a/c drain plug
#11
07-08-2009, 10:12 AM
I found it this weekend. I put the Montero on ramps and got under there with a piece of PVC to try to press on what I thought was the drain tube. As I messed with it, the tube straightened up and pointed straight forward and out of the firewall. Then from above, I laid down a blanket on the engine and crawled over it to see the tube. It is white, and is DIRECTLY in the center of the vehicle about a foot and a half down on the firewall. I took some wire, doubled it up and cleaned the clog out of the tube.
What a ****TY design, what Jap engineer came up with that idea? I'd also like to slap all the people that work for Mitsubishi Service departments at three different dealerships that I called, and kept telling me its a small black tube with a bend in it on the passenger side near the tire flap. Thanks ********.
What a ****TY design, what Jap engineer came up with that idea? I'd also like to slap all the people that work for Mitsubishi Service departments at three different dealerships that I called, and kept telling me its a small black tube with a bend in it on the passenger side near the tire flap. Thanks ********.
first, you dont realize the car has been manufactured to be both right and left hand drive. so the HVAC unit needs to be designed as such.
second, the drain isnt suppost to plug. It probably has more to do with what YOU do with it.. parking it under trees, not cleaning the cowl, etc.
third, its very easy to reach if you know what youre doing. You need only a long airgun and a light.
and the tube the service departments were talking about is on a montero sport.
Last edited by Manybrews; 07-08-2009 at 10:16 AM.
#12
07-08-2009, 10:16 AM
Well we found it. If you are looking at the firewall from the inside of the car... it is a molded white plastic piece. It is next to the gas pedal in the center of the car. If someone pointed to it, you will see it. I will take a picture in the near future. As for getting to it... well that is a problem. It comes out above the tranny. So to actually get to it, you have to remove the exhaust and drop the front driveshaft. OR you may be able to come down from the top of the engine (3-4" space) and without being able to see... due to some wires blocking you view... magically find it with your eyes closed.
What freaking engineer thought this one through!
Mitsu said it would take roughly 2 - 3 hours labor to get everything out of the way just to get to the hose. Then they will need to blow it out and hope it does not plug up again.
I will try and see what else I can come up with, but what ever happened to the good ole days when you could actually work on your own vehicle.
What freaking engineer thought this one through!
Mitsu said it would take roughly 2 - 3 hours labor to get everything out of the way just to get to the hose. Then they will need to blow it out and hope it does not plug up again.
I will try and see what else I can come up with, but what ever happened to the good ole days when you could actually work on your own vehicle.
people here also really try to make things harder than the need to be.
all you need is a 2 or 3 foot long airgun. true, most of you wont have that. so go to a mechanic.
either that, or remove the glove box, then remove the plenum between the fanbox and the HVAC box.
its not meant to get plugged in the first place, so ill tell you what you need to do to prevent this... clean your cowl! Every hood I open up has the cowl COVERED in leaves, seeds, and misc. crap! Thats the stuff finding its way into your HVAC system. Clean it off every once in a while!
#13
06-05-2010, 05:18 PM
I'm having the same problem...What is easier, removing the glove box, or the other way...Pictures would be great...and what the heck is a plenum?
#14
06-07-2010, 11:02 AM
A/C drain plug
It has been a while since I had an issue with the Mitsu.
The solution is to:
Look on the interior drivers side, in the midddle, under the radio (center section). You will see a plastic white square / rectangle piece of plastic that goes to the firewall. It will not look like a drain. Once you see it, it is right out in the open.
Now, find it on the outside firewall. It is in the middle, near the steering column, just to the right of it. It is tough to get to. I believe I removed a bracket to get my arm in there.
Then I took a compressor, air hose, and found a piece of metal that would fit in the drain hole and blew it out.
I have not had an issue since.
I will try to find / take pictures tonight,
It is an expensive fix at the dealer, it is an easy fix in the driveway.
I could probably do it in a half hour now.
Good luck and let me know how it goes.
Rick
The solution is to:
Look on the interior drivers side, in the midddle, under the radio (center section). You will see a plastic white square / rectangle piece of plastic that goes to the firewall. It will not look like a drain. Once you see it, it is right out in the open.
Now, find it on the outside firewall. It is in the middle, near the steering column, just to the right of it. It is tough to get to. I believe I removed a bracket to get my arm in there.
Then I took a compressor, air hose, and found a piece of metal that would fit in the drain hole and blew it out.
I have not had an issue since.
I will try to find / take pictures tonight,
It is an expensive fix at the dealer, it is an easy fix in the driveway.
I could probably do it in a half hour now.
Good luck and let me know how it goes.
Rick
#15
06-07-2010, 12:24 PM
An easier approach.
If your standing on the driver side looking into the engine compartment, move your head down by the battery and look roughly 30 degrees to the left & down. You will see the drain under the two refrigerant lines. Take out your dip stick, (wipe it clean) and you can stick the dip stick into the hole and clean out, its almost as though they designed it this way. The dip stick will go in about 3-4", move back and forth, you will see the water dump out. Just did this last weekend. (Make sure that you clean the water off the dipstick before returning to your engine) Hope that helps.
If your standing on the driver side looking into the engine compartment, move your head down by the battery and look roughly 30 degrees to the left & down. You will see the drain under the two refrigerant lines. Take out your dip stick, (wipe it clean) and you can stick the dip stick into the hole and clean out, its almost as though they designed it this way. The dip stick will go in about 3-4", move back and forth, you will see the water dump out. Just did this last weekend. (Make sure that you clean the water off the dipstick before returning to your engine) Hope that helps.
#16
06-10-2010, 03:58 PM
On my 2001 Montero XS 3.5L if you are looking at the engine from the front of the vehicle there is a drain on the passenger side on the fire wall. Just below where the bulk head fitting for the two AC lines are. Is this what you guys are talking about??? There is no valve it just seems to be a drain of some sort. Also when my AC is running there is cool air coming out??? 
May be this is the drain for the core under the dash? Any thoughts?
Thanks,
-Joe-
May be this is the drain for the core under the dash? Any thoughts?Thanks,
-Joe-
#18
06-14-2010, 02:19 PM
photo of the evaporator ac drain on Montero Limited 2002
No one has uploaded a photo because it's practically invisible to the naked eye. 
It is in the center. It is directly behind the engine. And I did break my arm in two places in order to reach it. 
(not really). I was able to use the floor mat and lay it over the battery as I had to lay on the engine in order to reach it. No way from the bottom. The weed wacker chord worked perfectly. The water flowed. all good. The photo attached is taken from the driver side of the engine compartment looking right down the side of the firewall toward the center. You can't see the drain tube. You'll just feel it. 
thanks for the tips everyone. Most sites were giving misleading advice about the Sport. Mines a 2002 Montero Limited.
It is in the center. It is directly behind the engine. And I did break my arm in two places in order to reach it. (not really). I was able to use the floor mat and lay it over the battery as I had to lay on the engine in order to reach it. No way from the bottom. The weed wacker chord worked perfectly. The water flowed. all good. The photo attached is taken from the driver side of the engine compartment looking right down the side of the firewall toward the center. You can't see the drain tube. You'll just feel it. thanks for the tips everyone. Most sites were giving misleading advice about the Sport. Mines a 2002 Montero Limited.
