Water leak while A/C is on
Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 2
more than a year later - still fixed
Please refer to message #7 on page #1 of this thread.
https://mitsubishiforum.com/forum/sh...d.php?p=247160
Detailed instructions along with pictures are in that message to resolve the water leaking on the passenger floor from the A/C condensation drain being clogged. I still own my 2004 Endeavor, and it has not had any further problems with water leaking since I unclogged the drain hole in July 2009 (it's now August 2010). No sloshing water sounds while turning, no dripping water on the passenger side, no more damp smell.
The drain hole is accessible from under the vehicle while the vehicle has four wheels on the ground if one can fit under the vehicle. No sheetmetal obscures access to the drain hole, no rack is needed if you are thin enough to fit underneath with the vehicle on a level surface and the wheels properly chocked.
Do not believe the naysayers. The instructions are valid, and the instructions produce positive results.
Driver
https://mitsubishiforum.com/forum/sh...d.php?p=247160
Detailed instructions along with pictures are in that message to resolve the water leaking on the passenger floor from the A/C condensation drain being clogged. I still own my 2004 Endeavor, and it has not had any further problems with water leaking since I unclogged the drain hole in July 2009 (it's now August 2010). No sloshing water sounds while turning, no dripping water on the passenger side, no more damp smell.
The drain hole is accessible from under the vehicle while the vehicle has four wheels on the ground if one can fit under the vehicle. No sheetmetal obscures access to the drain hole, no rack is needed if you are thin enough to fit underneath with the vehicle on a level surface and the wheels properly chocked.
Do not believe the naysayers. The instructions are valid, and the instructions produce positive results.
Driver
Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 4
I'll try again
Please refer to message #7 on page #1 of this thread.
https://mitsubishiforum.com/forum/sh...d.php?p=247160
Detailed instructions along with pictures are in that message to resolve the water leaking on the passenger floor from the A/C condensation drain being clogged. I still own my 2004 Endeavor, and it has not had any further problems with water leaking since I unclogged the drain hole in July 2009 (it's now August 2010). No sloshing water sounds while turning, no dripping water on the passenger side, no more damp smell.
The drain hole is accessible from under the vehicle while the vehicle has four wheels on the ground if one can fit under the vehicle. No sheetmetal obscures access to the drain hole, no rack is needed if you are thin enough to fit underneath with the vehicle on a level surface and the wheels properly chocked.
Do not believe the naysayers. The instructions are valid, and the instructions produce positive results.
Driver
https://mitsubishiforum.com/forum/sh...d.php?p=247160
Detailed instructions along with pictures are in that message to resolve the water leaking on the passenger floor from the A/C condensation drain being clogged. I still own my 2004 Endeavor, and it has not had any further problems with water leaking since I unclogged the drain hole in July 2009 (it's now August 2010). No sloshing water sounds while turning, no dripping water on the passenger side, no more damp smell.
The drain hole is accessible from under the vehicle while the vehicle has four wheels on the ground if one can fit under the vehicle. No sheetmetal obscures access to the drain hole, no rack is needed if you are thin enough to fit underneath with the vehicle on a level surface and the wheels properly chocked.
Do not believe the naysayers. The instructions are valid, and the instructions produce positive results.
Driver
I've been under my suv for three nights already and I still can't find that freaking hole. I'll give one last shot driver, I hope I find it tonight. Someone told me to drill a hole on the drain channel and stick the wire from there to the outside firewall. What do you think about that driver? Do you think is safe to do that? I'm just tired to drive my car without air conditioned, specially on these rainy days here in Louisiana. I don't use the A/C cause my car stink out mold and I'm tired to vacuum it every night.
Last edited by lehinostroza; Aug 17, 2010 at 02:16 PM.
Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 1
if the a/c unit is not clogged, then the gromet around the drain portion of the hvac unit that seals the firewall to the hvac is dry rotted and the water that is supposed to be draining outside is comming back inside. this is a VERY COMMON problem with the 04-5 endeavor. dash and hvac unit have to be removed to replace a $1.50 grommet. this is a very big job, all day job.
Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 4
I got bad news for you, you will have to take the whole dashboard and the HVAC unit as well. I did this job last weekend and it was a pain in the a**. Although I fixed it and it's not leaking anymore. I didn't buy the same grommet (that was a stupid design), I went to Lowes and bought a rubber duct (around 1/4" thick) and cut it out to the shape of the grommet. I glue it to the pipe that goes through the firewall and caulked it all around the firewall hole with silicone caulk. That sealed it forever. It wasn't hard but it takes a lot of time if you never done it. I think I spent around 20 hours between saturday and sunday, not bad for being a DIY owner.
Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 1
detailed fix
Important Background information:
I just finished fixing the water leak on my girlfriends 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse (with an automatic transmission). The dealership will tell you that they have to rip out the dashboard and it takes 10 hours labor which will cost you around $1000. I ended up taking apart the whole dashboard and let me tell you IT IS A JOB! However, in hind sight and actually getting my hands dirty I can tell you that this is not the case and there is a MUCH faster way of doing it yourself.
The problem was the typical Mitsubishi owners complaint which is “water is leaking onto the floorboard due to a/c condensation from a clogged drain hose”. This problem occurs most frequently because Mitsubishi considers a blower motor housing filter (which they refer to as a cabin air filter) as an “accessory”. What occurs as time passes results in leaves, twigs, and other miscellaneous debris gets sucked into the assembly and clogs the evaporator drain hose causing the water to backflow into the passenger cabin. They have been having this problem on just about every model for quite some time and still haven’t really taken any steps to mitigate this problem. I am a Ford owner so I may be a little biased but Mitsubishi really had their heads up their *** on this one… When I walked in I noticed an accessories booklet for the newer 09 lancers and guess what? They still consider the cabin air filter an “accessory”. I would highly recommend any Mitsubishi purchase the “cabin air filter” as it will save owners A LOT of hassle and time. BE SURE TO GET THE MOUNTING BRACKET!!! As far as I’m aware of the filter + bracket combination is a dealer only item (when we went to auto zone to save money on the parts all they sold was the filter). The part number is MR500360 or something like that and it costs around $50 (IT IS WORTH ITS WEIGHT IN GOLD AND WILL PREVENT ANY FUTURE PROBLEMS!!!!!!!).
Fixing the problem:
I would recommend a 3 stage approach to be sure you completely fix the problem and it won’t come back.
1. Installing a “cabin air filter”:
You will have to remove the glove box(you can bend the glove box just enough to enable removal by applying pressure on the left side of the glove box until the post is clear from the glove box backing(then do the same to the right side)). This will cause the glove box to drop down so you can just pull it out.
Then you remove the glove box backing (should be 4 screws or something like that).
Once those are out of your way you should be able to see the blower motor housing (big black thing that’s round at the bottom). Locate a rectangular plastic plate (should be about half way up the blower motor housing). If there are screws connecting a piece (that looks like it can slide out) to the blower motor housing then you have a filter bracket in place (You should remove the 2 screws and pull the bracket out (towards you) to ensure it has a filter in place (or that it isn’t too dirty/destroyed that its failing its function). If you don’t have a filter you will have a rectangular plate that you will have to cut out (I used a razor knife and a bit of force. I banged up my knuckles pretty good so be careful). Then slide the filter tray/bracket into place and use screws (the dealership said they are 4x16 screws. I ended up using 8 x ¾ from my local hardware store so feel free to play around with it) to secure the bracket into the blower motor housing.
Installing the filter will prevent further problems. If you do NOT do this step your problem will more than likely continue!
2. Cleaning out the debris from the evaporator case:
A little background:
You will be cleaning the debris out the lower evaporator case. This is to purge the debris that could potentially clog your system again. If you should decide to take it to a mechanic DO NOT let them deceive/misguide you! In some cases they may insist they need to drain the coolant from you’re a/c system (THIS IS NOT THE CASE!!!!!). The evaporator does NOT need to be removed or even touched! You only need to remove the debris from the lower evaporator case (a plastic downward slanting pan beneath the evaporator).
There are a couple ways to get to the evaporator case.
- You can probably just get away with removing the channeling (may not allow for very much working room but it could potentially save you HOURS and frustration).
- You can disassemble the center console to allow yourself more room to work (what I ended up doing)
Option 1: (probable short cut)
With the glove box removed you should look for a piece that connects the blower motor housing to the evaporator case (should slant downwards as it approaches the evaporator case). This will have likely 2 bolts and a nut (the nut is down at the base of the plastic channel (to the left on the side closest to the evaporator case). The first bolt should be located on the left side behind the dashboard hang down piece for the glove box (support structure/outline …thing. I’m sorry I could not explain this better)(this bolt is kind of a pain to take out as there is not a lot of space between the bolt and the dashboard). The last bolt will connect the plastic channel and the blower motor housing. Finally, disconnect the connector from the top of the channel. The channel should then just slide out which will grant you access to the lower evaporator case!
Once you have the channel removed you can try to use a vacuum or something to clean the debris out (it will have to be a small hose and a decently powerful vacuum). If you cannot clean it out you may have to remove the screws and clips (clips were on the driver’s side in my case) at the base of the evaporator case (the screws go all along the base of the case).
****Here’s the tricky part!!!!!****
To gain access to the 2 screws underneath the center console u may need to remove/bend back the plastic piece of the center console/trim or remove it all together depending on how much working room you require. To bend it back you must remove the screw and the clip. The round piece of the clip pulls out allowing you to compress the back of it together which should allow the clip to pull right out. After you remove those you should be able to pull the plastic out far enough to gain access to the screws in the center.
If you CANNOT access the screws in the center you will need to remove this piece all together. To do that you must remove the clip and screw from the other side as well as the clip holding this piece to the cup holder/gear selector section. That should be located underneath a plastic piece to the left of the gear selector. Then you must release the side clips as well by squeezing/maneuvering the now loose plastic console (you may have to remove the cup holder/gear selector piece as well in order to pull the other plastic piece out).
Removing the screws and clips will allow you enough wiggle room to bend the tray downward enabling you to fit a larger vacuum/cleaning tool. I was not able to completely remove the tray because I was not able to undo the things that were holding it from the rear due to a lack of working room and motivation.
In my case there was also deposits of a gray material which may have either been dust of mold on the evaporator (the metal radiator looking thing). I cleaned the substance off of the evaporator using a wire brush/tooth brush (for those hard to reach areas). BE CAREFUL NOT TO DAMAGE THE EVAPORATOR! The result I believed I achieved by this action was a slightly higher airflow through the vents since it wasn’t being choked off along the way. I also did it because I was unsure if it was mold or not (health concerns etc…).
Option 2 (disassembling the dash):
I will not detail the location of the bolts for this option since it would be too time consuming and most likely is not necessary. If you require this option I would recommend you buy a Chiltons manual for your vehicle (or an equivalent of Chiltons).
This option follows the same process as option 1 except you disassemble the dashboard first and pull it forward/out to get it out of the way (A fair warning. If you take this option you will have to disconnect the battery and allow it to sit for about 2 minutes because you will be removing the airbag assemblies and you don’t want them accidentally discharging. This option also requires the removal of the steering wheel so you will need to mark the position of the wheel before removal (this ensures the correct position/relation of your steering wheel to your wheels). This option has the added benefit of more room to work and access to more of the evaporator case.
3. Unclogging the drain:
There are 2 ways to go about cleaning the drain hose clog. You can do it from the inside or the outside. Since unclogging it from the inside requires you rip apart the entire dashboard and possibly removing the evaporator (requires draining the coolant (by a certified mechanic/shop)) I would highly suggest doing it from the outside!
To unclog the drain hose you can use compressed air, coat hanger, or anything else you can conceive. Since you will be doing it from the outside be sure to remember whatever method you use will push the debris inside (so it may get messy if you use compressed air but it is not a bad option!!! Just be prepared).
You will be able to locate the drain hose/pipe behind the engine on the firewall (will be really close to where the steering column will enter the engine bay). IT IS VERY HARD TO SPOT as it is not very big (In addition the hose will likely be black and the firewall is black)!!!! So be sure to use a good flash light.
The firewall padding may also obscure the drain pipe/hose so you may have to mess with that as well.
Once you find it use your preferred method to unclog it (***fair warning***! If u decide to use a coat hanger be VERY careful not to apply too much pressure as you may do damage/puncture your evaporator!).
Once you are done with that you may try vacuuming out the lower evaporator case again just to be sure it’s cleaned out well. Then you put everything back together and enjoy!
Thank you for taking the time to read my detailed explanation and I hope my explanations helped. PLEASE, if you see anyone who needs help ANYWHERE, do them a favor and copy paste/refer them to this information.
-David
I just finished fixing the water leak on my girlfriends 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse (with an automatic transmission). The dealership will tell you that they have to rip out the dashboard and it takes 10 hours labor which will cost you around $1000. I ended up taking apart the whole dashboard and let me tell you IT IS A JOB! However, in hind sight and actually getting my hands dirty I can tell you that this is not the case and there is a MUCH faster way of doing it yourself.
The problem was the typical Mitsubishi owners complaint which is “water is leaking onto the floorboard due to a/c condensation from a clogged drain hose”. This problem occurs most frequently because Mitsubishi considers a blower motor housing filter (which they refer to as a cabin air filter) as an “accessory”. What occurs as time passes results in leaves, twigs, and other miscellaneous debris gets sucked into the assembly and clogs the evaporator drain hose causing the water to backflow into the passenger cabin. They have been having this problem on just about every model for quite some time and still haven’t really taken any steps to mitigate this problem. I am a Ford owner so I may be a little biased but Mitsubishi really had their heads up their *** on this one… When I walked in I noticed an accessories booklet for the newer 09 lancers and guess what? They still consider the cabin air filter an “accessory”. I would highly recommend any Mitsubishi purchase the “cabin air filter” as it will save owners A LOT of hassle and time. BE SURE TO GET THE MOUNTING BRACKET!!! As far as I’m aware of the filter + bracket combination is a dealer only item (when we went to auto zone to save money on the parts all they sold was the filter). The part number is MR500360 or something like that and it costs around $50 (IT IS WORTH ITS WEIGHT IN GOLD AND WILL PREVENT ANY FUTURE PROBLEMS!!!!!!!).
Fixing the problem:
I would recommend a 3 stage approach to be sure you completely fix the problem and it won’t come back.
1. Installing a “cabin air filter”:
You will have to remove the glove box(you can bend the glove box just enough to enable removal by applying pressure on the left side of the glove box until the post is clear from the glove box backing(then do the same to the right side)). This will cause the glove box to drop down so you can just pull it out.
Then you remove the glove box backing (should be 4 screws or something like that).
Once those are out of your way you should be able to see the blower motor housing (big black thing that’s round at the bottom). Locate a rectangular plastic plate (should be about half way up the blower motor housing). If there are screws connecting a piece (that looks like it can slide out) to the blower motor housing then you have a filter bracket in place (You should remove the 2 screws and pull the bracket out (towards you) to ensure it has a filter in place (or that it isn’t too dirty/destroyed that its failing its function). If you don’t have a filter you will have a rectangular plate that you will have to cut out (I used a razor knife and a bit of force. I banged up my knuckles pretty good so be careful). Then slide the filter tray/bracket into place and use screws (the dealership said they are 4x16 screws. I ended up using 8 x ¾ from my local hardware store so feel free to play around with it) to secure the bracket into the blower motor housing.
Installing the filter will prevent further problems. If you do NOT do this step your problem will more than likely continue!
2. Cleaning out the debris from the evaporator case:
A little background:
You will be cleaning the debris out the lower evaporator case. This is to purge the debris that could potentially clog your system again. If you should decide to take it to a mechanic DO NOT let them deceive/misguide you! In some cases they may insist they need to drain the coolant from you’re a/c system (THIS IS NOT THE CASE!!!!!). The evaporator does NOT need to be removed or even touched! You only need to remove the debris from the lower evaporator case (a plastic downward slanting pan beneath the evaporator).
There are a couple ways to get to the evaporator case.
- You can probably just get away with removing the channeling (may not allow for very much working room but it could potentially save you HOURS and frustration).
- You can disassemble the center console to allow yourself more room to work (what I ended up doing)
Option 1: (probable short cut)
With the glove box removed you should look for a piece that connects the blower motor housing to the evaporator case (should slant downwards as it approaches the evaporator case). This will have likely 2 bolts and a nut (the nut is down at the base of the plastic channel (to the left on the side closest to the evaporator case). The first bolt should be located on the left side behind the dashboard hang down piece for the glove box (support structure/outline …thing. I’m sorry I could not explain this better)(this bolt is kind of a pain to take out as there is not a lot of space between the bolt and the dashboard). The last bolt will connect the plastic channel and the blower motor housing. Finally, disconnect the connector from the top of the channel. The channel should then just slide out which will grant you access to the lower evaporator case!
Once you have the channel removed you can try to use a vacuum or something to clean the debris out (it will have to be a small hose and a decently powerful vacuum). If you cannot clean it out you may have to remove the screws and clips (clips were on the driver’s side in my case) at the base of the evaporator case (the screws go all along the base of the case).
****Here’s the tricky part!!!!!****
To gain access to the 2 screws underneath the center console u may need to remove/bend back the plastic piece of the center console/trim or remove it all together depending on how much working room you require. To bend it back you must remove the screw and the clip. The round piece of the clip pulls out allowing you to compress the back of it together which should allow the clip to pull right out. After you remove those you should be able to pull the plastic out far enough to gain access to the screws in the center.
If you CANNOT access the screws in the center you will need to remove this piece all together. To do that you must remove the clip and screw from the other side as well as the clip holding this piece to the cup holder/gear selector section. That should be located underneath a plastic piece to the left of the gear selector. Then you must release the side clips as well by squeezing/maneuvering the now loose plastic console (you may have to remove the cup holder/gear selector piece as well in order to pull the other plastic piece out).
Removing the screws and clips will allow you enough wiggle room to bend the tray downward enabling you to fit a larger vacuum/cleaning tool. I was not able to completely remove the tray because I was not able to undo the things that were holding it from the rear due to a lack of working room and motivation.
In my case there was also deposits of a gray material which may have either been dust of mold on the evaporator (the metal radiator looking thing). I cleaned the substance off of the evaporator using a wire brush/tooth brush (for those hard to reach areas). BE CAREFUL NOT TO DAMAGE THE EVAPORATOR! The result I believed I achieved by this action was a slightly higher airflow through the vents since it wasn’t being choked off along the way. I also did it because I was unsure if it was mold or not (health concerns etc…).
Option 2 (disassembling the dash):
I will not detail the location of the bolts for this option since it would be too time consuming and most likely is not necessary. If you require this option I would recommend you buy a Chiltons manual for your vehicle (or an equivalent of Chiltons).
This option follows the same process as option 1 except you disassemble the dashboard first and pull it forward/out to get it out of the way (A fair warning. If you take this option you will have to disconnect the battery and allow it to sit for about 2 minutes because you will be removing the airbag assemblies and you don’t want them accidentally discharging. This option also requires the removal of the steering wheel so you will need to mark the position of the wheel before removal (this ensures the correct position/relation of your steering wheel to your wheels). This option has the added benefit of more room to work and access to more of the evaporator case.
3. Unclogging the drain:
There are 2 ways to go about cleaning the drain hose clog. You can do it from the inside or the outside. Since unclogging it from the inside requires you rip apart the entire dashboard and possibly removing the evaporator (requires draining the coolant (by a certified mechanic/shop)) I would highly suggest doing it from the outside!
To unclog the drain hose you can use compressed air, coat hanger, or anything else you can conceive. Since you will be doing it from the outside be sure to remember whatever method you use will push the debris inside (so it may get messy if you use compressed air but it is not a bad option!!! Just be prepared).
You will be able to locate the drain hose/pipe behind the engine on the firewall (will be really close to where the steering column will enter the engine bay). IT IS VERY HARD TO SPOT as it is not very big (In addition the hose will likely be black and the firewall is black)!!!! So be sure to use a good flash light.
The firewall padding may also obscure the drain pipe/hose so you may have to mess with that as well.
Once you find it use your preferred method to unclog it (***fair warning***! If u decide to use a coat hanger be VERY careful not to apply too much pressure as you may do damage/puncture your evaporator!).
Once you are done with that you may try vacuuming out the lower evaporator case again just to be sure it’s cleaned out well. Then you put everything back together and enjoy!
Thank you for taking the time to read my detailed explanation and I hope my explanations helped. PLEASE, if you see anyone who needs help ANYWHERE, do them a favor and copy paste/refer them to this information.
-David
Junior Member
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 6
From:
well we have had an interesting turn of events with our ac problem, we took it to the nearest dealer and they said that there was rust on the dash supporuts and that they couldnt coverit becuse it wasnt under warranty so we came home then a buddy called that used to work at a dealership in the service department dealing with warranties.He asked me if i checked the warranty and i told him no i didnt think about it well i checked it and the rust on the dash was covered under the rust warranty, then i get a call from mitsubishi asking me how i liked the service we recived from the dealer i told i didnt and then told them what happened well anyways she sent a email to the dealer and asked me if i wasnted to inclued anything in it i said yes and told her to site tsb 09-55-002.
A couple of days later i get a call from the dealer we took it to and they asked me tobring it back in to check it out again ,we did and the parts are on order and now we just wait.
after the ac is fixed then ill talk to themabout the the rust that was caused by the air box over flowing
A couple of days later i get a call from the dealer we took it to and they asked me tobring it back in to check it out again ,we did and the parts are on order and now we just wait.
after the ac is fixed then ill talk to themabout the the rust that was caused by the air box over flowing
Junior Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 3
The brake lines run up and toward the middle of the vehicle on my Endeavor. The hole I found was just to the left (from front of vehicle) of the bracket holding the brake lines. Still have not been able to find the hose in there. Will try smaller mirror today or tomorrow. There was mention of installing another drain on another web site. Did anyone see that info? I have located the hose in toward the back of the hole. But because of the power steering hose, I am unable to get a wire in the hose. I will try and blow it out next.
Last edited by biganchor; Sep 14, 2010 at 11:18 PM. Reason: Updating post
Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 17
From: Mobile, Alabama
I suceeded in repairing this problem for $6 bucks.
The oil change mechanic was wrong. your Mitsubishi Model leaks A/C water condensation on the driver's side of the interior. The water makes a deep wet puddle. I know as I had the same problem with my 2004. To make the problem worse is that Mitsubishi won't fix it under warranty and their dealers will charge right at $1000.00 to fix this problem. I fixed mine but I am a persistent "don't quit or give up" type of mechanic. 70 years old. It cost me about $6 bucks, but was one of the most difficult problems I have ever successfully fought. There is no easy solution from the engine compartment against the firewall either. A hole is there but is covered over with a unitized body channel bar across the fire wall and hiding the hole. you could send me an e mail for how i did it but the response will be lengthy.
Member
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 48
From: Atlanta, GA
In the case of the Galant, I see the drain tube enter from the engine side and turn 90 degrees in to the air box. I think it was mentioned earlier in the thread, but I'm wondering if you could carefully drill or dremel an access hole on the inside that would allow direct access to the box to apply compressed air and/or vacuum.
You then obviously need a solution for plugging that hole you just made without actually stopping up the drain, but it shouldn't be difficult since it's not a pressurized line.
I wouldn't suggest something like this on a newer vehicle, but some of our cars are getting up there in years where a $1000 repair for something like this makes no sense.
You then obviously need a solution for plugging that hole you just made without actually stopping up the drain, but it shouldn't be difficult since it's not a pressurized line.
I wouldn't suggest something like this on a newer vehicle, but some of our cars are getting up there in years where a $1000 repair for something like this makes no sense.
Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 17
From: Mobile, Alabama
$1,000.00 versus $6 to solve A?C water leak!
The cost (1,000.00) of outside repairing compared to the value remaining in my ride was assessed the same as yours. That is why I climbed the mountain, repairing the water leak for $6 bucks.
After removing the driver"s seat, I drained about 1.5 gallons of water from the floor pan by removing the rubber grommet from the underside floor board. I carefully removed any rubber/vinyl trims to free up the carpet and its padding and folded it back into the rear compartment's floor board. With a bath towel I completely dried the metal floor pan.
I next put on the garden hose to eliminate the argument of others that the leak was coming from the windshield. I then got inside and had my wife spray the hose all around the drivers door to eliminate rain that may have been leaking past the rubber door moldings. None of this showed any evidence of a water leak at all. After that I cranked the auto and put the A/C on max and waited and waited to see where for sure the leaking water was coming from. BINGO! After a while here came the A/C's condensation water running down by the gas pedal down towards the floor pan.
In my making of a strategy I considered doing just what you suggested. There is only a little pressure (at all) inside the evaporator's air box (as you called it). I really do not remember why I chose another route, but I did pass on making a hole in the box from the inside of the vehicle, then trying to seal it up! I believe that it had to do with the design of the drain and the forward sloping of the pan. The actual drain tube is smaller than a lead pencil!!!!
Here is what I did, but I don't recommend this if you give up easily or try to rush your close and tedious work!!! This was easy but access makes the simple very tough. The remedy was simple but the positioning of your body is extremely demanding.
Here We Go-
There is a material covering the inside fire wall that is part foam padding and part surface sealing rubber. The A/C's box drain passes through the fire wall through and against this material. This material is part of why the leak is occurring as it deteriorates over time. (I was told occurrance is at approx 60 - 80,000 miles or longer) I took a razor knife and cut this material and removed it completely from around the silver dollar size plastic plate that is part of the evaporator box and has the small tubular drain passing through it and into and through the fire wall. This plate presses against the padded material.
Secondly I made picks out of two welding rods to where I could work out all of the padding material until with these rods and could feel with them and identify the small tube behind and near the center of the plastic silver dollar size plate.
I next took a pair of shoe strings and with the rods worked a half wrap around the plastic tube behind the plate and pulled the shoe strings back and forth, and back and forth to clean out this tight space, and especially clean the tube which you cannot see but you know that it is there.
Next I took the sticky fiber strings that are used to plug flat tires and twisted several togeather until this was about maybe half as long, or a bit longer than half the length of the shoe string. I used a staggering and twisting approach to making this sticky cord. I then worked it behind the plate by tying it to the end of the already there shoe string and pulling it into place behind the plate and against the tupe. I began at 11:00 Oclock and worked my way around clockwise packing the sticky cord in tight with the rods and against the tube to make the best seal that I could. When I got back to the 11:00 Oclock position I cut the cord about 1 inch longer than enough to make the complete circle around the tube, and then worked that end over and down and against the starting end of the cord.
Next I had a can of the "Great Stuff" spray foam that goes in as a liquid and expands into a dense foam like yellow styrofoam. And I put the red nozzel tube into that can and filled up the remaning area/space behind the plastic plate and also filling up the void where I ahd cut away the padding that was around the plastic plate and tube.
Finally after all this dryed, I went again under the car and found the hole that is in the unitized body channel that goes from the drivers side all the way across the lower fire wall to the passenger side. With a piece of mallable bailing wire I fished and fished over and towards the drivers side and inside that channel until the tip of the wire entered the drain tube's opening. I left the wire as far into the tube as I could and slid a piece of small vaccuum hose over the end of the wire, and slid it over the wire up to the opening ot the tube. Once there I blew compressed air into the open end of the vaccuum hose thus directing as much of the air flow at the opening. This is not a flush seal but is better than just blowing through the hole in the body channel and easier than cutting away the channel to permit direct access to the drain hole.
Eureka. No more leaks and that has been months ago. My carpet eventually dried out and is like a powder keg now.
I don't understand why somethings are engineered like they are? Most sane engineers in the past ran the drain through the fire wall or out of the floor board bell housing so it could be kept cleaned out and free flowing. It is almost like Mitsubishi hid this one on purpose!!! And I certainly don't understand why Mitsubishi with so many people having this problem do not address it on their $1,000.00 bucks not ours???
God Bless and Good luck with your mechanicing. And thanks to all of the other forum friends who have made comments and suggestions that gave imputus to me in finding my own unique solution. Especially for $6 bucks. Wow What A Savings. SEE THE ATTACHED PHOTOS OF THIS PROCESS.
Picture 1 shows the work area seat and carpet removed.
Picture 2 shows the padding cut away and the white shoe string in use
Picture 3 & 4 shows the tire plug cord covered over with "Right Stuff"
Picture 5 shows the infamous hole in the body channel in the lower engine compartment that only will allow you to search to find the actual drain hole in the firewall beneath the channel? What bright person engineered this?
After removing the driver"s seat, I drained about 1.5 gallons of water from the floor pan by removing the rubber grommet from the underside floor board. I carefully removed any rubber/vinyl trims to free up the carpet and its padding and folded it back into the rear compartment's floor board. With a bath towel I completely dried the metal floor pan.
I next put on the garden hose to eliminate the argument of others that the leak was coming from the windshield. I then got inside and had my wife spray the hose all around the drivers door to eliminate rain that may have been leaking past the rubber door moldings. None of this showed any evidence of a water leak at all. After that I cranked the auto and put the A/C on max and waited and waited to see where for sure the leaking water was coming from. BINGO! After a while here came the A/C's condensation water running down by the gas pedal down towards the floor pan.
In my making of a strategy I considered doing just what you suggested. There is only a little pressure (at all) inside the evaporator's air box (as you called it). I really do not remember why I chose another route, but I did pass on making a hole in the box from the inside of the vehicle, then trying to seal it up! I believe that it had to do with the design of the drain and the forward sloping of the pan. The actual drain tube is smaller than a lead pencil!!!!
Here is what I did, but I don't recommend this if you give up easily or try to rush your close and tedious work!!! This was easy but access makes the simple very tough. The remedy was simple but the positioning of your body is extremely demanding.
Here We Go-
There is a material covering the inside fire wall that is part foam padding and part surface sealing rubber. The A/C's box drain passes through the fire wall through and against this material. This material is part of why the leak is occurring as it deteriorates over time. (I was told occurrance is at approx 60 - 80,000 miles or longer) I took a razor knife and cut this material and removed it completely from around the silver dollar size plastic plate that is part of the evaporator box and has the small tubular drain passing through it and into and through the fire wall. This plate presses against the padded material.
Secondly I made picks out of two welding rods to where I could work out all of the padding material until with these rods and could feel with them and identify the small tube behind and near the center of the plastic silver dollar size plate.
I next took a pair of shoe strings and with the rods worked a half wrap around the plastic tube behind the plate and pulled the shoe strings back and forth, and back and forth to clean out this tight space, and especially clean the tube which you cannot see but you know that it is there.
Next I took the sticky fiber strings that are used to plug flat tires and twisted several togeather until this was about maybe half as long, or a bit longer than half the length of the shoe string. I used a staggering and twisting approach to making this sticky cord. I then worked it behind the plate by tying it to the end of the already there shoe string and pulling it into place behind the plate and against the tupe. I began at 11:00 Oclock and worked my way around clockwise packing the sticky cord in tight with the rods and against the tube to make the best seal that I could. When I got back to the 11:00 Oclock position I cut the cord about 1 inch longer than enough to make the complete circle around the tube, and then worked that end over and down and against the starting end of the cord.
Next I had a can of the "Great Stuff" spray foam that goes in as a liquid and expands into a dense foam like yellow styrofoam. And I put the red nozzel tube into that can and filled up the remaning area/space behind the plastic plate and also filling up the void where I ahd cut away the padding that was around the plastic plate and tube.
Finally after all this dryed, I went again under the car and found the hole that is in the unitized body channel that goes from the drivers side all the way across the lower fire wall to the passenger side. With a piece of mallable bailing wire I fished and fished over and towards the drivers side and inside that channel until the tip of the wire entered the drain tube's opening. I left the wire as far into the tube as I could and slid a piece of small vaccuum hose over the end of the wire, and slid it over the wire up to the opening ot the tube. Once there I blew compressed air into the open end of the vaccuum hose thus directing as much of the air flow at the opening. This is not a flush seal but is better than just blowing through the hole in the body channel and easier than cutting away the channel to permit direct access to the drain hole.
Eureka. No more leaks and that has been months ago. My carpet eventually dried out and is like a powder keg now.
I don't understand why somethings are engineered like they are? Most sane engineers in the past ran the drain through the fire wall or out of the floor board bell housing so it could be kept cleaned out and free flowing. It is almost like Mitsubishi hid this one on purpose!!! And I certainly don't understand why Mitsubishi with so many people having this problem do not address it on their $1,000.00 bucks not ours???
God Bless and Good luck with your mechanicing. And thanks to all of the other forum friends who have made comments and suggestions that gave imputus to me in finding my own unique solution. Especially for $6 bucks. Wow What A Savings. SEE THE ATTACHED PHOTOS OF THIS PROCESS.
Picture 1 shows the work area seat and carpet removed.
Picture 2 shows the padding cut away and the white shoe string in use
Picture 3 & 4 shows the tire plug cord covered over with "Right Stuff"
Picture 5 shows the infamous hole in the body channel in the lower engine compartment that only will allow you to search to find the actual drain hole in the firewall beneath the channel? What bright person engineered this?