AboutTed Ritter Expertise I have more than 26 years experience as toyota technician, I will be able to answer most questions related to the toyota product line up to the present year models, I specialize in difficult to diagnose problems but when posting a question please keep in mind that some situations require the used of special test equipment and diagnostic procedures especially as the newer models become more technologically advanced, so without actually having the car on hand I may only be able to try to steer you in the right direction and in some cases may have to refer you to the toyota dealer but at least you will know what you may be dealing with. Please don't hesitate to ask any questions, I will have an answer for you in most cases. When posting a question keep in mind that I reside in the US, although I get questions from all over the world I may not have an answer for models that are not sold in the US, I will do a reasonable search to try to match your model to the US model,please refrain from asking about diesel powered vehicles, I have no information for them. In most cases I will not answer questions about major modifications of OEM components, engine swapping or aftermarket products,please post a question not a statement, please provide enough basic information such as year, model, what engine and if anything has already been done to fix the problem, the more information I get the more I can help without having to ask you more questions.
Experience Toyota technician since 1979,expert in electrical systems,OBD systems,engine repair, driveability problems,EFI systems,ASE certified,Toyota master technician. Certified Hybrid Vehicle technician.
Education/Credentials Toyota master technician, ASE certified in eight catagories, Hybrid vehicle certified.
Question Hi Ted, Trying to diagnose a problem on my 98 Toyota Camry LE. this last summer I noticed the carpets are all wet, front, back, passenger and driver. When driving it and running the A/C I noticed a sound like water burning off of something hot when taking a left turn, then I would see a dripping from underneath the glove compartment area. It's getting a bit cooler here now and now when I turn on the heat, it takes a long time for it to warm up and the windows fog, I assume that's due to the moisture content of the carpet. My plan is to replace the carpet, but of course want to solve this issue before doing so. Does this sound like a heater core issue? any other things that this may be? your help is greatly appreciated. thanks, -Paul
Answer It could be a heater core leaking, if antifreeze is in the cooling system then the drip inside should be the same color as the antifreeze and should be hot when the engine warmed up, if the water is clear and cool then the leak is not reaaly a leak it's coming out of the evaporator core because the evaporator drain hose is either clogged up or disconnected, this is the most common cause for this so check it first, pull back the carpet on the right side and see if the drain hose is connected at the bottom and exits through the firewall, if not, reconnect the hose, if the hose is connected remove it from the housing and see if water runs out, if no water comes out use a wire and poke into the opening to dislodge anything that may be clogging the drain tube.
