Car Doctor: Why are the mats on the passenger side are wet after using the AC?
Q: I have a Toyota 2016 RAV4. I have noticed some water on the passenger-side floor mat. It was not wet every day. I thought it was due to the rain. There has been no rain lately, and the mat has been dry.
I checked around the windows and could not find anything wet.
Yesterday after I shut off the air conditioner, I noticed the mat was wet. Again, this morning the mat was wet. I thought there might be a connection with the AC, since I had some service done on it a few weeks ago. Guess I was wrong. Any thoughts?
A: Air conditioner systems remove humidity, and that excess water needs to drain from the vehicle. Nearly every vehicle has some sort of air conditioner evaporator drain. It could be a rubber hose or a plastic tube.
Over time, these hoses can clog with leaves or other debris. As the drain clogs, the water has no place to go other than onto the floor of the vehicle.
Have a shop check and clean the evaporator tube and, hopefully, your car’s floor will remain dry.
Q: I switched insurance companies. The new company sent me two data trackers to save on my car insurance. One is for my Toyota Camry and the other for the Kia Soul. I had no problem with the Camry. With the Kia, when I installed the tracker, it protrudes from the fuse box. I cannot close or put the cover back. Any suggestions?
A: You may be able to solve the problem with a OBD (onboard diagnostics) cable extension.
Looking online, there are some flat cable styles with shallow ends that may allow you to close the fuse box cover.
Just an FYI: sometimes these OBD trackers (dongles) can cause some drivability issues or phantom “check-engine” lights. The OBD ports were designed for diagnostic purposes but were never intended to ping the car's computer constantly.
Q: I enjoy reading your column in an attempt to understand the workings of modern-day cars (I'm 69 years old). Cars are a lot more complicated now than they were back when I started driving.
My wife has a 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid with about 125,000 miles on it. We certainly got our money's worth, even with paying the hybrid premium back in 2005. We actually drove it from home to Disney World and back in 2017.
Our mechanic says it's in fine shape. But he says that with the reduced driving my wife does (she retired last summer), two of the tires need to be replaced due to cracking and dry rot. My wife probably drives 35 to 40 miles a week.
Currently, we take my 2015 Prius on our yearly Walt Disney World trips. That got me thinking that I have no idea how much longer our hybrid battery is going to last. Can hybrid batteries be tested for life expectancy? Is the car on borrowed time? Is it time to go car shopping, or should we just buy the tires?
A: There are some tools that allow for hybrid battery testing, and they can give you an indication of the overall condition of the battery.
My personal experience is that the typical hybrid battery life is 12 to 15 years and 200,000 to 300,000 miles. Based on the age of your Highlander, I would suspect the hybrid battery is nearing the end of its life.
Now, if the vehicle’s overall condition is very good, replacing the hybrid battery pack and purchasing four new tires may be money well spent.
Q: I have a 2013 Chevy Equinox with the 2.4 dual OHD engine. I have 88,000 miles and still hoping it won't blow up from crankcase pressure.
Back in the beginning of time, you could check timing chain wear by looking at the distributor. How do they check it today? Would it show a code or a trouble light?
A: If the timing chain is badly worn, it could set a random misfire code. Although typically, with normal maintenance, the timing chain in the 2.4-liter four cylinder should last the life of the car.
By the way, GM did redesign the valve cover (PCV system) to reduce crankcase pressure.
John Paul is the AAA Northeast Car Doctor. He has more than 40 years of experience in the automobile industry and is an ASE-Certified Master Technician. Write to John Paul, The Car Doctor, at 110 Royal Little Drive, Providence, RI 02904. Or email jpaul@aaanortheast.com and put “Car Doctor” in the subject field. Follow him on Twitter @johnfpaul or on Facebook.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: John Paul: Mats on the passenger side are wet after using the AC
