Toyota Prius: A good friend...

mark_digital© wrote:
 

Could it be the A/C drain is plugged?

Some are just totally rude when it comes to personal property.

- Greg

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"mark_digital©" <com> wrote in message
news:com... 

I'm with Greg - sounds like a plugged A/C evaporator drain - a very common
problem. Not positive about the Prius setup but in most designs even a leaky
heater core won't overflow onto the floor if the drain is clear. The last
time I had a bad heater core it thoroughly fogged the entire windshield. It
seems warm coolant produces a lot of steam <8^P

The fix can be done at a basic level or a little deeper. The basic thing is
to "snake out" the drain tube (under the car, near the passenger's feet) to
clear the blockage. That can leave some debris in the drain pan to offend
again. The best advice I've seen for the follow-up is to use a turkey baster
full of isopropyl alcohol (shellac thinner - not lacquer thinner!) to flush
the drain hose and pan out, being aware that it is likely to overflow onto
the passenger side. The alcohol will inhibit mold growth in the pan.

Anyway, a shop will have their own favorite way of clearing the blockage.
The owner should have the cabin air filter changed if it hasn't been done
recently, since dust and pollen can certainly contribute to A/C evaporator
problems. In modern cars I think nesting insects are the big cause of
plugged evap drains, though. All sorts of no-see-ums are attracted to the
moisture and sheltered location.

Mike

The sweet odor indicates a leaking heater core. A good friend would
urge the owner to get it repaired promptly.

mark_digital© wrote: 

Just prior to the July 4th weekend, I had a 3.5hr trip in my 2001
Prius. As we're getting
out of the car at our destination, we notice that there's this large
puddle in the passenger
footwell. My family member's purse (and contents), her shoes, my
stored rag, and
the carpeted floor mat are all soaked, as is the car's carpeting...

She took me over to her trusty mechanic at the local Sunoco station
(who's seen most
family member's cars at some point due to breakdowns), and he
surprisingly was able to
fit me in between jobs on Friday (holiday busy-ness and scheduled for 2
weeks out and
all). (My family member was all concerned that he wouldn't be able to
work on my Prius, it
being a hybrid and all, but when describing the problem he immediately
knew what the
problem was.) About a 20min wait for an open bay, and a tad over 5min
for them to drive
my car in, lift it, and blow out the accumulated gunk in the AC drain
with their pressurized
air hose, and bring my car back out to me. $10 for cleaning, and
so far the AC seems
fine. Nice mechanic. 8)

(It was suggested to leave the windows open to help air out the car,
take out the wet floor mats, and leave some newspaper in there to help
absorb the moisture to prevent mold.)


I'll note that if you have the Classic Prius, and the fan position
selector is in the front windshield defroster/defogger position, or the
foot/front windshield position, that this uses the car's AC to help
dehumidify the air that is being blown at the front windshield. This
AC use does NOT turn on the light for the AC. Since the Classic Prius'
AC pump is powered via a belt off of the gasoline engine, the engine
will run to power the AC to dehumidfy the front windshield when you
choose this fan position, so expect lowered fuel economy in this stage.