Wifes car dripping liquid

[Deleted User]

The wife is currently out shopping (25 miles away) - she phoned me to let me know that her car - is dripping liquid - almost from the middle of car

She has called out the breakdown service who are on their way

What could the cause be ?

It evidently doesn't smell of anyrthing and is not oil 

So could it be air con fluid or radiator coolant (although no smell)

NSG666

It's more than likely water (condensation) from the aircon if it's just in front of where the gearstick is in the car. Harmless and will do it all the time just probably not noticed before.

[Deleted User]

NSG666 said:

It's more than likely water (condensation) from the aircon if it's just in front of where the gearstick is in the car. Harmless and will do it all the time just probably not noticed before.

There was evidently quite a pool of liquid - more than a few drops

but it stopped after a while

NSG666

Not sure what it was like where you live earlier but it was misty where I live so the air quite saturated with moisture so will lead to lots of condensate being produced - a pool from the a/c is not uncommon particularly if the ground/air temp hasn't got up to evaporate it away.

Obviously don't want to drive and damage the car so probably best to let the recovery check it out. Best to be mildly embarrassed than wreck something.

daveyjp

My car leaves a significant amount of water after every trip, its just the aircon drain doing its job.

During MOTs they have to turn aircon off as its drips over the tester!

Ebe_Scrooge

I concur with the others, my money's going on aircon - it's just water.

A common misconception is that aircon only cools the air.  It also dries it (which is why, somewhat counter-intuitively if you think it only cools, it's brilliant at clearing mist from the windows in winter - aircon and heating switched on, windows cleared in 10 seconds flat).  If the air is very moist (mist, like NSG666 says, or just simply warm and very humid), it's surprising just how much water the aircon will remove from the air.

Thesaltmustflow

Ebe_Scrooge said:

I concur with the others, my money's going on aircon - it's just water.

A common misconception is that aircon only cools the air.  It also dries it (which is why, somewhat counter-intuitively if you think it only cools, it's brilliant at clearing mist from the windows in winter - aircon and heating switched on, windows cleared in 10 seconds flat).  If the air is very moist (mist, like NSG666 says, or just simply warm and very humid), it's surprising just how much water the aircon will remove from the air.

That is interesting and I'm not being sarcastic, I never knew that, how does it actually work?

NSG666

Incoming moist air passes through the very cold evaporator of the air con causing the moisture to condense and cool - this happens if the a/c is on regardless of the heat setting. In say winter when you want warm air the cold air then passes trough the heat exchanger of the 'heater'.

As Thesaltmustflow says it's a common misconception that (a/c is only useful in summer)

AdrianC

Thesaltmustflow said:

Ebe_Scrooge said:

I concur with the others, my money's going on aircon - it's just water.

A common misconception is that aircon only cools the air.  It also dries it (which is why, somewhat counter-intuitively if you think it only cools, it's brilliant at clearing mist from the windows in winter - aircon and heating switched on, windows cleared in 10 seconds flat).  If the air is very moist (mist, like NSG666 says, or just simply warm and very humid), it's surprising just how much water the aircon will remove from the air.

That is interesting and I'm not being sarcastic, I never knew that, how does it actually work?

As Ebe says, the air is dried...

Condensation on windows is atmospheric moisture, humidity. The amount of moisture the air can carry is temperature dependent, and when the temperature drops, the moisture condenses on surfaces. Windows are cold, so the temperature is lower on them than elsewhere.

Yes, you can heat the glass and the moisture evaporates - that's how the demisting works on non-aircon cars. But that's still moist air you're blowing over them. Blow dry air over, and the humidity falls, and the moisture gets re-absorbed into the air.

Aircon is at its most useful in this country on cool, damp days. We have a lot more of them than hot ones.

[Deleted User]

My wife has been waiting over 2 hours for greenflag to attend - not very good is it

She has a car full of food shopping too

Should she risk driving home ?

complaint to greenflag coming

AdrianC

Deleted_User said:

My wife has been waiting over 2 hours for greenflag to attend - not very good is it

She has a car full of food shopping too

Should she risk driving home ?

complaint to greenflag coming

Seriously?

It's not a problem. It's the aircon doing what it's meant to do. There is nothing wrong with the car.