A/C sounds like it has water in it

[rickgig]

Kind of strange... A/C is on and I accelerate from a stop I can hear water hitting the blower. When the A/C is OFF and I do the same thing, no water noise.

I know there is a condensation drain tube/hose someplace but haven't had a chance to look for it yet. Any ideas what might be causing this and where the tube/hose is located (pretty sure it's on the passenger side)? I am thinking there is an obstruction in the tube/hose but that is just an educated guess.

[PUMP]

Either (1) the condesate drain tube is plugged up, or (2)you are getting frost (ice) buildup on the cooling coil.
The fix for (1) is obvious. If (2), the problem is in expansion orifice or ON/OFF control of compressor.
It could also be a dirty coil that does not shed the condensate well (but this is rare)

[rickgig]

Either (1) the condesate drain tube is plugged up, or (2)you are getting frost (ice) buildup on the cooling coil.
The fix for (1) is obvious. If (2), the problem is in expansion orifice or ON/OFF control of compressor.
It could also be a dirty coil that does not shed the condensate well (but this is rare)

Gotta be the drain tube. No ice and this happens even after the truck has been sitting overnight.

Any idea where the drain tube is located and the best place to access it?

I'm tied up for the time being and won't have an opportunity to look at it so any direction will help.

Thanks for the help

[PUMP]

I don't have access to parts and systems manuals. Maybe someone will chim in to help

[L8 APEX]

I thought it was a down facing short elbow on the passenger firewall under the heater hose connections. Above the pup cats.

[rickgig]

Terry... pretty sure you're correct. I'll get under it this week end and see what I can find.

[rickgig]

Guys... figured it out. I haven't been driving the truck much since I first posted this question so I haven't really spent much time working on it. I have done plenty of research and found some cool stuff.

There's a thread about a modification for the A/C drain that apparently some owners are getting condensation water on the inside of the cab... not bad. Here's the thread I jumped on with my posts and a link to the modification. www.lightningrodder.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1470822#post1470822 (http://www.lightningrodder.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1470822#post1470822)

Then I was thinking the heater core needed replacing... OMW! What a freaking job that is.

If you read the thread from above you will see that my coolant was low and the heater core is the highest point of coolant entry in the vehicle so what I was hearing is air in the heater core due to low coolant.

Where is an idiot light when you need one!

Now I need to figure out where my coolant is leaking from and fix that. Oddly enough, there is no fluid on the garage floor and with 178k miles on my truck, I am not going to pressure test the system for fear I will need to replace the heater core.

Anyways, just thought I would post this up. Hopefully this will save someone else the hassle I had finding the source of the noise.

[mustgofaster]

Have you ever replaced your radiator cap? If not, I'd start looking there.

[Silver_2000]

head gasket problems were common in some years ....

[rickgig]

Understand the head gasket issue... However, I would hope that would have happened a long long time ago since I have 175k on the truck now. Never over heated it nor is it over boosted. 4lb lower is all I've done.

[Silver_2000]

Understand the head gasket issue... However, I would hope that would have happened a long long time ago since I have 175k on the truck now. Never over heated it nor is it over boosted. 4lb lower is all I've done.
I had mild tune on 4# pulley on a lower milage engine than yours and had head gasket issues ....

Just another way you may be losing coolant

[rickgig]

Have you ever replaced your radiator cap? If not, I'd start looking there.

I hope you were talking about the coolant reservoir cap since radiator caps really don't exist anymore.

[mustgofaster]

Yes, I was. Please forgive me, I drive a Gen1. But the coolant reservoir cap serves the same purpose & wears out in the same way.