More Evaporator drain problems
09-08-2018, 07:57 PM
#1
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Join Date: 10-01-2010
Location: Travelers Rest, SC
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More Evaporator drain problems
Our 2010 HHR (bought new) has had evaporator drain problems for years. For some of the years the solutions in this post have worked (https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/main...r-drain-36999/ ). However they no longer work for us.The evaporator water now drains on the driver's feet and the front passenger's feet. Our mechanic has redone the cowl thing so water is not coming in that way. ( https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/how-...t-night-14263/ ). It only happens when we run the A/C and the evaporator water does not drain out. The dealer has worked on it several times and also a company called Water Doctors (Water Doctors - We are the Right Choice to Diagnose and Repair Automotive Water, Wind and Dust Leaks and Auto Odor. North American company specializing in helping you fix leaks in your vehicles. ). The water doctor cured it for a week and then the water built back up and drained on our feet. My wife picked out this car new and she loves it...except for this. It only has 63,000 miles and runs/drives like a new car, all features work...except the A/C drain.
Has anyone else with this problem found a way to permanently fix the problem (other than selling the car) ? Summer here in SC will not go away so not using A/C is not an option. HELP!
Thanks everyone.
Has anyone else with this problem found a way to permanently fix the problem (other than selling the car) ? Summer here in SC will not go away so not using A/C is not an option. HELP!
Thanks everyone.
09-08-2018, 09:25 PM
#2
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Location: Fredericksburg,VA
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It is such a simple system I don't know what the experts in automotive water problems couldn't find to fix.
It is just a pan under the evaporator with a drain out the firewall. There must be something that moves around and clogs the drain. The only thing I can think of to do is pull the evaporator out and physically look at it. If they didn't charge you somewhere over $800 they did not do that. The flat rate for R&R the evaporator is 7.7 hours.
It is just a pan under the evaporator with a drain out the firewall. There must be something that moves around and clogs the drain. The only thing I can think of to do is pull the evaporator out and physically look at it. If they didn't charge you somewhere over $800 they did not do that. The flat rate for R&R the evaporator is 7.7 hours.
09-09-2018, 11:19 AM
#3
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Join Date: 10-01-2010
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Thanks, Don. Can the evaporator be accessed without removing the entire instrument panel? (I had major back surgery though my abdomen several months ago so now I have to depend on others to do what I used to do.) If I can instruct these guys as to what to do, maybe success will happen. Thanks!
Can the evaporator pan be accessed at all without removing the evaporator or is R&R the evaporator the only way?
Appreciate all your assistance.
Can the evaporator pan be accessed at all without removing the evaporator or is R&R the evaporator the only way?
Appreciate all your assistance.
09-09-2018, 11:33 AM
#4
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Join Date: 12-06-2009
Location: Alabama
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2 things I don't get from the 1st post.
You said it only leaks when the AC is on. But you also stated that you had the cowl area worked on to fix this same leak ??? Why that work if it's AC related ?
Fwiw. A 2010 HHR does not have that cowl butyl patch that was a problem on the 1st year HHR's. Later years don't have that patch so not sure what they could have "fixed" under the cowl.
2nd. You stated that water was leaking on both the passenger AND drivers side. Not even sure that's possible with an evap drain pan that overflows. The evaporator and drain pan are under the dash on the passenger side. How could it travel up and over and then leak on the drivers side.
You said it only leaks when the AC is on. But you also stated that you had the cowl area worked on to fix this same leak ??? Why that work if it's AC related ?
Fwiw. A 2010 HHR does not have that cowl butyl patch that was a problem on the 1st year HHR's. Later years don't have that patch so not sure what they could have "fixed" under the cowl.
2nd. You stated that water was leaking on both the passenger AND drivers side. Not even sure that's possible with an evap drain pan that overflows. The evaporator and drain pan are under the dash on the passenger side. How could it travel up and over and then leak on the drivers side.
09-09-2018, 12:17 PM
#5
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Join Date: 10-01-2010
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2 things I don't get from the 1st post.
You said it only leaks when the AC is on. But you also stated that you had the cowl area worked on to fix this same leak ??? Why that work if it's AC related ?
Fwiw. A 2010 HHR does not have that cowl butyl patch that was a problem on the 1st year HHR's. Later years don't have that patch so not sure what they could have "fixed" under the cowl.
2nd. You stated that water was leaking on both the passenger AND drivers side. Not even sure that's possible with an evap drain pan that overflows. The evaporator and drain pan are under the dash on the passenger side. How could it travel up and over and then leak on the drivers side.
You said it only leaks when the AC is on. But you also stated that you had the cowl area worked on to fix this same leak ??? Why that work if it's AC related ?
Fwiw. A 2010 HHR does not have that cowl butyl patch that was a problem on the 1st year HHR's. Later years don't have that patch so not sure what they could have "fixed" under the cowl.
2nd. You stated that water was leaking on both the passenger AND drivers side. Not even sure that's possible with an evap drain pan that overflows. The evaporator and drain pan are under the dash on the passenger side. How could it travel up and over and then leak on the drivers side.
Problem: Leaves, pollen, pine needles, etc. get down past the plastic cowl cover and screen to plug up the opening to the HVAC unit (A/C evaporator/heater core despite cabin filter.
Debris needs to be removed from HVAC unit and something put into place to prevent debris and rain water from getting into the HVAC unit. (An additional screen on right side of cowl over the opening??) (See pics attached)
Problem: Leaves, pollen, pine needles, etc. have probably gotten down into the HVAC unit and plugged the A/C evaporator drain from emptying. When driving, water comes out openings draining from the evaporator onto our feet. A man we know put the HHR on a lift and blew air into the drain opening from underneath and this emptied out about a gallon of water into a large pan. However, after driving for a few minutes, the drain re-plugs and we once again have water emptying onto both the driver’s and passenger’s feet. This is accompanied by sounds of sloshing water in the HVAC unit in the car as well as in the blower fan.
Debris needs to be removed from inside the HVAC unit and something done to prevent the drain from constantly plugging up.
(Chevrolet may have a TSB/Technical Service Bulletin covering this issue and a positive resolution to it.)
I used the photo's from your post on the subject (https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/main...l-patch-58597/ ) to give them an idea of what I was talking about. Thanks!
09-09-2018, 12:37 PM
#7
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OK. I understand now. The work on the cowl was for keeping debris from entering the evaporator box. Water getting in that way would not be an issue on a 2010 since it has the redesigned cowl area.
As far as water accumulating in the drain pan. Something as simple as a small acorn that's made it's way down there could be a major issue. Acorn plugs the hole, clean out the drain with a wire or air pressure and it dislodges the acorn "plug", then the water drains out.
Problem is, if the acorn remains in the pan, it will just find it's way back to plug up the drain.
(fact: the acorn theory is one a dealt with years ago with a customer's car at the shop I worked at. Finally tore into the car after several attempts at blowing out the drain line)
As far as water accumulating in the drain pan. Something as simple as a small acorn that's made it's way down there could be a major issue. Acorn plugs the hole, clean out the drain with a wire or air pressure and it dislodges the acorn "plug", then the water drains out.
Problem is, if the acorn remains in the pan, it will just find it's way back to plug up the drain.
(fact: the acorn theory is one a dealt with years ago with a customer's car at the shop I worked at. Finally tore into the car after several attempts at blowing out the drain line)
09-09-2018, 01:15 PM
#8
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Thanks George, that's it. What all did you do to remove the "acorn" from the evaporator drain pan so the water could empty out the drain pipe without "re-plugging"? This sounds like the knowledge that could solve our HHR's problem. Thank you!
09-09-2018, 02:56 PM
#9
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When I say several years ago, I mean way back at least 25 years ago. Wasn't a HHR of course. Honestly don't remember the make of car.I do want to amend my statement about water leaking to the drivers side. I went out and looked under the dash on mine. Noticed that the drip pan part does indeed extend over to the drivers side, so I guess a leak there is very possible.
09-09-2018, 05:46 PM
#10
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Join Date: 04-03-2018
Location: Florida
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Instead of guessing this to death, why don't you use an inspection scope camera in the drain opening to see what is plugging the drain and plan a remedy accordingly.
Available to buy for approx $100.00 or less or they can be rented. Less expensive than a discovery dissassembly.
I doubt if anything very large is in there unless it got there during initial factory assembly. The cowl screen pretty much assures that.
If it's the accumulated " jello" formed by typical evaporator condensate, then an injection of chlorine or bleach thru the drain hole will dissolve it enough to drain completely.
Can then be flushed by the same method with water,
Available to buy for approx $100.00 or less or they can be rented. Less expensive than a discovery dissassembly.
I doubt if anything very large is in there unless it got there during initial factory assembly. The cowl screen pretty much assures that.
If it's the accumulated " jello" formed by typical evaporator condensate, then an injection of chlorine or bleach thru the drain hole will dissolve it enough to drain completely.
Can then be flushed by the same method with water,