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Topic: water on the floor passengers side of cab (Read 12 times) previous topic - next topic
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water on the floor passengers side of cab
Yahoo Message Number: 148775
In the middle of the Blue ridge parkway about 4K feet up I noticed the carpet was wet on the passenger side - very wet.  It seemed to initiate from the seam by the hump where the bottom of the cowl is and extended to where the seat began.  3 days later, it is still wet. We haven't run the AC for fear that the two are related.  Took it to a local Ford dealership and they ruled out the AC and anything engine related.  Anyone know what this could be all about?  We are having a water leak specialist come tomorrow but would appreciate any ideas you might have.

Art and Sandy
Re: water on the floor passengers side of cab
Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 148778
Yes, this happened to my Jeep GC and heater core corrosion is what caused the leak.

MEL


Heater core corroded out
Re: water on the floor passengers side of cab
Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 148780
I just looked up the 5 signs that your heater core has gone. We have non of the symptoms listed. Ac works fine. Radiator seems full. Etc etc. No funny smells. No foggy windows etc. Just the location seems right.
Re: water on the floor passengers side of cab
Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 148782
In that case, my guess is its condensation from your A/C. There is normally a way for it to drain to the ground. But you may have some obstruction that is diverting it to inside the cabin.
This assumes you were running your A/C and it wasn't raining.
Victor
Re: water on the floor passengers side of cab
Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 148783
If the cause were heater core corrosion, then wouldn't you have antifreeze on the floor rather than water? Have you checked to be certain that it is, in fact, just water?

Andy Baird

Travels with Andy
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: water on the floor passengers side of cab
Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 148785
Occasionally we ran our airconditioner but not airways. We paid particular care to not run it the past couple of days. We thought it was ac runoff too but can't make a connection. The water is clear on white paper towel.
Is a puzzlement.
Re: water on the floor passengers side of cab
Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 148789
Just had some"water leak specialists" come by. They feel it is the ac house. It was hand tightened .
Sniffing close to the source there was a sense that it was antifreeze but not on the floor area.
They now are sure the drip line is clogged but are having a heck of a time getting to it.  Any suggestions?
Re: water on the floor passengers side of cab
Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 148790
I also had the issue with my 96 jeep. Simple fix as the AC drain from the condenser was clogged. Had to pull back rug and drill a hole in plastic drain line and with a small wire clean out debris and plug hole with rubber plug. No more water on floor.
I also had no loss of radiator water.
Quick simple fix.
Re: water on the floor passengers side of cab
Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 148791
I passed it on. They just looked at me and gave this really interesting Humph noise. Then they asked where the drip line is
Re: water on the floor passengers side of cab
Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 148792
The guys say they cannot find the drip line. They have run their hands all around inside the hood and can't locate it. We have the 1996 chassis book from ford. It doesn't help. We are wondering if calling the mothership would give us some info.
On Oct 2, 2014 10:38 AM, "Sandra Farnum" do3sandra@...> wrote:
Re: water on the floor passengers side of cab
Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 148793
Art and Sandy, your AC can be on without you knowing it.  The window defogger setting uses the AC condenser to remove condensation and humidity from the interior.  Below the condenser is an area intended to catch condensation dripping.  This tray then drains to the outside by a small hose or tube.  It is very common for this tube to become blocked.
 At this point, you need to aggressively dry the area, using towels, a Shop Vac or a wet/dry vac or some such before you get a mold and mildew bloom started.  Vacuum it if you can to draw moisture up.  Fold towels, put them on the wet area, then stand on the towel, shifting the places  you are standing frequently, to blot the area as best you can.  Get it dry.
 Next, go to a service place and ask them to clear out the condensation drain line.  They use compressed air, blowing it into the tube outlet.  It is very inexpensive and takes minutes.
 You blotted with white paper towels and the fluid came up colorless.  You see no loss in coolant levels.  That tells me that you are not dealing with a loss of coolant, either from the heater core or from hose connections.  The ONLY remaining sources of water on the floor that I am aware of are either a leak in wet weather, or a blocked condensation tray drain tube.  It is possible that the edge of the windshield is leaking, allowing water to move from the windshield, to behind the dashboard, to the floor next to the doghouse.  Another possibility, though unlikely, is a leak at the doghouse seal.
 Check the windshield by taking white toilet paper and wadding it into the area below and along the edge of the windshield.  Go outside with a hose and spray, spray, spray.  Really load the edges under pressure.  After a while, check the paper on the inside for any sign of water or wetness on the paper wadding.

Good luck!

Ken F, departing OR for NM
'08 MB
Re: water on the floor passengers side of cab
Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 148795
Ken Finally they found the drip line and ate cleaning it out. Good job guys! Especially since they are working on site.  We will follow your recommendations regarding drying it out faithfully. We also know where the drip line is for future reference
Re: water on the floor passengers side of cab
Reply #13 –
Yahoo Message Number: 148796
To find the condensate tube the best approach is from the underside of the RV.

Put the front wheels of the van up leveling blocks as though you were going to change the oil.  The tube should run down on the passenger side behind and inside of the suspension.

To clear the line: It helps if the RV is on a bit of a hill and the nose of the RV is pointed up hill.  Approach the tube from the up hill side so you don't get soaked.  If you do not have a air compressor a wire coat hanger stretched straight should will work.  Just take it easy be careful not to pull on the condensate tube. If your using compressed air you don't need a lot of pressure just enough to dislodge the crud.

The line can come off the drip tray (this may of happened).

The Ford dealership should have blown the line with compressed air when they checked the AC unless by checking the AC for leaks they only checked the refrigerant and pump for leaks. A more common but entirely different problem.
Currently: 2008 36' Tiffin Open Road
Previously: 2007 Mid Bath
Re: water on the floor passengers side of cab
Reply #14 –
Yahoo Message Number: 148797
Yes well the dealership apparently didn't clean it. The guys said there was no tube. It was just a square hole which was plugged. I'm have then sketch it out and send the photo
Re: water on the floor passengers side of cab
Reply #15 –
Yahoo Message Number: 148798
Thanks.  Glad it got sorted out.  Very glad it was not a leak in the house part of the RV.
Currently: 2008 36' Tiffin Open Road
Previously: 2007 Mid Bath
Re: water on the floor passengers side of cab
Reply #16 –
Yahoo Message Number: 148799
Apparently our model 96 does not have a drip hose just a small rectangle box with a hole in it that was plugged and needed to be reamed out. Cost $190 for 2 hours work at the campsite.  With it we felt.
Re: water on the floor passengers side of cab
Reply #18 –
Yahoo Message Number: 149003
We had the same problem in our 2002 30' IB, on the driver side. Finally diagnosed as leak in firewall caused by a faulty weld that had been sealed with calk by Ford rather than corrected. Discovered out of warranty but marvelous body shop in Fresno repaired it.
Re: water on the floor passengers side of cab
Reply #19 –
Yahoo Message Number: 149009
Urrk! Well we are scheduled with another Ford in SC to look at it. We will see what they have to say. Thanks for the info! Sandy
Re: water on the floor passengers side of cab
Reply #21 –
Yahoo Message Number: 149011
Sorry; forgot to post the link for Ford recalls in addition to the TSB link:

http://www.ford-trucks.com/recalls/?rclmake=FORD

N.B. If you have a regular mechanic, even if it's not at a Ford truck service center, they *should* be checking for TSBs on your vehicle, but, in my experience, this is not always done.

A recall will usually elicit a post card or some form of notification from the vehicle manufacturer, but these are not necessarily always timely; it's a good idea to look at both lists to see if any of the TSBs or recall items apply to your vehicle and get any potential issues checked by a competent mechanic.

Joan
2003 TK has a new home
Re: water on the floor passengers side of cab
Reply #22 –
Yahoo Message Number: 149012
Didn't even know that existed! Our safety net with this '96 rig has been that for 14 years it was owned by a couple whose son is the head mechanic at their local Ford dealer. He went over the rig every year with a fine tooth comb even during the 4 years it was in storage. We had him and our local RV dealership whom we have worked with for 20+years go over everything to try and be ahead of the game.

Having said this, we know that older rigs, especially if they have sat for a while will - must - by the nature of things, develop problems. We are mentally prepared for it and continue to hope the problems will be only inconveniences!

Looking at the TSB - wow! Not sure what it means in terms of were these things looked at etc,  but - wow and thanks!

Sandy
Re: water on the floor passengers side of cab
Reply #23 –
Yahoo Message Number: 149013
Just got your email re the recalls, which answered my question. Nothing there that relates to cooling systems. Thanks so much. Both links are now bookmarked!

Sandy
Water on the floor passengers side of cab
Reply #24 –
Yahoo Message Number: 149015
For those who have the Chevy G30 chassis, last summer our '93 22' MP had a similar (anti-freeze) leak on the passenger side which turned out to be the heater core.
 While a replacement core itself is inexpensive ($65), it takes almost 8 hours of shop time ($650+) to remove the dashboard. Since I had researched the problem, I knew the potential cost going in before the final diagnosis.
 While our shop had the dash off, I had them put in two new higher quality speakers, as well as replace the heater valve assembly ($90). Finally, since we were in the mood to blow even more money on our rig, we had them do a complete AC replacement. The kit was $365, and the labor + a/c re-charge service was $400.
 To make ourselves feel better about spending that much money, we decided to go on a desert road trip to the Sierra. Let me tell you, blowing up the Cajon pass (a/c off) @ 1pm while it was 100+ degrees outside and cars were dropping like flies, and then across the Mojave (a/c ON) where it was 106 in Ridgecrest made it all worthwhile.
 The repairs were made over 1 year ago, and ever since I can tell the difference in overall engine performance. The cooling system works great, and getting a new AC compressor took off some drag from the failing pump bearings.
 Spending money on these (older) rigs is always a trade-off, but as I usually note, around the SoCal beach areas, smaller 80-90s LDs and 60-70s VW buses continue to be very popular and don't appear to drop below a minimum threshold re-sale value.