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  #1  
Old 09-05-2009, 03:25 PM
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Evaporator Drain

I've been getting water accumulating in the rear driver's side floor pan. The front driver's side carpet has also been getting wet. At times, I've had about two inches of water in the rear floor pan. I previously got my water hose and attempted to find the leak. I noticed when I sprayed on the driver's side doors, water would leak in. I thought I found my problem. Well, yesterday I took a long drive in the hot Florida sunshine with my A/C blasting and noticed I had about two inches of water in the rear floor pan.

At this point I knew there was a problem related to the drainage system for my evaporator. This morning I pulled the kick panel on the driver's side and found my drain with NOTHING ATTACHED. The evaporator was literally draining to the inside of the car!!!!!!!

If anyone has ever attempted to reattach a drain hose they know what a nightmare this job can potentially be. The drain on the box is only about 1.5 inches above a drain hole cut into the body just above the transmission. Its right in the middle of the console so there is almost no room to work with.

I started by going to Pep Boys and getting a 3/4 diameter heater hose. After much frustration, bruises and scrapes I decided it wasn't going to work. I simply could not get the hose to slip over the piece on the evaporator box. FYI, all of this work is done from inside the car, not under it. I then tried to find a more flexible, thin walled, plastic tube that would be easier to stretch over the connection on the evaporator box. Remember, there is almost no room to get your hands in there so I was using extended needle nose pliers to try to slip the hose on. I tried every trick in the book including assembly lube, heating the hose and even cutting small slits into the hose to help it expand. Nothing worked.

I then drove to Home Depot because Pep Boys didn't have any other type of tubing. Home Depot had the plastic tubing I wanted but I had to buy a large piece which was $16. At that point I got the perfect idea! The tubing didn't have to be a tight fit around the evaptorator drain because it was simply allowing a small amount of water to run through it. As long as the tubing went up over the piece on the evaporator box, it would be fine. I had some flexible plastic corrugated tubing left over from a marine bilge pump I had purchased years before. I was able to cut off about a 3 inch piece. It slipped over the evaporator box fitting easily and I was able to wedge the rest of it through the hole in the floor where friction is holding it tightly in place. Four hours later my problem was solved.

Now, who was the a$$ho&# who removed the drain tube and didn't put it back?

Scott

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Scott
1982 Mercedes 240D, 4 speed, 275,000
1988 Porsche 944 Turbo S (70,000)
1987 Porsche 911 Coupe 109,000 (sold)
1998 Mercedes E300 TurboDiesel 147,000 (sold)
1985 Mercedes 300D 227,000 (totaled by inattentive driver with no insurance!)
1997 Mercedes E300 Diesel 236,000 (sold)
1995 Ducati 900SS (sold)
1987 VW Jetta GLI 157,000 (sold)
1986 Camaro 125,000 (sold - P.O.S.)
1977 Corvette L82 125,000 (sold)
1965 Pontiac GTO 15,000 restored (sold)
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  #2  
Old 09-05-2009, 03:41 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Scott98 View Post

Now, who was the a$$ho&# who removed the drain tube and didn't put it back?

Scott
No one. The tube was originally made of foam and just turned to dust over time.

Edit: There is a similar POS foam tubing under the dash.
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Old 09-05-2009, 03:46 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by snookwhaler View Post
No one. The tube was originally made of foam and just turned to dust over time.
I was gonna say, the aspirator tube is foam, didn't know the drain would be made of that.
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  #4  
Old 09-05-2009, 03:54 PM
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The fix is pretty simple. Take a pop bottle (I used an iced tea bottle), cut off the top, at an angle, stick the threaded lid portion down into the hole in the transmission tunnel and use the other end as a kind of funnel to catch the water coming out of the drain.
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  #5  
Old 09-05-2009, 04:02 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kerry View Post
The fix is pretty simple. Take a pop bottle (I used an iced tea bottle), cut off the top, at an angle, stick the threaded lid portion down into the hole in the transmission tunnel and use the other end as a kind of funnel to catch the water coming out of the drain.
What a simple solution. I put this thread up in hopes of helping other people to not go through what I did.

Scott
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Scott
1982 Mercedes 240D, 4 speed, 275,000
1988 Porsche 944 Turbo S (70,000)
1987 Porsche 911 Coupe 109,000 (sold)
1998 Mercedes E300 TurboDiesel 147,000 (sold)
1985 Mercedes 300D 227,000 (totaled by inattentive driver with no insurance!)
1997 Mercedes E300 Diesel 236,000 (sold)
1995 Ducati 900SS (sold)
1987 VW Jetta GLI 157,000 (sold)
1986 Camaro 125,000 (sold - P.O.S.)
1977 Corvette L82 125,000 (sold)
1965 Pontiac GTO 15,000 restored (sold)
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  #6  
Old 09-05-2009, 04:03 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by snookwhaler View Post
There is a similar POS foam tubing under the dash.
Where is it and what does it do?

Thanks,

Scott
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Scott
1982 Mercedes 240D, 4 speed, 275,000
1988 Porsche 944 Turbo S (70,000)
1987 Porsche 911 Coupe 109,000 (sold)
1998 Mercedes E300 TurboDiesel 147,000 (sold)
1985 Mercedes 300D 227,000 (totaled by inattentive driver with no insurance!)
1997 Mercedes E300 Diesel 236,000 (sold)
1995 Ducati 900SS (sold)
1987 VW Jetta GLI 157,000 (sold)
1986 Camaro 125,000 (sold - P.O.S.)
1977 Corvette L82 125,000 (sold)
1965 Pontiac GTO 15,000 restored (sold)
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  #7  
Old 09-05-2009, 05:12 PM
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I cannot remember what the tube is called (I"m sure someone will correct me or let us know).

I replaced the one in my 85 with a piece of the clear stuff from HDepot.

Without going into too much detail... Here is one of many threads that talk about it:

Climate Control Temperature Sensor



Edit again: I forgot to mention that it is my thinking that MB used foam in some of these areas to prevent squeaks or rattles between different components.
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  #8  
Old 09-06-2009, 12:44 PM
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Here is another current related thread: Air conditioner Drain Hoses
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  #9  
Old 12-16-2011, 05:15 AM
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Recycled

for new members.

These foam hoses deteriorate, and become plugged or leak into the passenger compartment.

I suggest replacing them with modern rubber or plastic hose.

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