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The hunt for the drain hose

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Old 06-16-2006 | 06:39 AM
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The hunt for the drain hose

I'm hoping to get some forum help with my clogged air conditioner drain hose.
Water is dripping onto the passenger side floor board so I think the drain hose is stopped up but I can't find the hose.

I understand it is on the passenger side and my Mazda service writer told me there should be a black hose sticking out a little on the underside of the car by the fire wall but I can't locate it.

Does anyone have any tips?
Old 06-19-2006 | 12:35 AM
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Wow this is odd. I dont know where it would be located?
Old 05-07-2007 | 07:05 PM
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I'm bumping this one because I am having the same problem. Water is coming into the a/c system and collecting in the fan motor housing and then dripping all over my floorboard. I have never seen a drop of water under my car, so I know the drain tube is either clogged or mis-directed. I changed the filters while I had the glovebox removed and the old ones had a ton of leaves and other debris in them (see attachment), so I am thinking I have the same problem elsewhere in the system that is keeping the condensation from draining outside of the car.

Any ideas?
Attached Thumbnails The hunt for the drain hose-airfilters.jpg  
Old 05-07-2007 | 08:08 PM
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The drain is under the front of the firewall...right over the highest point of the bell housing. It looks like "duck lips"...it is a tube that sticks down only a very little bit.

It's real easy to get at with the upper intake manifold off...otherwise it is difficult. Look beside the oil filter...up and back and you should see it sticking out.

The "lips" get stuck together and the result is a pool in your passenger side floor ( ask me how I know ) I opened the end of the tube with a spray from an air gun...an silicone sprayed the end of the lips...it's been OK since then
Old 05-07-2007 | 08:41 PM
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Originally Posted by dannobre
The drain is under the front of the firewall...right over the highest point of the bell housing. It looks like "duck lips"...it is a tube that sticks down only a very little bit.

It's real easy to get at with the upper intake manifold off...otherwise it is difficult. Look beside the oil filter...up and back and you should see it sticking out.

The "lips" get stuck together and the result is a pool in your passenger side floor ( ask me how I know ) I opened the end of the tube with a spray from an air gun...an silicone sprayed the end of the lips...it's been OK since then
Thanks for the accurate description. Weird thing is, after posting this, I walk outside and see a puddle under my car for the first time ever since buying it a month ago. It was a little further back than I would expect but it was a puddle of water nonetheless. So I took it for a short drive with the A/C on wide open and not one drop fell in the floorboard. Maybe it unclogged itself. Either way, next time it is up on a rack, I will look for the "duck lips". Thanks.
Old 05-07-2007 | 08:55 PM
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Try and get it sprayed with silicone. The lips are kinda sticky rubber..and they will stick again. When I opened mine i got about 1 quart of water out of it.....

Look from the top down.....center of the firewall. you can't see it from below...tranny is in the way...
Old 05-07-2007 | 09:25 PM
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Originally Posted by dannobre
Try and get it sprayed with silicone. The lips are kinda sticky rubber..and they will stick again. When I opened mine i got about 1 quart of water out of it.....

Look from the top down.....center of the firewall. you can't see it from below...tranny is in the way...
Just went out and looked. I "think" I see it just above and back from the oil filter. I couldn't see it leaning over from the passenger side of the car but I could from the driver's side. I tried reaching it with my hand to see if that was it, but I couldn't get my hand in that far. I guess that is where the compressed air would come in handy? Or is it just impossible to do without taking the intake off?
Old 05-07-2007 | 09:49 PM
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I did it without the intake being off..........I just saw it a few weeks later when I had the intake off....It's really easy to see then......

You kinda have to do it blind with the intake on. You'll know you got it open when your floor gets pissed on
Old 05-08-2007 | 07:06 AM
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Here's an easier solution for ya,
I drove the car by my Mazda shop and they took it in the back and unclogged it for free. (Yeah Jeff Wyler
They said the biggest problem for them was finding a guy with small enough arms to blindly reach up to find the hose to unclog it . It was not visible at all.
Brenda
Old 03-26-2008 | 01:14 PM
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Could anyone be kind enough to post pictures of it or something? I tried to find it myself without success, and then I took it to my local Mazda, explained the problem, and they wanted $59 just to look at it - to which I said no thanks.
Old 03-26-2008 | 06:58 PM
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Look up under the firewall...at the peak of the motor.....I think I posted a picture before...do a quick search and see if you can find it...I'll look on my laptop and see if I still have it here
Old 08-24-2008 | 03:54 PM
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This is a good post thanks guies! But if you jack up your car and lay under the driver side you can see the little tube from underneath. And they were definatly stuck shut and i got a few cups of water out of it as well.
Old 08-27-2008 | 03:23 PM
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Hi Hi, I am having the same problem can someone kindly post a picture up?
Old 08-28-2008 | 12:13 AM
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https://www.rx8club.com/attachment.p...3&d=1188390715

the drain is circled in thin black line...
Old 08-28-2008 | 09:45 PM
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So for those that has the same problem how do you manage to un-clogged it?

I can see the tub being open so the clogged is most likely further in.
Old 08-29-2008 | 12:33 PM
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Originally Posted by d_mashuda
This is a good post thanks guies! But if you jack up your car and lay under the driver side you can see the little tube from underneath. And they were definatly stuck shut and i got a few cups of water out of it as well.
So is there another little tube in addition to the "duck lips"?
Old 08-29-2008 | 01:00 PM
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Just one.....give it a blast with an air hose...that usually works and then a shot with some silicone spray....
Old 08-29-2008 | 02:00 PM
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wouldn't it clogged further up instead?
Old 08-29-2008 | 02:06 PM
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It gets plugged cause the "lips" get sticky from the heat of the engine and stick shut. if you open the ends and then spray with silicone it keeps them from sticking shut......
Old 08-29-2008 | 02:19 PM
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One last question, I have an open end showing right now when I look at it. Does it mean the tube is clogg mid way shut because the rubber is stick together?
Old 08-29-2008 | 02:22 PM
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BTW thank you very much with all these infos..............
Old 08-29-2008 | 02:29 PM
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Originally Posted by 604rx8
One last question, I have an open end showing right now when I look at it. Does it mean the tube is clogg mid way shut because the rubber is stick together?
Shouldn't look open on the end unless someone cut the end off?? Wouldn't know what's up then...could be blocked in the housing or the drain line I suppose
Old 08-31-2008 | 11:05 AM
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Suppose the tube is actually stuck open - would one then smell oil vapors in the car when using the AC? Because every time I turn the AC on, I smell a bit of oil for about 2-3 seconds. The strange thing is, it smells like motor oil (which now makes sense, seeing the tube is next to the oil filter that gets oil spilled by techs when they change it). And maybe the same oil vapors dissolve the rubber and make it stick as well. Just some thoughts.
Old 09-10-2008 | 09:08 PM
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I want to bump this thread because my local mazda dealer recently tried to charge me 1400 dollars to correct this identical issue which is now in my opinion certainly an issue with a defective a/c

The a/c is only covered under warranty for 12k miles or 12 months but the dealership specifically lied to me after I asked them verbatim if there was another way to drain the a/c other than COMPLETELY removing the dash or the ENTIRE TRANSMISSION-which was the real reason I brought it in (conveniently forgotten after they realized the a/c wasn't under warranty)

never go to Ferman Mazda of Brandon FL on Adamo dr they're thieves and the service dept is nothing but a true representation of the stereotype
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