Weird water leak/condensation!?

captain_anonymous_2003 · 27th June 2009, 14:58

I have search and found this thread which seems closest. The car was washed by an independent car wash place with high pressure hoses etc so could water have gotten into the exhaust or something?

Car leaking water from a weird spot!!!!!

Could someone give me some more pointers as to this AC pipe he speaks of, where I find it and how I unclog it?

I am getting the 'dirty socks' smell too when I first turn on the AC... mentioned on this post

Dripping cold condensation on right foot

I look under the car, it's coming from the middle, and it was just damp, but then when I turned the key from the off to on (not started) position, and you hear the car come to life etc, water dribbled out pretty fast, and then slowed to a stop quick quickly. Is there some condenser under there that lets it out?

I've checked all fluids.. coolant full.. fuel fine... oil fine.. brake fluid fine.. p/s fluid .. fine.. it's just water.. nothing else.. I've tasted it.. I use A/C pretty much all the time and haven't really noticed a problem with it.. any ideas?

Cheers

Craig

jclyman · 28th June 2009, 19:07

Me thinks you have A/C issues. First, condensation in the A/C system is "funneled" out of the car and usually drips in two places under the car. Each one is near the bell housing, one on either side of the bell housing. NORMAL when you drive with A/C on.

If you are getting a "drip" on your foot (or the passenger is), there is probably a rotten rubber tube under the dashboard or a part that has slipped off. This is a possibly a difficult drip to find. You will have to get access under the dash and look for dripping condensation. It should ALL be channeled down and under the car. Sometimes the end of the rubber tube (which closes based on its design) may need cleaning ... not at all difficult to do.

The dirty socks smell is very common. Mildew. You will need, most likely, to find something to clean it out, and there are products available, I believe. BUT, you might get by, and you should after getting rid of the smell, change the way you run your A/C. Always, turn it off about 2 minutes before shutting off the engine. That will reduce the amount of moisture that normally builds up. (Warm dry air circulates for 2 minutes to dry out the moisture.) Mine used to do the same thing (and, other of my BMWs smelled the same way), until I began to shut them off 2 minutes before stopping.

captain_anonymous_2003 · 29th June 2009, 16:27

Cheers that was helpful. I think it must be that I run my A/C till the car stops, and then it buids up. I don't have a dripping inside the car just outside around the centre front of the car.. It's just water though.. seems consistent with where those outlets you talk about are. I will turn off 2 mins before stopping from now on..

As for cleaning it out.. clean what out.. and where? and how?

Cheers

Craig

jclyman · 29th June 2009, 22:31

I used to run my A/C all the time with the windows up and I was worried when my wife smelled "someone else's" dirty socks in the car. I found (maybe here) the suggestion to turn off our A/C about a mile from stopping. Also, somewhere on this site are instructions on what may work (a spray of some kind) and where and how to spray it. It seems that the mildew builds up on the condenser, if I recall correctly.

In my case, after turning my A/C off early, the smell eventually went away and has never come back ... My car was about 6 months old when I changed my procedure. So I know it works. I suppose too much mildew and you may have to go in and spray, luckily I didn't have to.