Water From Drivers Side Lower Air Vent, Any Ideas?

[moog999]

Just started yesterday, I'm getting a fair old drip of what looks like clean/clear water coming from the drivers side lower air vent. It's enough to have soaked through the carpet.

 

The car doesn't appear to be using coolant and the water it clean so I'm thinking it could be condensation from the air con (which is working). I've just had a good crawl round under the car to see if there was an obvious air con condensate drain that might have been blocked but couldn't see anything obvious.

 

Car is a 2003 petrol galaxy btw.

 

Thanks in advance.

[tetleyles]

i had same kind of problem last year,

turned out to be the heater matrix with mine

[moog999]

Thanks for the reply.

 

Any idea what it cost to fix or how big a DIY job it is?

[moog999]

After some research it looks like this is potentially a job that could cost 25%+ of the cars value to put right.

 

Might be time to get rid and lease a new one I think - I'm getting pissed off with keeping old sheds going, it's never ending!!

[BrianH]

If its clean unless you have clean water in the coolant then it shouldn't be the heater matrix. I'd have a look behind the bulkhead to see if the scuttle drains are blocked (likly if you park under trees etc).

 

It could be condensation if the air con actually works, but there should be a drain pipe to cope with that (which may be blocked). However its rare the galaxy aircon seems to work from what others say here....

[chromedome]

The drain outlet for the a/c is cut almost level with the bulk head and water has been known to run back up the outside of the pipe. I put a short piece of hose on mine to prevent this. Yes I am another lucky one with working a/c because I leave it working all year round.

[moog999]

The drain outlet for the a/c is cut almost level with the bulk head and water has been known to run back up the outside of the pipe. I put a short piece of hose on mine to prevent this. Yes I am another lucky one with working a/c because I leave it working all year round.

 

I spent ages yesterday underneath the car trying to find something that looked like a condensation drain and couldn't see anything. Any chance you could describe in detail where this is?

 

Cheers

Dave

[chrispb123456]

I thought I had a photo of it but seem to have mislaid it, if you look down the back of the engine towards the gearbox side there should be a short rubber pipe about inch and a half long sticking out from the bulkhead.

What may have happened if it's not there the heater/ac unit may have been removed from the car and the pipe not fed back through the hole when it was refitted, although the hole should be visible but probably harder to locate. 

[moog999]

I thought I had a photo of it but seem to have mislaid it, if you look down the back of the engine towards the gearbox side there should be a short rubber pipe about inch and a half long sticking out from the bulkhead.

What may have happened if it's not there the heater/ac unit may have been removed from the car and the pipe not fed back through the hole when it was refitted, although the hole should be visible but probably harder to locate. 

Can't see anything obvious!! 

 

Don't know if this will help but took a few photos in and around the top of the engine.

 

Spot the pipe!

 

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[chromedome]

It's usually where that round patch is, pictures 5, 6 & 7.

[moog999]

Lol... How very odd!

 

I'll have to poke around there tomorrow.... Thank you.

[chrispb123456]

I would say a bit to the left of that grommet in 5 6 7

[moog999]

I've not had chance to check today but I drove it yesterday and guess what, no more water!

 

My Mrs has been out all day in it today and also reported her left foot to be dry, there's no evidence of any new water from the vent and the carpet is pretty much dried out.

 

In my book I would class that as being "f%&(ing weird!!" :)

 

Oh and it's been driven with the air con set to "auto" (as usual) we also had some properly torrential rain yesterday too so it doesn't appear to be weather related.

 

Just going to watch and wait on this one then, if it recurs and starts to be a significant issue then I'm going to chop it in for a 3-4yr old Galaxy/S-Max.

 

I'll still have a poke around that grommet later anyway, thanks for the help.

[gregers]

scuttles arnt blocked are they?

[BrianH]

scuttles arnt blocked are they?

 

Certainly be worth a look. Also check the bulkhead panel is in place properly at the same time as i know from experience if thats missing the car gets wet inside as well.

[moog999]

Tried to pull the wipers off to check scuttle and they aren't budging! Will try some plus gas on them but any tips on how to remove would be appreciated.

[BrianH]

you don't need to take the wipers off - there are 3 bolts to remove the long black plate one at either end the other in the middle. Remove these and you should then be able to remove the plate

[BrianH]

From faq - pollen filter is in the same area. If you remove mentioned bulkhead then you should be able to see if water is gathering there.

 

http://www.fordgalaxy.org.uk/ford/index.php/topic/1539-how-to-change-a-pollen-filter/?hl=pollen+filter

 

You will probabbly find it more effective if it is to remove the wheel arch liner and unblock it/wash any accumulated rubbish out if needed.

[moog999]

Thanks for the help chaps...I haven't had use of the car at all this week but my reports it's remained dry.

 

I'll check the scuttles but if you look at this pic

 

 

vs this one (from the faq post)

 

 

http://www.fordgalaxy.org.uk/ford/uploads/post-62-1076069920.jpg

 

Doesn't look like I've got a "bulkhead extension"?

 

[BrianH]

Looks to me like you have an extra bit of fascia that needs to come off the front just above the long rubber seal to reveal the bolts. You should be able to confirm as if you look for the brake fluid reservoir you can see no way of topping it up without removing the panel.

[moog999]

Looks to me like you have an extra bit of fascia that needs to come off the front just above the long rubber seal to reveal the bolts. You should be able to confirm as if you look for the brake fluid reservoir you can see no way of topping it up without removing the panel.

 

You were quite correct. Panel came out with a bit of persuasion and there was a fair old accumulation of leaves and crud in there. Cleared it out and flushed through with a hosepipe and drains nicely from above both wheel liners now. Maybe that was contributory? Still no more water out of the vent anyway so that's all good!

 

Oh and there is nothing that I can feel behind that circular grommet thing, it popped out easy enough to reveal the metal bulkhead behind it....nowt there.

 

Had a mess about with my cruise control pump and pipework too. Managed to get it to work for the first time since I got the car (6m ago). Long story short but I bought it on the understanding the garage would fix it, they messed me about so ended up giving me some money back and giving me a replacement vac pump.....different topic for a different thread anyway but it workede like a charm on the way to the shops - then nothing on the way home..buggerit.

 

Thanks for the input anyway folks, very helpful.

Edited April 12, 2014 by moog999

[BrianH]

You were quite correct. Panel came out with a bit of persuasion and there was a fair old accumulation of leaves and crud in there. Cleared it out and flushed through with a hosepipe and drains nicely from above both wheel liners now. Maybe that was contributory? Still no more water out of the vent anyway so that's all good!

 

Oh and there is nothing that I can feel behind that circular grommet thing, it popped out easy enough to reveal the metal bulkhead behind it....nowt there.

 

Had a mess about with my cruise control pump and pipework too. Managed to get it to work for the first time since I got the car (6m ago). Long story short but I bought it on the understanding the garage would fix it, they messed me about so ended up giving me some money back and giving me a replacement vac pump.....different topic for a different thread anyway but it workede like a charm on the way to the shops - then nothing on the way home..buggerit.

 

Thanks for the input anyway folks, very helpful.

Sounds like it could have been the cause if its full of leaves and rubbish. They seem to gather them quite effectively. Time will tell as weather changes!

Maybe you have the only mk2 that still had that bit of fascia there to complicate matters?

[moog999]

So it's been fine since I last posted then yesterday it happened again. Driving along happily when all of a sudden my left foot is soaking wet.

 

Going to put a new pollen filter in later so will check again for any blockages.

 

Seriously considering getting rid and upgrading to a mk3. I can't be arsed with it anymore.

Edited May 11, 2014 by moog999

[moog999]

So it's been fine since I last posted then yesterday it happened again. Driving along happily when all of a sudden my left foot is soaking wet.

 

Going to put a new pollen filter in later so will check again for any blockages.

 

Seriously considering getting rid and upgrading to a mk3. I can't be arsed with it anymore.

Right, I'm pretty sure I've cracked it.

 

In this image you can see the large diameter dark patch....Just to the right is a short length of pipe with a smaller dia pipe going into it?

 

A gentle tug on that pipe saw it pop out and half a cup full of clear condensate poured out. That pipe was actually plumbed back into the cruise control vaccum pump!

 

Now it looks thus...that is what an air con drain pipe looks like!!

 

That's it with the air con blowing on low, there is a steady weep from the pipe, indicating my air con works fine and the water in the car was this overflowing.

 

This then leaves the question of where the bloody hell should that cruise control pipe terminate.

 

In this pic you can see where I have disconnected the pipe from the male nipple coming off the pump.

 

 

The pipe out of the car looks like this

 

Virtual pint for anyone that can tell me where that should terminate?? It'd be lovely to get my cruise up and running.

Edited May 14, 2014 by moog999

[viperclive]

In the pic with pipe connected, to the right at back corner looks like a connection for vacume/cruise pipe? Also you need rubber pipe back on aircon drain, if all that water has been going down that pipe has it all ended up in the vacume unit in front ns wing?