The evaporator "water filter" is important!
 

About a year ago I went through my A/C system and replaced many of the parts. Charged it up and it blows cold just like new. That's the good.

In hind sight I made a mistake when I installed the new evaporator. Attached to the rear of the original one is this "foamy" looking thing. I told myself it wasn't needed and left it off. Now I know what it does. Most of the water the system generates was draining under the carpet on both sides. Very little going out the drain tube.

Three days ago I ripped enough back out to install that "filter" (Luckily I did not throw it out). Put everything back together and "Wa-La" ALL THE WATER now goes where it should, out the tube. The best I can figure is this filter catches the water and routes it down into the plastic case and out the tube. I think without the filter in place the fan blows the water into many areas it isn't supposed to go, then out the case seam onto the carpet.

Thought you'd all want to know! :rolleyes:

Cool! Glad you problem is taken care of and that you shared it here so others could avoid this potential issue!! :)

That is Great info. :cool:
Were you able to do a step by step on this work? Some one maybe real interested in that, or if you have a source of reference. Thanks for sharing.:thumbsup:

Ok #3, I'll give it a try! First, I believe in the factory manuals. Not a lot is said about the water filter (like, what it does) but the manuals do show it in the section about removing or installing the evaporator.

First, working under the dash is a pain, especially for a guy (cough, cough) 58 years old. It's MUCH easier if you remove both seats, not that hard, just 4 bolts per seat. Remove the sound deadeners, the panels over your feet. I have the floor shifter, remove that handle. There's a keeper in the front of the handle, a flat screwdriver is needed. Once the keeper is out the handle pulls straight up and off. Now take the entire center console out.

Now, here's where it gets fun. You need to take the heater/evaporator box/case apart to get to the heater core. Drain your coolant and then remove the heater core. You've got to do this to get to the rear facing part of the evaporator. This where the "water filter" is mounted. It's held onto the evaporator by 6 plastic "keepers" that holds it tight to the evaporator surface so it catches the water before it escapes.

This is not a job many will tackle, but I'm nuts and do all my repair work except for tire mounting and state inspections.

Oh boy, this sounds like fun!! I just liberated some seats from another Monte and know about all those bolts. The drivers unit was powered but no power in the Junk yard, the guy told me some folks will use a 9 volt battery to make the seat move, it took 3 of them to do the trick worked out great.
I have never been that deep under the dash. I had replaced the units under the hood and did the recharge. That was a pain to say the least.
I have had the shifter apart and the console panel off but never took the thing out. I am in the process of making new hinges for the console so it will function once again. Many an owner has asked me how they got broken?? Simple when you lean on it, it will break off one in a twist.
I had a Grand Am that the heat core went out of but I let the shop fix it. I hate being upside down that long. :rotfl: I got the same Monte as you. :cool:
I lost it once after a fellow hit me on the interstate, the old lady who screamed at me thinks we were on black ice, the other guy kept going and I was this way that way and all over, I took out a sign on the Interstate and some of it hit the Hood, so I got a replaced hood and a passenger Quarter panel.:eek::wtf:

58 is nothing I am the same age as the Real driver number 3 had he not been lost. Next year I am going to retire.:thumbsup:
I thought I had a photo of the console open but it must be on a flash drive or something.
Thanks for posting the update stay in touch!!:thumbsup: