Where is the AC condensate drain?
 

Where exactly does the AC drain hose exit the passenger compartment into the engine bay? Is it hidden from view by a heat shield? I see the hose under the glove compartment but can't find the opening under the hood.

Thanks
Pete

It's kind of inside the frame rail. It's REALLY hard to see under the car - you have to look through the hole in the frame the water drips through.

Easiest way to spot it is to run the AC and get under the car :).

Dale

the drain is inside a frame rail? thank god i ripped my ac out to save weight that seems like a good way to get some unseen rusting

One would think, but it works just fine. I think Mazda coated the hell out of that area or something.

Dale

These cars are not really prone to rusting. You might have saved 25 lbs. I doubt you will feel any difference.

Thanks Dale

"It's kind of inside the frame rail."

That was my suspicion when I saw some water dripping out of a frame hole below the passenger footwell, but then I thought, surely Mazda knows better than to run condensate inside a structural member. I've owned this car for 14 years and never looked for the drain exit before. Who knew?

Pete