penny pinching.

 

The hose that comes out of the firewall is so thin and flimsy. I couldnt use a clamp . I put a 5/8 hose over it and tied the hose in a few different places as i routed it through the frame and made it come out of the frame below the motor. Driven it for a couple weeks now and the hose dosent move. Not a drop of water on the frame either.

 

Yeah, I looked at it and felt how thin it was, which is why I figured if I add the additional hose, I'm going to have to have a plan of attack to find good supports for it, like you did. I'd prefer the water went straight to the ground vs. running over this and through that.

 

Yup...brilliant design huh :/ $6 at Pep Boys - they have butt style connectors for connecting hoses end to end, 2 small hose clamps and 2ft of hose will be long enough to run it back under the cab and dump below the frame. Just a couple of zip ties and it will look nice. I couldn't find anything to fit over it snug enough that I thought it would not vibrate off which is why I used the clamp set up. My truck had a ton of surface rust from that problem, the water was running a few feet down the frame and even inside the frame. Cleaning the rust inside the frame was not fun.

 

Thanks for the reply guys. There are some good ideas here to fix this. I can't believe Toyota designed it this way. I am glad I caught this early on.

 

I thought that one spot was bad. I think im going to paint the frame with rustoleum.

 

Simple enough to add an extension and drain it away from anything and no more worries.

 

If you drive your truck in the rain (?!?) you shouldn't be terribly worried about a little drip of water here and there. The wires and connectors are 'water resistant' so as long as you aren't submerging the whole front end for extended periods you should be fine.

My truck is the same way and I can confirm that after 8 years of snowy roads and heavy rain that wire is working just fine.

 

Maybe toyota is afraid that a longer hose is more likely to clog & back up into the cab? I had a Celica once that had that problem.

 

One of the first mod I made.

I have my screw driver pointing to the hose.



In this pic, you can see the hose from under the truck.

 

Come take a look at my truck if you want proof - the only rust on the entire chassis is from that AC condensation drain. I live in San Diego we get about 1" of rain per year pretty conclusive evidence that " a little drip of water " can do a ton of damage. It's not just a little drip it's a small puddle every time you park and when you live in a warm climate and run your AC every day it is water boarding for your frame...

 

Simple and easy fix, I like.

 

What size hose is that, Coupe?

Agreed, same for south Texas. It pretty much means that every time the key is turned, you're going to have this water running down there, much of the "winter" too. If it can be avoided, then why wouldn't someone take a few minutes to do that?

 

I used my A/C a lot this year (especially the last couple of weeks with 100+ degree days) and after being parked for awhile there's quite a huge puddle of water under my truck. I could only imagine how much of it sits in the frame!

 

On my truck, the cat isn't close enough to the wire. After the engine has shut down for a few minutes, that wire is soaked. It's already discolored quite a bit.

 

I can also confirm that extending the hose simply wouldn't work in a colder climate because of freezing concerns. Yes, you rarely use your A/C when its cold out, but left over condensation can build up and some situations require A/C even in the cold.

I'm sure in a desert environment this would be one of the biggest causes of rust on the truck, i'm not disagreeing with that. What I am disagreeing with is that this is an issue. If a truck can last 20 years up north in what we put them through, that one slightly rusty spot will not cause your frame to fail in that same timeframe. I'm doubtful that puddle would even start to cause moderate scaling after a decade.