Pulled the floor mats out to vacuum, floorboard is soaked and smells sweet.

[Motorpsychology]

Windshield seal is all I can think of, or the drain tube is clogged. I think it comes out near the transmission

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[ScarzRanger21(2.0)]

Windshield seal is all I can think of, or the drain tube is clogged. I think it comes out near the transmission

That’s what I drilled a hole to try and clear out. Can’t really get to the drain hole though, the gap between the heater core and housing is too small to fit anything in. I ran water over the windshield and everything seems to be draining normally. Gonna try and clear out the drain tube with compressed air. If that doesn’t work, I might have to take it in and let someone else handle it. I’m getting frustrated lol

 

[ScarzRanger21(2.0)]

Well, just went from frustrated to pissed… Popped the hood to see if I could reach the drain tube from the engine compartment. Hood struts gave out and the hood slammed on my head. I think I’m done doing truck stuff for today before I start throwing things

 

[Motorpsychology]

Well, just went from frustrated to pissed… Popped the hood to see if I could reach the drain tube from the engine compartment. Hood struts gave out and the hood slammed on my head. I think I’m done doing truck stuff for today before I start throwing things

You can get the numbers off the struts and buy a pair on eBay. I just replaced the struts for my garage cabinets. Measure the length of the cylinders.

 

[airline tech]

Opening the hood won't help anyway - it's here above the bell housing and covered with a shield

This is why another member did this - use a chair (foot) to fill hole (plug) - just be careful of location as you are near the heater core.

 

[ScarzRanger21(2.0)]

Opening the hood won't help anyway - it's here above the bell housing and covered with a shield

This is why another member did this - use a chair (foot) to fill hole (plug) - just be careful of location as you are near the heater core.

I saw this exact post searching the forum. Tried drilling a hole but couldn’t really get in there to reach the drain tube. I’m going to try with an air gun (need to get an adapter at the hardware store after work) and see what happens.
I read on a Facebook post that someone was able to stick their arm behind the engine and reach it that way. Figured it was worth a shot before throwing in the towel.

 

[ScarzRanger21(2.0)]

I saw this exact post searching the forum. Tried drilling a hole but couldn’t really get in there to reach the drain tube. I’m going to try with an air gun (need to get an adapter at the hardware store after work) and see what happens.
I read on a Facebook post that someone was able to stick their arm behind the engine and reach it that way. Figured it was worth a shot before throwing in the towel.

Looks like at least two guys have been able to make it work reaching through the engine compartment.

 

[ScarzRanger21(2.0)]

Still haven’t made much progress… Managed to get a piece of wire into the heater core housing and poked around at the drain tube. It pushed through the tube and into the engine compartment where I could see it, so I know I was in the right spot. Didn’t see any debris or water come out though.

Also tried compressed air and a shop vac but didn’t get any debris or water coming out. Not sure if the AC drain being clogged is even the problem. I guess over the course of the next few days I’ll see if the carpet is still getting wet. If so, I might have to take it in and let the dealership diagnose the issue.

The only other thing I can think of is flushing the heater core? Heat and AC are working fine so I doubt that’s clogged. Ready to throw in the towel at this point. Can’t seem to figure out what’s going on here.

 

[Motorpsychology]

Still haven’t made much progress… Managed to get a piece of wire into the heater core housing and poked around at the drain tube. It pushed through the tube and into the engine compartment where I could see it, so I know I was in the right spot. Didn’t see any debris or water come out though.

Also tried compressed air and a shop vac but didn’t get any debris or water coming out. Not sure if the AC drain being clogged is even the problem. I guess over the course of the next few days I’ll see if the carpet is still getting wet. If so, I might have to take it in and let the dealership diagnose the issue.

The only other thing I can think of is flushing the heater core? Heat and AC are working fine so I doubt that’s clogged. Ready to throw in the towel at this point. Can’t seem to figure out what’s going on here.

I'm not familiar with how it looks inside the heater box, but can you see the intake and return lines to & from the heater core to check for leaks?

 

[ScarzRanger21(2.0)]

I'm not familiar with how it looks inside the heater box, but can you see the intake and return lines to & from the heater core to check for leaks?

Not without cutting into the plastic housing and destroying it. Just drove to work, the carpet is wet again, and I’m noticing a moldy/mildew smell in the cab… I think it’s time to make an appointment with the dealership and let their people handle it. I’ve done about all I can do myself.

 

[airline tech]

Refresh of issues

1. Driver's side only - getting wet - Correct?
2. Carpet gets wet after a drive- Correct? - Are you running AC for this to occur?
3. You have drilled a hole - In the same location as the above pic?
4. You were able to get a wire into the drain and no condensate drained?

I have not drilled a hole (YET) but it appears if you drill the hole in the location the other member did, you should be just (BELOW) the heater core and have full access to the drain box.
From that access - you have a place to insert a blow gun and more importantly a place to insert a (Borescope) to get a view of the drain box.

For the condensate to only appear on the (Driver's Side)
1. Drain is clogged and the box is overflowing at the seams and spills out (on-Turns)
2. Crack in the drain box or the seal (between the HVAC Housing and the Firewall) mounting point is allowing the condensate to backflow into the cab - due to a restriction in the drain tube
3. Just above the Brake and Accelerator pedal - the AC Feed lines route from the firewall into the HVAC box and are wrapped with a sealant and insulation, ford actually has a service bulletin on these lines where they were not wrapped properly and allowed (Condensate-Moisture) that is on the lines to drip down the firewall and soak the carpet.

If this is truly condensate drain (it generally has a distinct smell) vs just rainwater the same way antifreeze has a distant smell of its own.
If you are not seeing cooling system issues and the coolant level is not dropping - its not the heater core plus the heater core lines route on the passenger side, but however if the drain is clogged it would back up and splash over the same way the condensate will.

So, a possible isolation check - Drive without AC running and note if that makes a difference as that may pinpoint it down to the lines running above your feet as the source of the wet carpet, the lines themselves are not leaking - it's the moisture on the outside of the lines that's dripping.

 

[ScarzRanger21(2.0)]

Refresh of issues

1. Driver's side only - getting wet - Correct?
2. Carpet gets wet after a drive- Correct? - Are you running AC for this to occur?
3. You have drilled a hole - In the same location as the above pic?
4. You were able to get a wire into the drain and no condensate drained?

I have not drilled a hole (YET) but it appears if you drill the hole in the location the other member did, you should be just (BELOW) the heater core and have full access to the drain box.
From that access - you have a place to insert a blow gun and more importantly a place to insert a (Borescope) to get a view of the drain box.

For the condensate to only appear on the (Driver's Side)
1. Drain is clogged and the box is overflowing at the seams and spills out (on-Turns)
2. Crack in the drain box or the seal (between the HVAC Housing and the Firewall) mounting point is allowing the condensate to backflow into the cab - due to a restriction in the drain tube
3. Just above the Brake and Accelerator pedal - the AC Feed lines route from the firewall into the HVAC box and are wrapped with a sealant and insulation, ford actually has a service bulletin on these lines where they were not wrapped properly and allowed (Condensate-Moisture) that is on the lines to drip down the firewall and soak the carpet.

If this is truly condensate drain (it generally has a distinct smell) vs just rainwater the same way antifreeze has a distant smell of its own.
If you are not seeing cooling system issues and the coolant level is not dropping - its not the heater core plus the heater core lines route on the passenger side, but however if the drain is clogged it would back up and splash over the same way the condensate will.

So, a possible isolation check - Drive without AC running and note if that makes a difference as that may pinpoint it down to the lines running above your feet as the source of the wet carpet, the lines themselves are not leaking - it's the moisture on the outside of the lines that's dripping.

Correct on 1-4.
It seems to happen whether I run the AC or not, which is throwing me for a loop. Over the course of the next week I’ll dry the carpet the best I can and drive without using AC or heat to confirm. (Kind of hard when it’s 34° in the mornings and I need to use the defroster but I’ll make it work).

No noticeable changes with the cooling system, everything seems to be functioning normally. Heat and AC are working fine, coolant level hasn’t changed, temp gauge is in the normal operating range when driving (usually stays right in the middle… What that temp actually is, I have no clue).

I’ve read about the TSB for those lines. Is that something that would randomly start happening after years of use? Definitely haven’t had this problem before now. Sounds like I need to get a borescope and take a peek in the heater core housing instead of blindly poking around with a piece of wire or hoping the air hose is in the right spot.

 

[ScarzRanger21(2.0)]

Finally getting somewhere! Well, hopefully anyway.
Got a hold of a borescope and used it to look through the drain tube, there was some dirt and dust balls in there. Stuck an air compressor in the tube with a small hose attachment and blew out whatever was in there. (I can see why these drains get clogged so easily. The hose I used is 5/16” and it barely fit in the tube).

I did see some moisture in the bottom corners of the heater core housing but it didn’t look too wet. Maybe because I haven’t used the AC in a few days it’s dried up a bit.

Hopefully this solves the issue. Going to let the floorboard dry out over the weekend and see if it’s still getting wet. Fingers crossed!

 

[ScarzRanger21(2.0)]

Been a few days now, carpet isn’t wet. Think I solved the problem! Next issue: dealing with this mouse… Going to set up a sticky trap with some bait and see what I catch!

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