A/C Leaking Condensate Inside Van

[Prairie Dog]

I fired up the AC on my 1988 Westfalia yesterday to keep the grandkids cool on the way back from an outing. It didn't take long for them to tell me that it was raining in the back of the van (passenger side). They thought it was hilarious but my heart sank at the prospect of the project ahead.

I checked the condensate drain tubes as soon as we got home and they were clear of debris and blockage. I removed the cross wall at the rear of the ceiling cabinet to try to get a better look. I also removed the rear speakers but can't find an explanation for the leak. I can't see if the drain lines are compromised or if there's a crack in the evaporator tray.

Is there anything else I should be looking for before trying to drop the rear ceiling cabinet to get at the evaporator tray? Is there a shortcut to the instructions in the Bentley manual for dropping the ceiling cabinet? It doesn't look like much fun.

The AC works great (relatively speaking). The refrigerant, condenser and dryer have been upgraded. I have a 2.5 Subaru engine from Vanaru and a Subaru AC compressor. I have to recharge the refrigerant every other year to keep the unit blowing cold.

Thanks for your help.

[djkeev]

Did you have the fan speed on high?

I noticed with my 86 that I rebuilt the A/C with kniwn goid drain pan and drain tubes that with the fan on high and the tray has water in it that the high speed fan would blow water out through the Evaporator coil along with the cold air.

Turn the speed down and the issue was fixed.

From the factory (or dealer installed) the Evaporator has a thin porous open cell foam rubber covering.
These have largely decayed into dust and plug up the coil.
It is thought that this foam rubber was a condensate catcher for those errant drops of water.

I had removed my rubber covering and did not reinstall it.

Then again, maybe your drain pan finally cracked.
The drain pan on my 90 was a mess with multiple cracks in it.
The drain pan is flimsy plastic that cannot hold the weight of the coil fir 30 years and eventually it sags and cracks when it does so.
New drain pans are unobtanium but I fixed and reinforced mine with great success.

Dave
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[jimf909]

Dropping that cabinet is not a lot of fun because it's unwieldy and Westfalia made it more difficult than it should be. That said, start unfastening things and lower the cabinet. The hoses should be attached to the plastic tray. Hopefully it's just a matter of reconnecting the hose and reassembling.

Plastic saw horses helped hold the cabinet up when I was removing fasteners.

And then lowered it using one saw horse.

The Westy cabinet flaw is that the hoses run through a hole. Cutting the hole to a slot makes reassembly and future disassembly much easier.

A post on making slots out of the holes to simplify reinstallation.

[Silverghost500]

I'd suggest checking for blockages in the lines first, especially where they exit the vehicle. Might be some little critter has built a nest in there to block.

If the lines are clear then there's something going on with the lines or the catch tray in the headbanger cabinet.
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1986 Volkswagen Vanagon Westfalia "Von Westy"
Honda K24A converversion-Road Testing Phase
3-Speed Automatic

Von Westy YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbhyZYxJEQrUuLnMbLleeIA

[MarkWard]

The factory wrapped the evaporator core with a foam mesh that caught condensation off the core and kept it from getting sprayed on the rear passengers on humid days. After all these years, it has turned to dust. It is available, but not easy to reinstall. It’s available aftermarket. I have some leftover from my 90 if you can’t find it. I likely bought it from McMaster Carr. It wicks the moisture and deposits it in the tray. The dust has likely worked its way into the drain tubes as well. Big job ahead.
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[Prairie Dog]

Thanks for the great advice. Upon further examination, it appears that there is a break in the tray where the drain tube attaches to it on the passenger side. I will have to take out the ceiling cabinet to make repair the tray. I will ask for directions on how to make it water tight once I am able to get to it.

The Bentley manual tells me to first remove the storage shelf with curtain rail (76.7), the front bed board with mattress, and the vent covers to drop the cabinet. Will the evaporator come down with the cabinet, or are there other bolts that keep it in place?

I like of the idea of cutting a channel in the cabinet walls to make it easier to replace the drain tubes. Once I have it opened up, replacing the foam sounds like a good idea. There won't be a better time to have at it.

[MarkWard]

When I did my 90 camper, I followed the manual. Quite a bit needs to be removed to access the evaporator. My 90 had the plenum that ran to the edge off the poptop opening. The cabinet surround comes out and leaves the evaporator core attached to the ceiling board. I was redoing my AC, so I had the side cabinet removed as well, so the details are fogged. Notching the surround is a big aid going back in. I also bought vinyl tube to replace the factory tubes to make everything more pliable. I swapped the duck bills from the original tubes to my new ones.
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[vanis13]

Just did his EXACT thing yesterday

[jimf909]

This may be too much scope creep, but if you'd like more a/c airflow you might consider removing the a/c plenum (the grey plastic housing with the vents built in. Many folks, myself included, report never (rarely) using the high fan speed and generally only needing 1 or 2 due to increased airflow.

This thread includes a lot of debate but I know removing the plenum in my van helps us stay more comfortable.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=424773
This is a '90 with the plenum removed and a new faceplate from Rhino Design.

FWIW, YMMV.
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- Jim

[1988M5]

[vanis13]

[1988M5]

Sweet! My plan with the tin top is to open the roof but I love the AC on my face.

BK
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1991 tin top GL
2002 Winnebago Vista. VW VR6 24V Eurovan front clip powered class C 21' RV.
Some BMWs.

[1988M5]

I really want to route that cold air into the front seats like it does now, but modify to twist around the new lay out with the open roof I'm proposing.
_________________
1991 tin top GL
2002 Winnebago Vista. VW VR6 24V Eurovan front clip powered class C 21' RV.
Some BMWs.

[jimf909]

[DuncanS]

[djkeev]

[campism]

[Prairie Dog]

I followed the Bentley manual instructions yesterday and managed to drop the ceiling cabinet. The methods suggested for supporting the cabinet are greatly appreciated The evaporator tray looks to be in pretty good shape. I will clean it today and check it for leaks. The rubber in the bottom of the tray looks to be okay. There are two boards stapled to the bottom of the tray, which I will leave alone if there are not leaks. The drain tube on the passenger side was loose, so I think that is the main problem.

The biggest mistake I made (so far) is that I dropped the cabinet down too far before unplugging the resistors. Both of the plastic resistor brackets were cracked and brittle. One had been broken some time ago. The resistor was resting on the cabinet floor and had left impressive burn marks where it had come into contact with the wood. Yikes.

I ordered replacement resistor brackets from GoWesty.
I would like to replace the resistors but can't find them available from any of our best known parts suppliers.
I would like to replace the drain lines but have not found an online source for ordering 14mm hose.

There is little evidence of the foam that once supported the tray. I can see where there was some kind of double-sided gooey tape that helped keep everything in place.

I love the idea of eliminating the plenum and all the little vents with the Rhino Design face plate. I will check out their site. In really hot weather I spend half the trip adjusting the vents to direct as much cool air as possible to the front. The grandkids are always ready to move the vents in every conceivable direction.

Thanks again for all the help.

[Mikesarge]

[djkeev]

That drainage hose is 12mm ID

NOT 1/2" or 7/16" ...... 12mm

https://www.amazon.com/QuQuyi-Vinyl-Tubing-Lightwe...amp;sr=8-6
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