Heater core leak, or leaking from outside?

[Aluxes]

The passenger side floor carpet on my 97 imp obs is soaked. I looked up under the dash and I saw a few water drops hanging, obviously where the water is coming from. The water looked clear, didnt look like antifreeze in it. It has been raining like a sob here for weeks. Wondering if I have an outside leak. My heater blows hot air just fine no problems. Is there a definite sign to look for indicating the heatercore is going/bad? Thanks!

[keith3267]

There is a drain for the HVAC ducts, and yours is clogged up.  The drain is located under the AC evaporator and goes through the firewall.  To find it, open your hood and look for the AC lines where they go through the firewall, then look down from there and find a rubber tube that points down after it comes through the firewall.  This is usually at the top of the slanted part of the firewall.  If you have access to some compressed air, then just blow some up there and you will see a lot of water draining out.  A nylon tie strip stuck up the hose works too.

 

When you use your AC, either in summer or in winter to defrost your windshield, water condenses on your evaporator coil.  That is why the drain is installed.  You may also be getting a little water into the duct work from the fresh air intake that is located under the cowling at the back of your hood.  You don't usually get much this way, but if the drain is clogged, it will accumulate.

Edited December 29, 2014 by keith3267

[lmdew]

Do you have a sun roof?  Could be a drain is clogged.  But the above advice is great!

[sirtokesalot]

i can say heater core failures usually result in smelling coolant in the car and the windshield fogging up on the inside you most likely have a water leak from the rain getting in somewhere or the a/c drain tube

Edited December 30, 2014 by sirtokesalot

[Aluxes]

Do you have a sun roof?  Could be a drain is clogged.  But the above advice is great!

No sunroof. The windows were getting a little fogged up but mostly because the carpet was drenched and the windows were up when it was evaporating. Its just water no coolant. Hope its not a heater core!! I think Ill wait till the carpet is dry, and there is no more rain. Then check if the carpet is wet. Thanks for the advice.

[heartless]

you should try clearing that drain hose first (& soon) - they do get clogged up from dust, dirt, and road debris.

 

use a wet/dry shop vac and suck up as much water from the carpet as you can - leaving it wet and "waiting for it to dry out" on its own could lead to mold/mildew - not a good thing.

[Rooster2]

With the soaked carpeting, if it were the heater core, you would smell the strong odor of antifreeze. You just can't miss that odor. So since that is not the case, I am betting your heater core is good. All the advise on it being just water is spot on. (no pun intended). I agree with others, it is either rain water leaking in, or plugged up drain on the A/C unit.

[mwatt]

you may also want to check the drains located at both ends of the cowl (the area where the windshield wiper linkage is located). If you run a garden hose at the base of the windshield, water should pour out at the bottom of both front fenders, right where the rear edge of the fender meets up with the rocker panel.

 

When cowl drains are plugged with leaves, pine needles, etc water will overflow from the inside kick panel trim (the inside trim panel to the left of the driver's feet and to the right of the passenger's feet) and will soak the carpet. 

 

I know in your post you mentioned "I looked up under the dash and I saw a few water drops hanging....."  but I thought I'd mention this because it happened to me a few years back....

Edited December 30, 2014 by mwatt