How2 - Clear the scuttle drain ('Elephant Trunk')

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How2 - Clear the scuttle drain ('Elephant Trunk')

Post by humbucker »

So you hop in the car and before you get a chance to get the key in the ignition you notice that your windscreen is steamed up. Worse still, the passengers footwell seems to be wet. Fearing the worst you go and buy a new heater matrix. But wait! Here at http://www.vauxhallcavalier.com we'd like to save you a fortune on new parts as the main offender might just be some old leaves...

Over time, all sorts of dirt and muck collects in the scuttle drain under the windscreen. If left near trees then leaves might blow in. The leaves then get wet and make their way down the scuttle drain to be deposited on the road below. This is all very well in theory, but after a decade or more of use the drain can become blocked. If this is the case, and a heavy downpour is experienced, the rain has nowhere to go and so floods back up the scuttle drain, overflowing and the resulting water splashes into your passenger footwell. Not nice, especially if the wife has just got in wearing her new Pradas. Even if a puddle appears in your car and it hasn't been raining then it is possible the water is sitting in the scuttle and dripping in when you throw your car around a corner at warp speed.

Thankfully there is a very quick and easy solution to your troubles.

At the back of the engine bay, in the middle against the bulkhead, you will see the scuttle drain. Commonly referred to as the 'Elephant Trunk' it is a rubber tube going from the scuttle designed to channel water etc on to the road below. To prevent anything going back up the tube it has a tapered end, but this is what can get blocked and sealed shut. To clear it, simply squeeze the rubber tube, stick your finger up it and pull out all the old crud. Some people then snip the tapered end off to prevent it from blocking again, but as long as you clean it out regularly enough then you shouldn't experience any further problems. It takes just a minute or two and should stop your car from filling with water.

A couple of pics of the scuttle drain itself:

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