Hi all,

Long time lurker - first time contributor.

So, back story.

I picked up a 2009 Cobalt SS/TC Sedan a couple of months ago and have been attempting to undo the damage done to it by the previous owner from sheer neglect.

When I bought the car I knew I had the following issues;

- Bad wheel bearings.
- Toasted rotors/pads.
- Locked rear caliper.
- CEL (intake camshaft phase solenoid).
- Carpets that had that old foot smell... The one so bad it smells like a cat pissed on your shoes a week ago and they're still wet.
- Undisclosed rust issue.

Anyway, resolved all of the above problems - including 4 cans of carpet cleaner and a jug of shampoo to de-funk the carpets.

This is where the fun begins.

We had our first hot and humid day a week ago and I kicked the A/C on - only to experience water pouring out of the dash from behind the glove compartment - right down the blower motor. This usually happened after cornering left in a... spirited manner. Then comes the sound of water hitting a giant fan cage, and then the waterfall.

The AC drain port to the firewall is clear - no clogs. The gasket that was supposed to be between the heater core housing and the lower evap housing looks to have been removed as the housings have been separated by what looks like a pair of pliers and a flat blade. Upon further inspection, I discovered that the previous owners removed the cabin air filter for who knows what reason and visible dirt buildup is evident all around the cabin air filter housing...

I'm thinking the leak is somewhere in the vertical drop of the evap housing - but I can't get to it.

My questions are:

Would it be accessible if I dropped the blower motor?

If not...

Would it be worth the risk to pour a couple hundred ml of sulfuric acid drain cleaner into the housing after I pull the blower motor? I'd be worried about the clog finally breaking and spewing sulfuric acid out onto the firewall and possibly into the passenger floorpan... very worried.

The quote from my mechanic to rip that dash apart is over $600 in labor alone... after the unexpected "bonuses" I've discovered on this car - I can't swing it. Nor do I have the time to rip it apart myself.


P.S. Confirmed that it isn't coolant, just water condensation.

Thanks for any help you guys can give!

 

No acid!

The evap housing splits without dash removal, on the early cars they didn't seal well and there was a Tsb for adding a gasket. Your '09 would have already contained this fix from the factory but from what you say someone dug around in there and possibly damaged the seal. I'd have to do a little research into it but maybe give the CED guys a call and ask for the evap housing seal kit, they may be able to supply you with some install instructions as well.

Dont' quote me on it but I believe if you drop the blower motor/lower half of the evap box you can install the sealing gasket without taking much else out. I'd look at that first before you tear out the dash.

 

As it sits right now it looks like either the previous owner or an inept mechanic popped that neoprene gasket out and never replaced it or affixed the housings back together.

However - I'm not getting a water leak from that area.

The water is pouring out from the blower motor. Or, to put it a different way - it's going up and over the top of the entire evap housing - so the blockage is in the piping before that gasket.

How the heck am I supposed to get to the vertical tubing inside of the evap housing (above where the gasket goes)... I'm stumped.

 

Something I forgot to mention,

The previous owners seemed to be avid outdoors enthusiasts. Judging from stuff I've found in the car when I cleaned it out - they hung out in pine forests.

Any chance some pine sap worked its way into that vertical pipe?

And would a plumbers snake get in on a clog in that area?

 

So, short answer to all questions...

Can't get to the clog.

Not from below, and not from above.


Does anyone have detailed instructions for disassembling the dash down to and including removing the dash subframe assembly?

 

Start undoing the dash

 

I've thought about it a bit and...

Screw it. I'm going to drill a hole in the bottom of that housing and thread in a drain plug directly in line with that stack.

I refuse to rip the entire dash of a car apart for a freaking clogged drain line.

 

Fixed.

Drilled and tapped a hole for an ABS drain plug and I was able to get in on the giant clog sitting in the housing.

The entire vertical tube was literally filled with a mixture of rotted leaves, dirt, and pine sap.

Wrapped the plug in teflon and threaded it in - no leaks, all fixed.

 

Awesome, glad to hear it.

 

i know im late to the party but can you post pics of what you did and how,

i am having the same problem with my ac drain being plugged. not sure where its clogged up either