A good friend...

 

has a 2002 Prius and it's front passenger floor was soaking wet.  My wife
says she noticed dripping from under the dashboard, a musty sweet smell, and
the windows were fogged up about maybe four to five inches above the dash.
Sounds to me like it's heater core has sprung a leak. But her friend says
the engine isn't over-heating.  If I'm right in my assumption I'm going to
be very surprised it could happen.

In other news today...

Why won't you women watch your pocket books better?  This woman was careful
opening the back door but let her big a$$ pocket book swing and hit my car.
And although it was totally obvious I'm the owner, does she say oh sorry or
something? Heck no.

Wait 'till I see them again next Sunday.


Have a nice Thanksgiving folks.

mark_

 

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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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.

 


The "musty" description doesn't fit, though. A leaky heater core produces a
powerful smell similar to vanilla. My nose doesn't work well but I can sure
smell that. The musty smell is more consistent with a plugged drain and mold
growth. A check of the coolant level will quickly determine whether it is a
heater core leak; if the passenger floor is wet with coolant the coolant
level will have dropped dramatically. A paper towel used to blot the liquid
from the carpet should also show the red dye used in the coolant.

In either case I agree it should be fixed promptly. Mold is very bad stuff
and can be hard to control, and loss of coolant can cause serious engine
damage all too soon.

Mike