1997 Chevy Cavalier condensate drain location
Asked by JDemongeot Jul 21, 2013 at 07:32 PM about the 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier Sedan FWD
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
My passenger side floors, both front and back, get very wet when I use the air conditioner.
I suspect that my condensate drain is blocked. Where is the condensate drain located on
a 1997 Chevy Cavalier? Thanks for your help.
6 Answers
Are you for certain it is the AC? It is quite typical for the heater cores to go out in the summer months. It would definitely flood your passenger floorboard.
JDemongeot answered 11 years ago
Thanks for your suggestion, but I do not think it is the heater core for several reasons. 1) The heater core, as well as several surrounding hoses, were replaced about a year ago. 2) My heat still runs fine. 3) The liquid on the floorboard is not coolant or antifreeze, just some dirty water. 4) My coolant level is constant. Also, there have been no leaks under the vehicle. Do you still think it could be a heater core issue? I'll admit that I'm not a genius when it comes to cars, so any help is appreciated.
If it does not smell like coolant, then you are right, it is not the heater core. The heater core and evaporator share the same box. I would inspect it to make sure the divider is still intact. At that point you can remove the divider and also inspect the drain and blow it out. Bad news. To get to the evap, you have to remove the heater core.
JDemongeot answered 11 years ago
Is there another way, such as blowing compressed air through a condensatate drain? Can that part be accessed without too much hassle? And where specifically is it located on my 97 Cavalier? Please and thank you.
The evap is located and accessed under the dash. And it is a hassle. The drain tube should be easily visible from under the car on the passenger side. BUT.. You really don't want to blow into the drain, it can cause a mold issue if you are blowing material into the evap box.
Shamrockepoch answered 11 years ago
I'm having what seems to be the exact same issue with my 2003 Cavalier. Dirty water drips from the dash onto the front floorboard where people's toes typically are. This happens more when it is very hot and humid outside while I'm running the AC. If I don't leave a crack in the windows overnight I get a nasty moldy smell in the car. I saw a guy on youtube blow a quick burst of air from the bottom of a different car into the drainage tube and a flood of water came rushing out. He said it works if you do this every once in a while. I'm thinking about giving it a shot if I can find an air compressor. http://diy-auto-repair.wonderhowto.com/how-to/clean-your-ac-drain-if-water-is-spilling-into-your-car-382672/
