IS250 Wet Carpet - Cant Find The A/C Grommet

[JeffD]

I have the dreaded wet passenger (UK RH Diive) carpet and after researching forums it does look like it's the AC blocked rubber grommet problem.

Had the car up on stands and removed the large plastic transmission cover and have been searching for this elusive rubber grommet that is supposed to be the cause of the problem.

I've watched the youtube videos but  they never appear to look like the underside of my car (UK RH Drive manual IS250).

I've taken a pic of my car (attached) - can anyone mark on the photo where it should be?  Also, the plug is actually on the tunnel isnt it as the way they descibe it they make it sound like its on th etop of the transmission!!???

[Texas]

Hi, I have a pdf of the Lexus Technical Service Bulletin concerning this problem but cannot link it here as I am having problems posting since the recent update of this website,

Do a google search for

L-SB-0016-10   And you should get back the pdf 👍

LSB001610.pdf

hey....got there in the end👍
And here is the offending grommet!

 

[JeffD]

Thank you for that - just spent this evening trying to work out how to get my wifi endocope to work - finally got it working so goingf to have another go when I can build up th eenthusiasm using the instructions above..  

[JeffD]

 Another drustrating afternoon today and I'm not sure whether I've fixed it or not???!!!

Using my wifi camera I looked in the postion highlighted in the diagram above but still couldny see anything. 

I then looked in the other postiion in line with where the manifold joins the exhaust (the joints the official instructions suggest you disconnect).  I dont know how people possibly hold the camera, their phone to view it and the pliers with just 2 hands so had to wrap and old plastic glove round the camera wire and then stuff it in place so it held by itself.

 

I'm still unsure whether I have found the right thing but this is the only thing that looks like anything described.  When I touched it with the pliers a gush of water cam out all over me and narrowly missing my camera!!  It was super fiddly and I tried tugging on it with the pliers and there was no way it was moving and being unsure whether it was the grommet I left it to seek advice on here 🙂

I took the car for a drying out drive ie aircon on and recirculate and air direction aimed at floor.  Ive also been sticking some paper toweling under the LHS seat just tucked under the rear air vent.  Normally after each drive its soaking wet.  Today it was dry.  Can that be construed as success even though I have not removed a grommet? (That I can tell).  I'm just wondering whether the release of water has washed the tube blockage clean or just bought me time until it fills up agaian?  Totally confused

 

[JeffD]

Not sure whether I have fixed this or not - what I am trying to do at moment is drive round as much as possible with the aircon settings as....

AC =On

Recirculate/external choice set to recirculate assuming I dont want to draw more damp air from outside into car but hopefully make teh air inside teh car drier and drier and hopefully help dry carpet.

Air diretion set to windscreen and straight down - if just straight down screen fogs up.

Let me know if these settings are correct.????

I've also jammed some blue roll tissue under the vent inder teh set to soak up any water that comes out the vents.  It was very wet at first and now mostly gets damp so I change it at least once a day.

 

Car still stinks though like an old sack of potatoes.  Dont know whether to get one of those aire frshener "bombs" to try and kill teh smell.  Any ideas anyone????

 

Blue roll under the vent to ctach water

 

Damp blue roll has soaked up some water toay but nothing like at first when it was soaking wet.

[JeffD]

Just as an update to this topic and also a thank you to those that gave their help...

Its fixed!!! 🙂

Carpets remain dry - one thing though - the car still smelled quite bad so I bought one of those air con cleaners from Halfords for about £10 - its like a spray can whee you have your engine and air con running and then set it off and leave it in the car to fog your car up and get sucked through the air con vents to "sanitize" it. 

Worked a treat - car smelt quite strongly of "air freshener" for about a week but when that subsided the horrible damp potato smell has gone and not returned 🙂 

[Mr Vlad]

Blimey Jeff well done on this thread of yours. Sorry if I've missed something but what was the fix?

[Texas]

The ‘fix’ is to unblock ( of better still remove)the rubber gromit that the AC condensate water flows out of under the car, not easy at all.

good result there that man 👍🏻

[JeffD]

Hi guys - in post above:

https://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/topic/126634-is250-wet-carpet-cant-find-the-ac-grommet/?do=findComment&comment=1157583&_rid=61601

I didn't actually remove the grommet but whilst prodding and poking about I think I accidentally managed to unblock it as a load of water came out and my wet carpet problem has gone.

NB One thing I did notice and most probably connected is that when I had the problem pressing the windscreen demist action wasn't available for use when you would use the car first thing of the day - it would be a good couple of minutes of driving before you could press the button and it would activate.  Now (and before I had the problem) pressing the screen demist button will work after the car has bee running about 20-30 seconds.  Maybe a handy symptom to be aware of if your car is doing the same.