Since getting the aircon working in our car recently, I feel I really ought to know that the drain for the evaporator isn't blocked. But I don't know where it is in order to check. Searched but not found on here.

Just ran the A/C for ten minutes while loking at the underside of the car and back of engine bay, but it's not an ideal day for crawling around on the ground, nor for condensing a lot of water out of the air. No drippage observed.

Anyone got a picture of a Fabia underside and could point out the evaporator condensate drain?

Or an idiot-proof verbal description?

Ta,

Pete

The drain is actually on the bulkhead under where the evaporator pipes are, the water just tends to drip out and run down the bulkhead.

Thanks Tech1e, you mean it's part of this fitting, or below it somewhere? Seems a lot higher than I expected.

It should iirc be part of that fitting just below the two pipes, it is up quite high compared to a lot of others

Thanks again, you're a gentleman. I'll have a closer look next time it's not raining, and see if I can get a pic of it dripping.

I don't think I've ever had a Fabia fill up the car with AC water in the 12 years or so they have been out tbh.

There is no pipe as such really, the drain is part of the heater box so just pipes through there when it's installed. The issues comes on our cars when there is a seperate pipe theat either gets twisted or simply not fitted.

IIRC, the valve is next to the heater matrix hoses. The picture above shows the TXV/evaporator connections.

I've never seen the valve jam to the extent that there are big pools of water in the housing.

I have seen the valves turn into 'spider hotels' on cars that are not regularly used and that can lead to a musty smell as the valve is partially blocked.

Ahh, my wise friend might be right as they are lower down. I know they are with one or the other, could well be correct there, good call.

Quote "TXV" - are you sure about that, I thought these VAG systems used a fixed orifice and not a thermostatic expansion valve to allow for a pressure drop and so a phase change.

Edited 27 August, 201213 yr by rum4mo

The above valve is thermostatic iirc, you can see the disc part on the left.

However not all systems are the same, the Superb MK1 uses the same system as the Audi and VW models (A4,A6 Passat) that has a fixed restrictor of sorts in the pipe.

Oh! It was the B5 chassis stuff I was reading across from, now I'm trying to remember which version gets a "receiver" and which one gets an "accumulator"! (wish I had kept quiet - I'll get my coat).

No no, it's all good discussion. B5 has an accumulator.

Well I think I found it.

See the suspicious bump next to the heater matrix pipe:

Here's what it looks like from below, having 'torn along the perforations' round the edge of the convexity, allowing reasonably easy access without completely destroying the sound insulation:-

Apologies for the poor quality pic, struggled to hold up the flap of sound ins. with a screwdriver in one hand while operating the camera with t'other.

Dry as a bone, but I could feel some cool air coming out so that suggests unblockedness to me, and I had only been for a 5-minute drive with the A/C on. Need to check it after a longer run on a hot sweaty day.

Can't find the pics to reinstate them just now, but this thread has images of the drain location (8* in first image, close-up of it next to heater matrix pipes in second diagram) on a LHD Roomster, which will be same as Fabia and Polo, of similar age. RHD cars have it on the other, right side of the heater matrix hoses.

 

 

Note that from the factory, the drain is covered over by the fabric of the firewall sound insulation. There are perforations in the fabric around the resulting 'bump' enabling access with minimal destruction.