E-450 AC drain hose?

[pconroy328]

Really funky - sea shore - smell coming from the cab vents when the AC runs. Put it on "vent" and the smell is pretty much gone. I'm thinking maybe a clogged AC drain hose and there's mildew in there.

Ford is a 2015 E-450.

Can anyone point me in the general location of the hose?
I think they're usually on the firewall and I'm wondering if I should try to get to it from underneath? Or remove the doghouse?

thanks!

[j-d]

pauldub wrote:
...you can see the drain after he pulls out the blower.

BRAVO!!! You can see the Resistor Pack too!!! This one had a RED body, and it's at about the 4:00 clock position on the hole the blower left behind.

If it's not draining condensate AND the Pack is down there where it's getting splashed, the splashes will cause a resistor coil to burn out.

If Blower runs on HIGH/MAX but misses lower speed(s) it's most likely the Pack. GM used to have a separate circuit for High Blower, but I think most everybody feeds Blower with only one circuit. High is an internal bypass in the Pack (power straight through to the Fan Motor) and the Resistor parts slow it down.

[pauldub]

Here's a lousy video, but you can see the drain after he pulls out the blower.

[j-d]

I posted a question about this on another forum and if I hear anything will add it here.

[pconroy328]

Thank you so much j-d for the looking!!! I appreciate it.
The beast is back in the storage lot but I'm hoping to get it out and work on it this weekend.

[j-d]

I was out there this AM looking for a drain. If you look under the hood, passenger side of the engine compartment, you see the Fan Motor and the A/C Drier (black coffee can) with metal lines going into a black box that's the Evaporator Core of the HVAC system. Heater Core's in there too, somewhere...

Anyhow, that location and our drip pattern tells me the Drain you seek is on the bottom of that Black Box. In another Ford we own, that Drain is only a divot in the seam where two halves of such a box come together. Not an actual fitting. So such could be the case with these E-Series. I just don't know, but I was under the hood, under the coach, with flashlight and mirror. See if you can find an agile person with small hands to reach beside the inboard (engine) side of that Evap Cabinet, and feel along the bottom. If you find a hole, probe it with something kinda flexible like a ZIP Tie. Don't go ramming a coat hanger up there, could puncture a core.

Didn't find anything conclusive. Also didn't find the Resistor Pack. It might be inside, but I CAN tell you it's in HVAC air flow someplace.

Tapped out. Wish I had more.

[j-d]

I'm reluctant to help because it's one problem I HAVEN'T had... But let me look.
I do not think it's in the doghouse, and I'm pretty sure it isn't inside the cabin. I've done a lot of tinkering on ours and I'll try to get a look that might help you.

What I CAN say, is that ours drips the condensate way out in front, ahead of the passenger side tire, right at the bumper. So I think it drains right out of the bottom of the Firewall Side of the HVAC cabinet and runs down.

When I can't get at a drain, I sometimes rig a smaller hose to the shop vac and work from where the Resistor Pack (provides A/C fan speeds) or the Blower Motor itself comes off. And sometimes, I use a water hose directed into one of those access points.

If you want to investigate the Resistor Pack idea, here's a pic. The coils are IN the HVAC ducting, and the Connector goes on the rectangular part you can see, held down with two small screws. It'll be on the ducting because the air flow cools those coils.