240 A/C Drain Clean Out

[JvC]

I have an 88 245. Went on a 1000 mile trip this Labor Day and had water
on the passenger side driver and rear floor. It was very humid, so I
suspect the drain from the a/c condenser is plugged. What is the best
way to clean it out?

Thanks!

John

 

[TKM]

I have an 88 245. Went on a 1000 mile trip this Labor Day and had water on
the passenger side driver and rear floor. It was very humid, so I suspect
the drain from the a/c condenser is plugged. What is the best way to clean
it out?

Thanks!

John

That drain tube is small and seems to get plugged with dirt and fuzz that
come in via the air intake and rinses off of the A/C evaporator as the humid
air condenses on the cold surface. I have to clean mine once or twice a
summer and have had the same experience as you with water overflowing into
the passenger side floor.

To clean the tube, remove the plastic side panel so you have access behind
the radio, fan, etc. You'll see or feel a black rubber tube running from
the evaporator box down to the floor right on top of the drive shaft tunnel.
I find it easier to remove the tube from the floor by squeezing and gently
pulling the tube end out of the floor hole. Have a rag or container ready
to catch some water as the dirt plug is at the lower end. That end has a
shape like lips which are supposed to open up to let the water out. They
do, but not when the dirt builds up.

Work the top of the tube off the little pipe at the top of the tube so you
can rinse the whole thing out with clean water. Finally, replace the tube,
top pipe first.

TKM

 

[JvC]

Excellent! Thanks!

It happens that TKM formulated :

 

[John Robertson]

stick a thin tube up it from down under the out let out side soap and wiggle
it

 

[Roadie]

stick a thin tube up it from down under the out let out side soap and wiggle





- Show quoted text -

A trick I learned from an older Volvo mechanic was to slice a small v
in both of the lips on the drain tube. Keeps it from sticking closed.

 

[Jeff Savage]

Use your vacuum cleaner on blow (or such but I prefer blow), cup the nozzle
in your hand around it and in no time she free to flow again.
Worked on my 240 fine.
Jeff

 

[Bob Engelhardt]

An old thread, but it helped me, so I thought I'd help it.

The access to the drain tube is from the passenger side - you can't even see it from the driver's side. With the console panel off and the rug pulled back it looks like the 1st picture - the long arrow points forward and the short one to the drain tube. The 2nd picture shows the tube close up. The orientation is crosswise & it's attached to the top of the tunnel

The tube has a double lip that captures the tunnel metal between them. I couldn't get it back, so I cut the bottom lip off and siliconed it.