Wet passenger side floor AC clogged?
- Thread starter Johnoolo
- Start date
I don't know if its a ac line clogged. But it might be your heater core. Mostly when heater cores start to go out or are clogged they leak only on the passenger side.
Does it smell sweet when you touch wet areas? If so its your heater core. If you use coolant and not just water of course.
Then it is probably the heater core whats a rough idea of what i need to do to repair that. I haven't done a heater core before i herd ive got to take part of the dash off is that true? or can i disconnect the hoses pull it out and replace it? or could i run some industrial coolant flush through the system maybe that could clear the blockage unless its just leaking i work at a dealer but not tech work thanks for the help
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- 2003 Mazdaspeed Protege 1660, 2004 Winning Blue RX8, 2005 Mazda6
- Do the windows fog up?
- Doe the fluid smell sweet?
- Did this occur after rain?
- Is the rear passenger floorboard wet?
- Have you been losing coolant?
I believe book time is 3.5 hours and labor op shows that the HVAC box must be removed, but I was able to sneak the evaporator out without removing the case, but that was 3 years ago or so and I can't remember if you'd be able to do the same for the heater core.
- Doe the fluid smell sweet?
- Did this occur after rain?
- Is the rear passenger floorboard wet?
- Have you been losing coolant?
I believe book time is 3.5 hours and labor op shows that the HVAC box must be removed, but I was able to sneak the evaporator out without removing the case, but that was 3 years ago or so and I can't remember if you'd be able to do the same for the heater core.
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- 2003 Mazdaspeed Protege 1660, 2004 Winning Blue RX8, 2005 Mazda6
If you don't feel comfortable replacing the unit at this time, you can bypass it IF THAT IS EVEN THE PROBLEM, with little difficulty. I suspect the symptom is due to water intrusion as opposed to coolant loss, though.
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- 2003 Mazdaspeed Protege 1660, 2004 Winning Blue RX8, 2005 Mazda6
And concerning your evaporator drain, it could be restricted by debris and allowing water to back up in the HVAC box resulting in water intrusion that way. There is a small, black rubber elbow coming out of the firewall on the passenger side and that is your drain. You can take a coat hanger and push into it to loosen any debris and blockage, but it's just as easy to remove it.
i haven't noticed a loss of coolant, but i will monitor that going forward im not sure when the problem started its been kind of cold in the south so ive been using my heater a lot i thought it might have been because i had the ac switch on but left it off dried the carpet and the water returned my windows fog sometimes but not very often? the rear passenger floorboard is wet it dosent really smell sweet but it has a faint smell( could be coolant) im not positive though. Thanks for the help
hornsfan10609
Certified Mazda Tech
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- 2003.5 Mazdaspeed Protege x2
I had this problem when water was getting in behind the passenger taillight (seal failed). Yes, it's in the back of the car, but it will run through the grooves under the trunk carpet, under the back seat, and into the cabin floorboard. The same thing can also happen when your trunk seal fails. If it happens after rain, you definitely have a leak somewhere, and these are common spots. Just pick up your trunk carpet and look for evidence of water running through the grooves. In my car the side well where the jack is stored was full of water.
If its your heater core you can bypass the system completely. You would have to buy a hose adapter that fits both ends of the heater core hoses that are by the firewall. Find them, disconnect them, plug em together and no more leaks. But you will have no more heater if that's working still.
my heater functions properly hoping the heater core isn't leaking because i really don't have the time to pull the dash. but if i have too i guess i can learn while on the job. it mightbe water it has a scent but no color but it might be the carpet cleaner i put down when i was cleaning my carpet im going to check for leaks in the trunk after work is there a way to get the heater core out without tearing down the dash?
It's water I found it all in the trunk I have aftermarket tailights I refitted them and used rubber to kinda stop water from going through and sealed on the frame under neath them a possible leak areas? It's definitely water not coolant I tried to take pI cures but I don't know how to post them but the sides of the trunk were full of water it must have been leaking down to the floorboard
Same thing happened to me. Get a tube of silicon sealant and seal the top of the taillights from the backside, in the trunk. Then spray it with a hose or something once it dries to make sure you've got it sealed well.
In addition to sealing both taillights you may also want to redo the "quality" oem mazda seam sealer back in the trunk area. Not only does it degrade up front it does the same thing in the rear. Evidently slight or major impacts will cause it to crack as well. So in addition to silicone sealant you might need some automotive seam sealer. TheMan has a post on here showing how he went about it.
I'll be doing mine as soon as I get back to Florida. I vacuumed out water & ice the other day from trunk and we just got 8+ inches of snow.
I'll be doing mine as soon as I get back to Florida. I vacuumed out water & ice the other day from trunk and we just got 8+ inches of snow.
I believe it was a water intrusion the wet floor has not come back. thank you for the insight I sealed around the trunk and under the taillights in the trunk where it appears to be linking at spot welds. I will test further via water hose
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