A/C leaks water on passenger side floor.

It was one year and 25,000 miles of ownership before I discovered the A/C leaking water. I might not have discovered this if it was not for the see-through clear floor mats that I recently installed. Since the floor mat is see-though I had noticed water condensation on the backside of the floor mat.

2007 and 2008 Ford Expedition have a design flaw which causes the A/C evaporator coil housing box to condensate and leak water on and under the passenger side floorboard carpet. The water will run down the firewall behind and under the carpet so it may not be noticed. This is caused by a lack of insulation.

The AC evaporator coil is located on the passenger side under and glove compartment box. To test for the water leak, take a paper towel and lay it out on the left side of the passenger side floor carpet, making sure you tuck and fold some of it up over and behind the carpet between the firewall. (The firewall is the metal wall that separates the passenger compartment from the engine compartment.) Now go for a drive with your A/C on for awhile, if the temperature and humidity are just right, it will start to condensate and drip and leak water.

This can cause mold, making the inside of the vehicle smell bad and have a musty odor, and ruin the carpet and carpet padding, and overtime rust the floorboard.


I have pictures on my website at…. http://www.Baumbach.com/Expedition.htm

 

A friend of mine purchased a 2008 Lincoln Navigator, I was telling her that her A/C might leak too, so I went to show her the A/C evaporator coil and where it might leak, and what a pleasant surprise I found...

See pictures on my website
My 2008 Ford Expedition Limited ownership experience, maintenance, defects, add-ons, service tips and more

Lincoln Navigator has a plastic cover with insulation, although it might be called a "Hush Panel" the padding/insulation should most likely solve my leaking problem. At the very least this plastic cover could be used to hold more or better insulation on my Expedition.

I would like to have this plastic cover with insulation for a Lincoln Navigator installed on my Ford Expedition to stop my A/C leaking.. From what I can tell, it will snap right into place!

The numbers of the white sticker are
U228 Hush Panel
94405262

The numbers of the yellow sticker are
U228 Hush Panel
ALERT
A12040644

I am surprised that Ford did not know about this.....

p.s.
What does the word "ALERT" on the yellow sticker mean?????

 

Are you thinking it will stop the leaking...or just capture the condensation? If capturing is the case you will need to be mindful of the possibility of mold.

 

Insulation is the only thing that will stop it, the panel has insulation, or I can use this panel to hold and hide a lot of other insulation I might add, the panel will sure beet using duct tape

 

Have you gotten a price for the part? I would think the Alert means a part number got changed. Not Warning! A/C Will Self Destruct!

 

Hush Panel part number
7L7Z-78046A24-A
List price $35.94

 

Id say go for it. Maybe put a bit more insulation up there.

 

I have the exact same problem with mine! I just got back from an 8 hour drive and noticed that the passenger side floor mat was literally soaked through. I took it out and water dripped out of it. The mat had to be holding a couple pounds of water.

I thought about adding insulation and it looks like that hush panel is the perfect idea. I find it hard to believe that we're the only 2 people to have had this problem. I sometimes wonder if Ford actually tests any of their vehicles before throwing them out on the streets.

My only concern with the hush panel would be that it might not be making physical contact and if water is still condensing, it could accumulate in the hush panel and mold. I guess we'll just have to take a look occassionally to make sure there's nothing growing.

I'm going to go by my lincoln dealer tomorrrow and see if I can't get one.

Thanks for the tip!

Russell

 

07-31-08. I stopped by the Ford dealer today about getting the Ford Lincoln Navigator insulation Hush Panel part 7L7Z-78046A24-A to stop my A/ C leak. The dealer told me that Ford would not reimburse them (the dealer) for a Lincoln Navigator part to be installed on a Ford Expedition, and that I would have to pay for the part myself, which I did order today. The dealer said they would correspond with Ford and try to get me reimbursed. I will write a letter to Ford myself too.

I decided to take a closer look as to why so much more water was getting under the carpet than what was dripping on top of the carpet. Around the condensate drain that exits the passenger compartment it a black foam rubber gasket that soaks up water like a sponge. This gasket butts-up against the firewall and is what’s leaking most of the water under the carpet.

The insulation panel that I ordered will most likely stop the condensate from dripping on top of the carpet, but will not stop the drain from leaking behind and under the carpet.

I have added more pictures to my website at... My 2008 Ford Expedition Limited ownership experience, maintenance, defects, add-ons, service tips and more

P.S. if you are having the same A/C leak, please post that fact to this message thread… I agree with “trpltongue” we certainly cannot be the only two Expedition owners having this issue.

 

I just drove from Whittier, CA (suberb of Los Angeles) to Mammoth Mountain, CA (6 hours) and then to Yosemite, CA (3 hours) with the AC blowing the whole way and the carpet is dry as a bone.

 

cjgeorge,

I wonder if that's because you are in LA and not in the 100 degree, 95% humidity of TX or VA as Baumbach and myself are in?

I took a short drive yesterday, about 15 minutes, and the AC condensation was leaking on the passenger floor board again.

I've not been able to get a hush panel yet, but I'm not so sure that is going to fix the problem. As Baumbach has pointed out, it looks like a good bit is dripping down the back of the connector, which the hush panel won't help.

 

This has to be because of the high humidity. Even home a/c units have problems when it's hot and when the humidity gets to be over 90%. Not sure what you can do.

 

I live in New York City where humidity can go well over 80% on summer days. I've used the AC in my 2008 Expedition during those days and have never noticed condensation or water dripping from the location described.

 

Doesn't seem like it, but 80% and 95%+ are huge amounts in a/c workings. The air inside the cab is warmer than the coil cover, causing it to collect moisture from the air. If the plastic was thicker, so the cold coils did not cool the outside plastic as much, there wouldn't be a problem.

 

I haven't had a problem all summer, but I live in upstate NY so were still waiting for summer to get here!