A/C conderser drain lines, dripping

[conductor]

I have a Ford Ranger 2020 and they were quoting me today $2,640 to pull the dash apart and re-insulate the drain lines from my A/C condenser, so they don't drip water on the drivers floor, and make the carpet wet. Ford said this is known issue and has no fix for this at the time. I live in Florida, high humidity 6 mo.of the year. This is probably a reoccurring $2,600 expense God knows how long it'll last. I don't think I'm going to do it I think I might get rid of the truck.
Talk about piss poor engineering, I never heard of such nonsense !

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[RangerBill]

I have a Ford Ranger 2020 and they were quoting me today $2,640 to pull the dash apart and re-insulate the drain lines from my A/C condenser, so they don't drip water on the drivers floor, and make the carpet wet. Ford said this is known issue and has no fix for this at the time. I live in Florida, high humidity 6 mo.of the year. This is probably a reoccurring $2,600 expense God knows how long it'll last. I don't think I'm going to do it I think I might get rid of the truck.
Talk about piss poor engineering, I never heard of such nonsense !

Ford has a SSM on this issue. It shouldn't require taking the dash apart.

 

[airline tech]

For a Ref Pic:
The arm (shown) here is the AC Line Routing, the issue is the access to these lines
Doable but a lot of work just to (correct) Ford induced issue.

Another possible source for the AC Drain - is IF the condensate drain is clogged, the pan overflows in turns (over the sides) of the bottom cover (as seen the lower bottom cover in the pic)

Related - Water egress into the cabin, if not the AC Condensate, the Windshield is also known to leak so hopefully they confirmed it was indeed the AC.

Link to Ref on pulling the dash apart (if needed) - starting about page 27

(1) SSM 49264 - Climate Control Temperature Will Not Adjust With Clicking/Snapping Noise From The Dash | Page 27 | 2019+ Ford Ranger and Raptor Forum (5th Generation) - Ranger5G.com

 

[conductor]

They are telling me this is the issue.
But ... why doesn't the floor get damp on the passenger side ?
But ... why does it get damp only on the drivers side right in front of the drivers seat and next to the door ? Door seal ?
Behind the brake pedal up the firewall a little it is completely dry !
I think there is more to this .

 

[airline tech]

I would suspect the door seal as the most logical source.

But, as far as your question - Passenger Side
The AC Lines run on the Driver's Side
The Heater Core Lines run on the Passenger Side

Now if the AC lines are dripping, it could be dripping down the firewall under the carpet and settling in the Low Spot (at the front of the seat)
same goes for a front window leaking.

Does is smell like condensate drain? It does have a specific odor to it.
You would have had to smell it before to notice

But if you can get access (as best you can) and have the AC running, you should be able to look up under the dash and see if you note any drips running down the firewall near those AC Lines.

You can also note - does it get wet after running AC or get wet after a rain or carwash.
If it is getting wet and no rain, then it is confirmed AC Lines or Condensate Drain - Clogged

You may get a better view if you have a Borescope Camera to better see the firewall and the AC Lines and I would suggest doing a good inspection of the door surround seals.

 

[NotBudule2]

They are telling me this is the issue.
But ... why doesn't the floor get damp on the passenger side ?
But ... why does it get damp only on the drivers side right in front of the drivers seat and next to the door ? Door seal ?
Behind the brake pedal up the firewall a little it is completely dry !
I think there is more to this .

Nothing wet in the back area ? No water stains on the headliner in the back corners ?

 

[conductor]

Nothing wet in the back area ? No water stains on the headliner in the back corners ?

No it's dry everywhere else.
What do you think ?

 

[NotBudule2]

No it's dry everywhere else.
What do you think ?

Not sure where it's coming from , but I'm not sure they did either ?, but like airline tech said above , if it's close to the door , check out the door , some here have had leaks in the rear (back glass , 3rd brake light) and depending on how you park it could just be running to that area , but if it's AC I would think you could find the drip on a hot humid day with it running , and like mentioned above , make sure it's draining where it should underneath... have you had this truck since new ? If not it may have had the dash out already for the AC box and maybe they didn't wrap it back correctly ?...

 

[HeatXfer]

Seeing that you're in FLA, you have both rain & high temp with humidity. It could easily be a door/windshield leak when it rains, poor/failing condensate drain insulation, a plugged drain, a combination of all or even something else that hasn't been considered.

I was in commercial A/C service for 30yrs, so I can confidently tell you this: You've got to investigate all possibilities before you begin a "point of no return" inspection, i.e. pulling the dash.

Pull back the carpet as far as you can, if you're up to it pull the driver's seat to make more maneuvering room. Put down paper towels and crank-up the A/C. Get a bright light in there and spend the time eye-balling everything up under there. It'll be time well spent to pin-point the source. And don't forget water likes to travel; I've resolved commercial building leaks that were 100ft from the point of origin.

 

[airline tech]

Another spot to focus and that is at the Firewall , Center. This is where the Condensate drain exits the cabin.
If the exit point is partially clogged and slowing the flow. It will gravity flow back towards the Firewall and then drip down the inside of the cab.
So when you pull the carpet back, check the center hump for wetness.

Think Moonshiners and why they use a Coon - Peck aka Toothpick for the slow flowing- Shine
Same Principle

 

[conductor]

Not sure where it's coming from , but I'm not sure they did either ?, but like airline tech said above , if it's close to the door , check out the door , some here have had leaks in the rear (back glass , 3rd brake light) and depending on how you park it could just be running to that area , but if it's AC I would think you could find the drip on a hot humid day with it running , and like mentioned above , make sure it's draining where it should underneath... have you had this truck since new ? If not it may have had the dash out already for the AC box and maybe they didn't wrap it back correctly ?...

Yeah I bought it in May 2020.
Here in Florida at this time of year it rains every day about 4pm.
I'm going to check the floor on dry days and humid when the air is running, which done here is almost always !

Another spot to focus and that is at the Firewall , Center. This is where the Condensate drain exits the cabin.
If the exit point is partially clogged and slowing the flow. It will gravity flow back towards the Firewall and then drip down the inside of the cab.
So when you pull the carpet back, check the center hump for wetness.

Think Moonshiners and why they use a Coon - Peck aka Toothpick for the slow flowing- Shine
Same Principle

Where does the condenser lines exit the truck ?
Years ago almost all cars had condensate water under the car on the floor under the passenger side, right rear of the hood .

 

[NotBudule2]

Yeah I bought it in May 2020.
Here in Florida at this time of year it rains every day about 4pm.
I'm going to check the floor on dry days and humid when the air is running, which done here is almost always !


Where does the condenser lines exit the truck ?
Years ago almost all cars had condensate water under the car on the floor under the passenger side, right rear of the hood .

Rangers don't leave a puddle on the ground like most , mainly because it drips on the transmission and that deflects it somewhat I guess ?, but it's underthere ...

 

[NotBudule2]

https://www.ranger5g.com/forum/threads/ac-condensate.14149/

That thread may be useful, drain sounds like a real pain to get to but may be your problem ...

 

[airline tech]

With the Ranger, it is almost impossible to see, engine side.
The drain exits just above the transmission bell housing, this is why most of the condensate drains on top of the bell housing and owners have stated they never see the normal dropping down to the ground (as with other vehicles)

However, on a very humid day, you can see it as there is enough drain to fill the cavities on the bell housing and it overflows down to the ground.


For a visual reference here is a pic of the housing

This will put the exit point approximately dead center of the center console, so center of the upper dash tray and line up with the (Sunload) sensor (Bubble) on top of the dash.

Cabin View - Circled in (Red)

Ref Locations Mounting:

Evap Core (Blue)
Heater Core (Red)
Condensate Drain Pan / Lower Housing Cover- (Yellow)

 

[airline tech]

Took me awhile to find this - ref pic - someone posted
As viewed looking up from the engine bay at the firewall

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