JoshG

I have a small leak on the passenger side right around underneath the passenger airbag, It leaks a bit fast for 1min then slow down for 5-10 mins then stops, but underneath it, it does make a bit of a mess!! I've been told that its an oil leak but Every time i look at it, it looks clear... its been like this for 2years at the same exact spot. I know for infact this is just condensation from the A/C am i right??

and they were saying that water doesn't stain the road and will dissolve, but oil leak will stain it. but oil is black...to me it looks clear, i have pictures from 2years ago, and don't bother to re-check cause it leaks the same exact spot and the same way like it always did... looks like this.

DennisMik

iTrader: (2)

You probably are correct about the "leak" being the condensation drain for the air conditioner. If it were something else, I would think that after 2 years of leaking you have had to fill something.

Water would not in itself stain, but what it drips on and mixes with could.

JoshG

hmm its strange cause it does stain the ground...it will not go away even after rain, its pretty much stained onto it. people tell me that water should dissolve. though this leak only occurs when I drive, turn off the car...then the leak begins quick, stops leaking after 5-10min like i said.

so what do u mean I have had to fill something?

DennisMik

iTrader: (2)

If there was some liquid/fluid that the car needed, any leak would require you to re-fill said fluid after a while. Since this "leak" has been going on for a long time, the reservoir for this mystery fluid would have needed re-filling by now.

But for this fluid to be air conditioner condensation run off, you would have to be using the a/c. If you have the auto climate control in your car and you have the AUTO button pushed, you are using the a/c even though you may not realize it.

JoshG

hmm interesting, also another thing to point out, windshield fluid spray doesn't work on my car, I do remember going through every oil change they would say my windshield wiper fluid is low and they refill it or if they don't tell me I would see it on my receipt as (windshield fluid low...REFILL).. Im guessing that its potentially that? To activate the windshield spray you pull the signal/headlight switch towards myself if i remember?

I go for an oil change every 3-4k miles and they say the oil is still pretty good and clean, but i change it regardless.

I use my A/C all the time though i keep it at level 1 at 70-72 degrees. and yes I do have climate control, its fully loaded with all options. and I do probably have the auto on at all times.

So is windshield wiper fluid different than just "water? from the A/C?" cause this leak does stain the ground...it leaves me curious and that its been going on for a longg time though i never touched whatever fluid its leaking. even though like u said, its like saying if It were leaking oil and if i never touched it, my car would run out of oil and seize.. though that NEVER happened...

CS_AR

Have you seen water drip from a home A/C unit? That's how a unit removes humidity from the air.

Do you live in an area where the soil has an amount of red clay? I've seen red clay dust (possibly from under a vehicle) mix with driveway moisture (from A/C evaporator drips) to leave rust looking spots.

JoshG

hmm i see, so the A/C unit brings air into it and creates "water?" and releases it onto the ground? kinda like science here.. lol

Fakie J Farkerton

iTrader: (51)

JoshG

just tryna learn here buddy lol

Turbobink

iTrader: (2)

You ARE just playin with us ... right?

DennisMik

iTrader: (2)

OK. Your a/c compressor is running all the time unless the outside temperature is above 35º F. So this further supports the condensation theory.

No. You pull the windshield wiper switch towards you.

Windshield washer solution has a coloring added. Mostly blue, but I have seen pink and green also. So this would probably leave a stain on the ground. The container for the windshield washer solution is in the front right corner of the car by the headlight. Your leak is not dripping at this location.

Push the ECON button on the a/c control panel. This will turn off the a/c compressor. Drive the car for a week or two and see what happens to your "leak".

JoshG

Very good answers u gave me, I'm going to try the ECON button and see if it still leaks, mine was on AUTO/Manual on level 1 at 72 degrees yesterday..but i've used this one over the course of 2yrs so yea the "leak" is still here.

Im quite positive it is not an oil leak like most people tell me. they just tell me that cause its staining the ground and not going away.

Fakie J Farkerton

iTrader: (51)

IMO, you're overtaxing your compressor leaving it on all the time.

The only time I use my auto function is on very hot days or when I need the windows defrosted fast.

JoshG

hmm now i know when to use the compressor..I just never really messed with it much, Time to start switching to ECON and see what happens.

Cotozic

I think the safest way to test the liquid would just have it drip into a glass and take a drink.

JoshG

well guys, i went to the gym switching my A/C to ECON Rather than having on AUTO all the time... and when I parked, looked under and no dripping or leak! Parked at home, looked twice and stood there for 3 minutes and no water dripping out! usually when i shut off the car, it would leak water out that second.

wow only if i knew this along time ago cause it made a mess lol

all it took was a simple click switching from AUTO to ECON... Lol -.- now I have no leaks as of now, its still at its baby miles. now thats off my chest.. cause people telling me crap about me doing a valve cover job for that "oil leak", psh ok...

Fakie J Farkerton

iTrader: (51)

Gotta be an awesome feeling to only need to push a button to take car of automotive leaks.

JoshG

haha indeed, only if it was like that for any leaks. i'm surprised it only took me 2 years to not even push ECON. or even me asking what it is.

soo if any of yall got them water leaks from A/C just push that lovely ECON button.

and AUTO when needed, but doesn't look like im going back there any time soon! I hardly use my A/C and usually keep it at level 1, unless its extremely Hot outside i put it on full blast.

CS_AR

Now are you going to use a pressure washer to clean up the driveway?

JoshG

probably yeah, that Darn A/C made stains everywhere! now im ready to clean that now ...I'm sure that wont come back. Never cleaned it cause it would always come back.

CS_AR

You're lucky. No driveways to be seen around here this week..

DennisMik

iTrader: (2)

We had freezing rain this am. The car is covered with a half inch of ice. We should get above freezing tomorrow afternoon, so by Wednesday the car should be clean. I don't need to use the car anyway, I'm remodeling a bathroom. Got enough problems there to keep me occupied.

JoshG

where I am we never had ice roads or even snow.. So I never have experienced that lol but i couldn't imagine having to scrape ice off the car during snow season.

theWalkinator

It is AC condensation dripping on the floor, I have this all the time in the summer when AC is on, after turning off the car and park for while I will see the water on the floor under passenger side. There is a AC drain hole under the bottom of AC cooling unit (evaporator) to allow condensed water to drain out, all cars come with AC drain plug or tube, so there is nothing to worry about it.

JoshG

yeah, I was just getting a bit annoyed that people were telling me its an oil leak when I clearly told them its from the A/C. so i asked y'all and helped me learn and what it does.

CS_AR

Here's an auto A/C diagram.

max ride 41

iTrader: (4)

CMax03

iTrader: (3)

Clear P/S fluid stains the ground....hell even water will stain the concrete if it leaks in the same spot everyday....

JoshG

what does P/S mean?

so tell me directly why does it stain the ground? there has to be some science to it.

If it rains and thats water why does it not stain and go away? What difference is it from my A/C water? I keep getting told its oil cause it stains the ground!! Driving meee nutttsss

even though the leak stop after switching the AUTO to ECON??? im getting told afterward after the leak stopped, "why did it stain the ground? its oil, A/C doesn't stain it?" You still may have an oil leak? even though theres no leak now..

I Feel like yall know more knowledge than these dum dums that are telling me crap because all they're focused on is "Why did it stain the ground??" Tell me the answer..

DennisMik

iTrader: (2)

p/s stands for power steering.

As I said earlier, water will not stain. At least pure water doesn't. It is the impurities in water that may stain or what ever is on the ground that the water drips into. It is highly unlikely that the condensation water that drips out from the car's a/c evaporator is pure. The condensation water comes from the air sucked in by the car's hvac system. God only knows what kind of dust is in the air. The air then passes through the a/c evaporator coil, cooling the air and causing the humidity in the air to condense and become drops of water. This water will contain the impurities from the air and this impure water could be acidic enough to leach aluminum from the evaporator core. And when it drips on the cement and mixes with whatever is on the ground, it could stain.

If whatever is/was dripping on the ground were oil, you could touch it with your fingers. Then rub your fingers together and I would hope you can tell the difference between oil and water.

There are several way to respond to those that tell you it is oil.
1 - Have them prove to you that they are right. They say it is oil and leave it to you to prove them wrong.

2 - Wait a while longer and see if the "leak" re-occurs. Collect a sample in a bottle and send it to a laboratory to be analyzed. This will of course cost some money. I wouldn't waste my money doing this. Ask the people that are so sure that it is oil, if they would like to pay for it. See # 1 above.

3 - Any one (or all) of the following - ignore them, flip 'em the bird, tell them to f**k off.

Turbobink

iTrader: (2)

One of the things to keep in mind too (to kinda expound on what Dennis was saying) is that A/C condensate will leave staining since it picks up metals or metal salts through leaching due to the very very very slow decomposition of the evaporator core ... it's pretty much just hard water staining.

Looks like this (on concrete anyway):

DennisMik

iTrader: (2)

Yesss! Thanks.

JoshG

interesting and very good answers, so clearly this water is some clear fluid looking water with all kinds of chemicals that came through metal parts and such? and it stains the ground from the air..evaporator..and so for.

I know for infact that if it were Oil, it would be black inside the glass, but it wasn't.. I don't think its possible to have an oil leak when theres no leak as of now?

You can clearly see on the first picture, underneath it that its stained, thats the color stain im talking about, its kinda like tinted water, similar to a oil look but drips out clear water.. and this is something that their minds they think its oil cause of the color it stains. and besides if it were Oil, im sure it would be alot more black on the ground.

DennisMik

iTrader: (2)

You are taking this far too personally. Back off on the subject and don't talk to the other people about it. If they keep insisting it is oil, tell them to prove it and walk away.

If this leak comes back, we'll deal with it some more.

JoshG

indeed, sorry i just get annoyed by other people when they think its an oil leak, telling me my car is going to blow up or somthing.

so far everytime i drive and park the car i check underneath, no leaks or water leaks from A/C anymore now.

Turbobink

iTrader: (2)

In your earlier post (post #5) you said you use your A/C all the time and keep the temp set to 70*-72*.

That being the case (and I realize that condensate generation volume and rate are based on ambient conditions) if your not getting any drainage now, I'd advise that you make sure your evaporator drain line isn't clogged.