Hi all,
Got home this evening and noticed a dripping from the car (2004 Almera 1.5) after I'd reversed it into the garage.
On closer inspection there appears to be a leak under the car - further back - slightly to the nearside in the engine bay of a liquid which isn't oil. It disappeared (dried up / evaporated) from the block paving outside the garage pretty quickly, hence me knowing it's not oil!
Could it be fluid from the suspension? The only thing I did different tonight was hit a pothole on the NSF on the way home - although I more rolled in and out of it than actually hit it (going less then 10mph at the time).
Any suggestions or tips on what to look for would be gratefully received.
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has it got air con? is it just condensed water from the air dripping from the air con components? this is normal in hot/humid weather!
do the obvious
check the water level (when the engine is cold!), check the brake fluid level, check the enngine oil level, check the gearbox oil level, drive the car round the block then have a good look underneath, check the windscreen washer bottle holds its water and is not going down
if it was leaking "from the suspention" it would be a kind of oil anyway and wouldnt just "evaporate"
its most likley to be a water/antifreeze mix from the water in the radiator and going round the engine, but impossible to say without looking
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£10.00 on it being from the Air Con. Dunno if you're brave enough to do a fingertip taste test, if it's bland its water, if sweeter tasting Coolant, you'll wiff it if its petrol, even clean oil will collect dirt and grime from the engine on its journey. Viscosity, smell and last of all taste test it !
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Thank you :-) Pugugly - I owe you a tenner methinks...!
I'm pretty sure now, having been down and poked my nose into the engine compartment and underneath, that it's air con as well.
Have been running the air con fairly regularly but it was definitely on when we got home.
I managed to get some paper underneath the leak and it's clear, water-like in texture and has no smells. Haven't tasted it yet but I'm brave enough if I can reach the drips!
Question is - is it actually a leak and should I get it seen to - or it is just a buildup of condensation? I was going to get the air con regassed this summer anyway so would that sort it? (tis almost 3yrs old).
Thanks for the swift and reassuring replies :-)
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if its water from air con components then its totally normal and does not need fixing
its the same as a glass filled with ice will get condensation on the outside, and the condensation will subsequently drip
its just because some air con parts get cold, and hot humid air leads to water condensing on the outside of the cold parts, and this drips a little
nothing wrong doesnt need fixing
why do you think it needs regassing? does the cabin not get cool enough for you?
more likely changing the pollen fliter will make the cabin air better for not much money, have you tried this?
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The temperature in the cabin isn't constant, and isn't cold enough either. Also, I was under the impression that for health reasons you should have the air con regassed every three years or so. I shall indeed get the pollen filter changed - thanks for the tip
It did seem like an awful lot of liquid (enough to leave a puddle on the floor) and was consistently dripping, but I will monitor the liquid, and if it continues then I'll get it checked.
Cheers
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It did seem like an awful lot of liquid (enough to leave a puddle on the floor)
Pefectly normal for AC. I've had a small trickle running down the road before now from my Vectra. If it was coolant, then the paving it landed on would be stained the same colour as the coolant in the header tank once it had dried.
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It did seem like an awful lot of liquid (enough to leave a puddle on the floor) and was consistently dripping but I will monitor the liquid and if it continues then I'll get it checked.
As it warms up ready for summer, the air gets more humid. Air-con cools the air down, condensing that humidity, so your car will leave puddles! If they're clear and non-oily, that's all your puddles are. Having been in Hong Kong in the height of Summer, the water actually runs out of buses' air-con like the flow from a tap so I don't think a small puddle is anything to lose sleep over!
Almeras aren't prone to oil-leaks etc. Check all the levels under the bonnet (which every car-owner should do every couple of weeks anyway), and if nothing looks suspicious there's nothing wrong with the car. If the a/c blows nice and cold, don't get it regassed - just run it every couple of weeks for a few minutes, to keep the compressor seals lubricated then hopefully the refrigerant will take longer to escape! When it needs regassing (when the air's not being cooled properly) don't pay a penny over £40 to have it regassed.
Health reasons? You won't catch Legionnaire's Disease from your car! My air-con needs regassing because it barely cools the air, but I'm averse to spending £40 for the sake of the one week per year that it's beneficial in the North East of England, so it's being left as is! :-)
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