# A/C Drain Hose Location



## AKAdam (Oct 9, 2012)

Hello. I own a 2013 cruze ls and have noticed a mildew smell when I turn the ac off. I believe that my AC drain hose is plugged up. I glanced around under my cruze but didn't notice it. Can anyone tell me where it's located? 

Much Thanks!


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## Green (May 14, 2014)

Might want to check condition of cabin filter also, Just a thought


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## CHEVYCRUZE RS (Mar 29, 2011)

^this!!! What year is your car ?


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## CHEVYCRUZE RS (Mar 29, 2011)

Nvm lol , 13' ..... I'll look into it for you


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## Jim Frye (Mar 16, 2011)

All automotive AC systems can get this and it doesn't necessarily have to do with the evaporator drain being plugged. The mildew collects and grows on the evaporator and the duct work. Some advocate running the fan with the AC off for a minute or two before shutting the car off. Auto supply stores sell an aerosol for this problem that you spray into the cabin air intake while the fan is running to kill the mildew. It's pretty inexpensive. I paid something like $3 for a can at AutoZone. Our 11 year old P5 gets funky every year from this, but we don't do the shutoff thing either. One question: does your car leave a trail of condensate water when the AC is on? If so, the drain is not plugged.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

The Cruze runs the AC in recirculate 100% of the time that the temp dial is on the coldest setting (our Camry does the same thing - that one smells horrible) - the absence of fresh air past the evaporator core isn't drying it out, and over time mold/mildew builds up on the core.

They sell cleaners at the auto parts store that you can shove up the drain hose that will foam and clean the core. The sprays down the intake duct have never worked real well for me on cars with a cabin filter.

Once you do that, move the temp dial one click up past the coldest setting to use fresh air once the car is cooled down to your liking - and/or just turn off the AC and blast the fan alone before getting to your destination & shutting off the car.

Alternatively, you can ask that the dealer enable the "afterblow" function on your car that will run the fan for a few minutes once the car is shut off to dry the evaporator core (it will not kill your battery).


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## chevycruzeassembler (Aug 20, 2013)

The drain is on passenger side. If ur sittin in front passenger seat look at the plastic closeout piece by ur left foot. Remove and you will see hose


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## chevycruzeassembler (Aug 20, 2013)

Now the hose does connect behind that panel so make sure its not wet around that area. Its easy to remove also so if u have any troubles just private message me.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

jblackburn said:


> Alternatively, you can ask that the dealer enable the "afterblow" function on your car that will run the fan for a few minutes once the car is shut off to dry the evaporator core (it will not kill your battery).


This is even possible? Only a very few GM vehicles has this option to dry out that soaking wet evaporator by running the blower motor for about five minutes after you switch off the ignition. With a 20 amp blower would only use about 1.7 AH of battery energy.

About time GM added that AC switch, Honda and Toyota were doing this for years. But with these cars, off means off, even in the defrost mode. This tees me off with the Cruze, in defrost, the AC switch is bypassed. Hate this, the only good thing this does, with a stiff compressor seal and this women's facial cream PAG oil is to wear out the compressor and cause unneeded R-134a loss due to this stiff seal. So I avoid using defrost like the plague in this thing. Just crack open the drivers side window for a couple of minutes so I can see where I am going.

What year is this? 2014? Been switching off the compressor since 1962 with the blower at maximum five minutes before I get there to dry off the evaporator. Just when parking it overnight, mold and mildew is perfectly natural. Besides it keeps my vehicle from going to the bathroom all over my garage floor. Gee, this is 52 years now!

Not only with this, but in my home HVAC system, when it switches off the compressor, the blower also goes off. Stupid, added a relay to keep the blower running in low speed. Not only mold buildup, but corrosion as well. 

First sign of an evaporator drain blocked problem is a wet floor on the passenger side. Shouldn't be a problem with the Cruze with a cabin air filter. When vent air volume starts to decrease, time to replace it. But before this, blower squirrel cage was more of a leaf chopper with would pile up debris, not only on the face of the evaporator, but plugging up the drain as well.

One problem is the air intake only on the drivers side under the windshield, that gets blocked up with ice and snow in the winter time. When this is blocked, no exterior air flow at all. Recir door still lets 20% of exterior air in, but always close it during the summer months with the AC on to conserve on fuel economy. It does get over 100*F here, so the system has to work a lot harder with only exterior air.

Automatic versus user control, could be old fashion, but prefer user control, really don't care for a silly-con diode doing the thinking for me.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

The Cruze has A/C afterblow. Mine is turned on. There's a setting in the BCM for this.


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## WhiteAndBright (Mar 4, 2013)

obermd said:


> The Cruze has A/C afterblow. Mine is turned on. There's a setting in the BCM for this.


How do you turn it on/off??


This extraordinary insight brought to you from the confines of my iPhone..


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

When I had the A/C cleaned out for mold and mildew the dealership turned it on. It's a setting in the BCM that needs the computer hookup to get to. When I've been running my A/C the afterblow will turn on a few minutes after I turn off the car. I'm not sure how long it runs but you can definitely hear it. The way it was explained to me is that the main HVAC blower cycles several times for about thirty minutes starting a few minutes after turning off the car. My service adviser also made sure that I was aware that the afterblow feature can drain your battery so you need to ensure you drive enough to fully recharge the battery.


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## Erastimus (Feb 9, 2012)

GM used to have a Goodwrench kit that the techs could use to clean the evaporator coils. It used a low strength solution of chlorine dioxide. The tech would remove the heater coil on top of the evaporator box or if necessary, drill a hole to allow the solution to be squirted down into the box. Probably a thing of the past because chlorine dioxide is a nasty chemical.


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## Quintal (Aug 30, 2014)

Hi

Can anybody help and tell where is this ac drain hose located under the car? I can't find it. Thanks in advance. 



Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App


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## James1549 (Sep 14, 2015)

Quintal said:


> Hi
> 
> Can anybody help and tell where is this ac drain hose located under the car? I can't find it. Thanks in advance.


I can't find mine as well. It is very cold out so running the AC won't show me where it drips from. I found the outlet with the flapper valve on it, but not the evaporator drain. 

Any help would be appreciated.


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## 502scs (Dec 9, 2015)

Ok this is crazy found the hose but it is not connected to anything and I cant find a hole .. for craps sake how can everything on this car be a pain i the Arsss










James1549 said:


> I can't find mine as well. It is very cold out so running the AC won't show me where it drips from. I found the outlet with the flapper valve on it, but not the evaporator drain.
> 
> Any help would be appreciated.


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## 502scs (Dec 9, 2015)

Ok guys I found it. This is half of a hose .. GM upper drain and it connects to a lower drain hose. It had slid down under carper. I found it and hooked it up.


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## 502scs (Dec 9, 2015)

It exits here ...


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