Air conditioning drain blockage

[davedonoghue]

Hi all, I have a 2007 MY 4.2 XK NA which has developed the blockage of the duckbill problem. I have looked at various short fixes such as adding your own drain ect. Ultimately I have decided to do the job correctly by replacing the drain tube with the revised part. I have attached an image of the part and part #. It seems that the revised pipe has simply had half of the mouth deleted leaving an unobstructed opening.
I have a question for anyone who has done this job themselves, once the dash assembly is out of the way, can the drain be replaced without disconnecting the refrigerant pipes and or the coolant pipes?
This is important to know in advance because I plan to do this job at home, so if it is necessary to disconnect the refrigerant pipes I will need to have the gas recovered at an agent first.

Any other thoughts will be appreciated.

Dave.

[mike020150]

Hi Dave,

The good news is that you don't have to disconnect the heater or aircon pipes. The Jaguar procedure quotes a time of 2.8 hours to do the job but as a first time activity, it's probably as well to at least double that figure. You have to remove the instrument panel. Then, undo the two visible electrical connectors, release both footwell lamp holders and remove the heater unit bolts which will give you enough room to replace the drain. If your car in within the VIN range B30500 to B33100, you should also reach through the drain hole and snap off the plastic peg you can feel located there. By the way, beware anything up to a litre of water can be lurking ready to spill onto the carpets so have plenty of absorbent material close at hand. Mike.

[DaveNeedham]

That’s interesting to know! Two specialists reckoned it was a days job and about £700. That doesn’t really tally with a main dealer, even at over £100/hr.

Dave

[mike020150]

Since most affected cars will have had the problem a few years ago, I suspect, today, you would have trouble finding a main dealer with enough experience of the issue to quote confidently and stick to the Jaguar standard time. Standard times are far from generous, requiring well-trained staff, perfect conditions (no rusty bolts etc) and a following wind to achieve them. Mike.

[davedonoghue]

Hi Dave,

The good news is that you don't have to disconnect the heater or aircon pipes. The Jaguar procedure quotes a time of 2.8 hours to do the job but as a first time activity, it's probably as well to at least double that figure. You have to remove the instrument panel. Then, undo the two visible electrical connectors, release both footwell lamp holders and remove the heater unit bolts which will give you enough room to replace the drain. If your car in within the VIN range B30500 to B33100, you should also reach through the drain hole and snap off the plastic peg you can feel located there. By the way, beware anything up to a litre of water can be lurking ready to spill onto the carpets so have plenty of absorbent material close at hand. Mike.

Mike, thanks very much for your help. I apologize for not replying sooner. I have one question, 'what is the plastic peg you mention'

Regards
Dave.

[mike020150]

The plastic peg supported the old style duck's bill drain and isn't needed for the revised version. Mike.

[davedonoghue]

Thanks Mike, I will look out for it.

Dave.

[richard-miller139]

Arun Motors in Pulborough, West Sussex have made up a special tool that allows them to do this in about an hour, without removing the dash, etc. It worked a treat on my 2008 XKR.

[peterxk8]

Swallows JLR have just replaced the "ducks bill" on my 2006 XK 4.2 convertible by removing the dash. Cost was about £6.00 for the part and 4 hours labour. Water ingress problem solved.