A/C Condensation Line

Hi all. Yesterday after a two hour highway drive I notice there was liquid beaded up on the front passenger side floor mat. It was definitely water. When I checked it more closely I noticed there was a small wet area on the carpet starting from in front of the center console to the floor mat. Figuring from my reading here that it was probably a clogged A/C condensate line I figured I'd monitor it on the drive home. After two hours of highway driving, not a drop. I just checked it again this morning and the small area that got wet on the carpet was bone dry and there was nothing on the mat. On the way down it was a hot, humid south Florida day that would typically cause a lot of condensation. The drive back was at night. The truck is still under warranty so I'd take it back to the dealer to let them clear the clog, but I can't very well take it there with no sign of a clog. Do these things ever clear themselves or is it possible it could be a partial clog that just got overwhelmed with the amount of condensation on the drive down? Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

I would run the AC in the driveway for a few minutes and see if any condensation comes out of the drain line. You can see it pretty clearly.

 

True. It doesn't take long to get a little puddle under the truck in this humidity. I'll give that a shot later today, thanks!

 

mine does this all the time when it's humid. it's a regular thing. pretty stupid design. drain isn't clogged either.

 

First time my truck has done it and I've had it for just over 2 years. Hearing this does not make me happy lol.

 

Not clogged probably.


Just condensation accumulating under the dash.its a known issue that toyota ignores

 

it happens when i do a lot of short stops getting out and back in the truck. i think it's from constantly opening the doors allowing more humidity into the truck, then condensation occurs.

 

Ugh! I really don't want this being a regular thing. If it's not clogged then it's a design flaw and there's not much that can be done about it. Now I'm almost hoping it's clogged! LOL

 

Not sure if this could be related, but last week I changed out the cabin filter and replaced it with a Fram FreshBreeze filter. Could this have anything to do with it? And yes I pointed the air flow indicator down. Air flow is as good as it was with the OEM filter.

 

very good chance if it started the same time.
Maybe the flow, or restriction, has changed causing this?
If same timeline, I would go back to OE and see if it helps. Defiantly report back, if it is the aftermarket filter, this could really save someone else some time.

wise man say: "look first where human was last"
Good on you for sharing this info,,, many seem leave out info, or even try to hide their changes, as they seem to have some complex, that they couldn't have been the ones to cause it.

 

Trust me, when something goes wrong I make myself the first suspect LOL. I'm mechanically impaired and I'm trying to push myself to do some simple stuff and learn. Figured the cabin filter was a no brainer. Apparently not!

 

because you and I just want the shit fixed, regardless of who did what!

 

i've changed my cabin filter numerous times with different types and it has made no difference in regards to the dripping/condensation. once i roll up the windows and put recirculate mode on it dries everything out in about 20-30 minutes. I found the dripping is worse when i have the air set to the top vents only.

 

Used to have a home with a humidification system on it with an overflow line to a drain into a slab drain on the interior. If running heavily, seemingly at random, it would backup and result in wet carpeting.

Root cause was too long of a tube that would plug up with biological "gunk" that I would have to blow out periodically with a compressor. I eventually shortened it up and dumped it through a grossly oversized PVC tube.

Where I live, mud daubers are a problem if something is left to sit too long. Maybe something similar in your case?

I don't know enough about the condensate drain on the tacos to know if it's safe to blow pressure backwards through the system, but I know I won't be adding the drain extension that some folks do for fear of compounding the length of the tube and risk room for more gunk to grow.

 

good point, blowing out the drain at home, is bi yearly maintenance for me, as the slow moving water does cause gunk, yet doesn't have enough flow/force to move even the slightest restriction.

 

Sounds like my ex wife

 

might try another can of kilma cleaner on my next day off.

edit: going to try this instead

https://www.lubegard.com/products/evap/

i parked under a tree for a couple years and i was constantly cleaning out debris from the intake vents and on top of the cabin filter. I'm sure some crap has made it into the system so hopefully this will clean any gunk out that is hindering the flow of water.

 

I have cleaned the drain line by taking a shop vac to the discharge hose under truck and vacuming the hose. You will need to modify the vac hose to make a good fairly tight fit (rag or duct tape or whatever you come up with) You will be sucking the condensate hose and pulling any water, skum and debris out and no chance to cause other issues.

 

good point!
This is a good start for drain lines that are often soft PVC and don't have clamps. If you use compressed air, and have a good blockage, you run the risk of blowing the ends off, or maybe even splitting the hose. Of course some drain lines (like moonroof) can require some mild to major disassembly to replace/fix.

 

I don't think the drain line is the problem, or at least not always. I have had water condensate on the air ducts to the two main central ducts in the dash and after a while they drip down from above onto the passenger side carpet and mat. Drain has always worked perfectly fine and yet this still happens. Doesn't make sense except for it to be something else, like the ducts. I have for sure felt the ducts with the radio removed and they were damp on a hot day with the air running through them.