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Dodge Caravan A/C Evacuation Problem



 
 
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  #1  
Old May 24th 04, 10:42 PM
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Default Dodge Caravan A/C Evacuation Problem

I have a 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan. Bought it new. It's been great.
Last fall I had a problem as I was heading into Florida. The A/C was
on. At some point the CD started skipping and finally quit. We pulled
the CD out and noticed a bunch of very cold water on it. Obviously the
tube that is supposed to evacuate the moisture from the AC unit was
plugged and backing up under the dash. I stopped at a dealer. They
determined there was a blockage in the evacuation hose. The AC worked
perfectly for the rest of the trip (about a week).

Living in Indiana, we seldom use the AC in the winter months, so it
sat unused until about May first. At that point it did the same thing.
Again I took it to the dealer. They found a blockage in the hose.
Again they charged me about $40. Yesterday it did it again. I fail to
believe there keeps getting something stuck in the hose that quickly.
I've had it for 6 years and it never did it. Now it's done it three
times in a row?

Does anyone have any ideas, other than just giving them another $40 to
tell me there is debris in that hose?

Jim

Ads
  #2  
Old May 25th 04, 05:02 AM
Gene Poon
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Default

wrote:

> I have a 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan. Bought it new. It's been great.
> Last fall I had a problem as I was heading into Florida. The A/C was
> on. At some point the CD started skipping and finally quit. We pulled
> the CD out and noticed a bunch of very cold water on it. Obviously the
> tube that is supposed to evacuate the moisture from the AC unit was
> plugged and backing up under the dash. I stopped at a dealer. They
> determined there was a blockage in the evacuation hose. The AC worked
> perfectly for the rest of the trip (about a week).
>
> Living in Indiana, we seldom use the AC in the winter months, so it
> sat unused until about May first. At that point it did the same thing.
> Again I took it to the dealer. They found a blockage in the hose.
> Again they charged me about $40. Yesterday it did it again. I fail to
> believe there keeps getting something stuck in the hose that quickly.
> I've had it for 6 years and it never did it. Now it's done it three
> times in a row?
>
> Does anyone have any ideas, other than just giving them another $40 to
> tell me there is debris in that hose?

===============

The end of the evaporator drain hose is usually constricted, to prevent
noise from air blowing across it while the car is in motion, but that is
easy to plug up with debris. Look for the drain hose, and if you can
find it and reach it, check it yourself. Possibly what is happening is
that dirt or dust has blocked it, or fungus is growing there. It's a
moist environment, just what they like. I've seen this happen, quite a
bit. On one car we propped open the drain hose with a hollow plastic
tube, to keep it open and draining. There were no complaints about
noise, either, after we did that.

In winter, if you use the defroster, you are probably also using the air
conditioning. The refrigeration system turns on by itself, to take
moisture out of the defrost air before the air is heated. Some vehicles
delay turning on the refrigeration until the engine warms up, or
overrides if the outside temperature is too cold.

  #3  
Old May 25th 04, 05:02 AM
Gene Poon
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Posts: n/a
Default

wrote:

> I have a 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan. Bought it new. It's been great.
> Last fall I had a problem as I was heading into Florida. The A/C was
> on. At some point the CD started skipping and finally quit. We pulled
> the CD out and noticed a bunch of very cold water on it. Obviously the
> tube that is supposed to evacuate the moisture from the AC unit was
> plugged and backing up under the dash. I stopped at a dealer. They
> determined there was a blockage in the evacuation hose. The AC worked
> perfectly for the rest of the trip (about a week).
>
> Living in Indiana, we seldom use the AC in the winter months, so it
> sat unused until about May first. At that point it did the same thing.
> Again I took it to the dealer. They found a blockage in the hose.
> Again they charged me about $40. Yesterday it did it again. I fail to
> believe there keeps getting something stuck in the hose that quickly.
> I've had it for 6 years and it never did it. Now it's done it three
> times in a row?
>
> Does anyone have any ideas, other than just giving them another $40 to
> tell me there is debris in that hose?

===============

The end of the evaporator drain hose is usually constricted, to prevent
noise from air blowing across it while the car is in motion, but that is
easy to plug up with debris. Look for the drain hose, and if you can
find it and reach it, check it yourself. Possibly what is happening is
that dirt or dust has blocked it, or fungus is growing there. It's a
moist environment, just what they like. I've seen this happen, quite a
bit. On one car we propped open the drain hose with a hollow plastic
tube, to keep it open and draining. There were no complaints about
noise, either, after we did that.

In winter, if you use the defroster, you are probably also using the air
conditioning. The refrigeration system turns on by itself, to take
moisture out of the defrost air before the air is heated. Some vehicles
delay turning on the refrigeration until the engine warms up, or
overrides if the outside temperature is too cold.

  #4  
Old May 25th 04, 06:28 PM
Circuit Breaker
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Posts: n/a
Default

On Mon, 24 May 2004 17:42:12 -0400, gumbo5_99 wrote:

> Living in Indiana, we seldom use the AC in the winter months, so it sat
> unused until about May first. At that point it did the same thing. Again
> I took it to the dealer. They found a blockage in the hose. Again they
> charged me about $40. Yesterday it did it again. I fail to believe there
> keeps getting something stuck in the hose that quickly. I've had it for
> 6 years and it never did it. Now it's done it three times in a row?


That is such a ripoff. All you have to do is either lift the front end
and get under it or reach down from above (first idea probably easier).
Then, you'll find an L-shaped little rubber tube, that might just look
like it's crimped shut on the end, like the end of a popsicle (you know,
the ones you buy in packs of 50 and 100 that you have to freeze first,
little plastic tubes, you know the kind). That's the drain tube.

Like Gene said, they clog easily. I had my passenger floorboard sopping
wet before I realized I even had a problem (A/C hadn't worked in 5
years). All you need is either to prop it open with a harder plastic
tube, snip off the very end of it, or cram a screwdriver into it
(carefully) every oil change or so to ensure it stays clear.

I think the reason it didn't do it for six years was that it took that
long to build up the grime, and now, they're not getting all the grime
out or something. Still seems a bit frequent, but check it yourself if
you don't believe them. For $40 you can probably get a decent set of
drive-on ramps or a jack and jackstands. Then, you're almost equipped to
do your own oil changes, your own suspension work, etc etc etc. Just
need tools.

HIH

CJ
  #5  
Old May 25th 04, 06:28 PM
Circuit Breaker
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

On Mon, 24 May 2004 17:42:12 -0400, gumbo5_99 wrote:

> Living in Indiana, we seldom use the AC in the winter months, so it sat
> unused until about May first. At that point it did the same thing. Again
> I took it to the dealer. They found a blockage in the hose. Again they
> charged me about $40. Yesterday it did it again. I fail to believe there
> keeps getting something stuck in the hose that quickly. I've had it for
> 6 years and it never did it. Now it's done it three times in a row?


That is such a ripoff. All you have to do is either lift the front end
and get under it or reach down from above (first idea probably easier).
Then, you'll find an L-shaped little rubber tube, that might just look
like it's crimped shut on the end, like the end of a popsicle (you know,
the ones you buy in packs of 50 and 100 that you have to freeze first,
little plastic tubes, you know the kind). That's the drain tube.

Like Gene said, they clog easily. I had my passenger floorboard sopping
wet before I realized I even had a problem (A/C hadn't worked in 5
years). All you need is either to prop it open with a harder plastic
tube, snip off the very end of it, or cram a screwdriver into it
(carefully) every oil change or so to ensure it stays clear.

I think the reason it didn't do it for six years was that it took that
long to build up the grime, and now, they're not getting all the grime
out or something. Still seems a bit frequent, but check it yourself if
you don't believe them. For $40 you can probably get a decent set of
drive-on ramps or a jack and jackstands. Then, you're almost equipped to
do your own oil changes, your own suspension work, etc etc etc. Just
need tools.

HIH

CJ
 




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