Air conditioner drain clog

[AlanF]

I have a 2006 base Vibe w 1.8L engine. I have a problem with the air conditioner drain clogging. The water can’t get out and backs up into the interior and the blower motor area of the dash. My mechanic says this is a known problem w Vibes which is quite frustrating. He told me that it is a design defect that foam will reclog the drain (already happened a few weeks later) and it is not practical to fix due to cost and the lousy design. My mechanic used compressed air to blow it out thru the drain tube but I am wondering if anyone has the same problem and can explain exactly what needs to be done in case I have to do it myself. I was thinking about getting some kind of long tool to push up into the drain but not sure about this either. If you can provide a pic of where the drain is located and advice that would help a lot.Thanks,Alan

[djkeev]

Your mechanic is full of it. ALL cars with ac have drain issues sooner or later!! He's just a Toyota hater most likely. Here is a forum with some pictures.http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=41779Make sure your cabin air filter is in place. IF it isn't all sorts of debris will get into the system and cause "ick" to form in the condensation tray.Foam? Does he have an explanation why foam would form in the drain tray?? I'd LOVE to know how this happens or why he THINKS this happens. There is no agitation to create a foam. Condensation forms on the evaporator (any moisture in the air causes the condensation to form) and drips off into the collection tray where it then drips harmlessly out to the ground.The fan motor is actually a good distance away from and above the evaporator, it is directly behind your glove box just below the cabin air filter.Find a mechanic that likes your car, you'll get better repairs done to it instead of him simply dismissing it as "bad design" or any array of other excuses one can make.IF you've got "ick" in your drain tray, figure a way to hook a small hose to your wet/dry vac and slip that on were the drain hose goes. Then turn on the vacuum and suck the clog out. If you just push it in (as your Vibe hating mechanic did and probably does for all the cars he works on) it will simply float around for a few days or weeks and come to cause the problem yet again.Sorry, I never met your mechanic but I dislike the way he dismisses things as a "bad design", it is simply a way of saying, "I can't fix it" yet he takes your money anyway.If you've got water dripping out of your blower motor, you've got a whole different problem than a clogged AC drain. Are you100% SURE it's coming from the motor? I've never seen that happen and it WILL ruin your motor. The shaft will rust and it will corrode the motor as well.My 2 cents anyway.