What's Dripping?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 109
Likes: 0
From: Walnut Creek CA
What's Dripping?
So i just went to lunch. Took the freeway, with the air conditioning on. Could have been considered a "spirited" drive. Got to the restaurant, parked, ate, came back out to leave and noticed a small stream of liquid on the pavement coming from underneath my car.
Got down on my hands and knees to look under the car. Noticed a fairly steady drip of clear liquid. (one drip about every 2 seconds). Located directly beneath the dash on the passenger's side.
Started the car, no problems. No funny messages, all levels were normal. So I drove back to the office. Parked at the office, checked for the drip and it was still there, slower this time.
Any idea what was dripping? Air conditioning maybe?
Got down on my hands and knees to look under the car. Noticed a fairly steady drip of clear liquid. (one drip about every 2 seconds). Located directly beneath the dash on the passenger's side.
Started the car, no problems. No funny messages, all levels were normal. So I drove back to the office. Parked at the office, checked for the drip and it was still there, slower this time.
Any idea what was dripping? Air conditioning maybe?
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 4,208
Likes: 2
From: Rochester MN
CI 5-6-7-8 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '04-'05-'06-'07
NCM Ambassador
Originally Posted by BoYD
Got down on my hands and knees to look under the car. Noticed a fairly steady drip of clear liquid. (one drip about every 2 seconds). Located directly beneath the dash on the passenger's side.
that would be where the AC drain is
Race Director
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 17,541
Likes: 2
From: Manhattan, KS Missing SoCal since 2005
Originally Posted by ptdrummer54
that would be where the AC drain is And, you might check for dampness in the passenger footwell. If the drain gets plugged up, that's where the condensation goes, and it can screw up the electronics.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 109
Likes: 0
From: Walnut Creek CA
OK, so i've got a stupid follow-up question...why does the AC drip? And does it need to be "refilled"? What is actually dripping? Water?
Does this happen on all cars, or is it a brilliant custom design by GM to make our vettes looks like cheap leaky beaters?
Does this happen on all cars, or is it a brilliant custom design by GM to make our vettes looks like cheap leaky beaters?
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 825
Likes: 0
From: Snohomish WA
All air conditioners produce water from condensation. As warm moist air passes through cooling coils, the moisture condenses on those coils and collects in a pan below the coils. The pan has a drain that allows the water to drip on the ground.
Your refrigerator does the samething, but the heat from the compressor causes the water in the collection tray to evaporate, so it doesn't need emptying.
Your refrigerator does the samething, but the heat from the compressor causes the water in the collection tray to evaporate, so it doesn't need emptying.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,225
Likes: 0
From: Currently living in and loving... Chico, CA
You might say that seeing that condensation dripping outside the car is a good thing, because that tells you the evaporator drain tube is not plugged. Still might want to check the passenger side carpet for moisture from time to time anyway, even though you continue to see water under the car.
Administrator
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 368,390
Likes: 24,791
From: In a parallel universe. Currently own 2014 Stingray Coupe.
C7 of the Year - Modified Finalist 2021
MO Events Coordinator
St. Jude Co-Organizer
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '26
NCM Sinkhole Donor
CI 5, 8 & 11 Veteran
Just your A/C - perfectly normal.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 6,984
Likes: 0
From: Central Coast CA
So you've never owned a car with A/C before? As others have already stated, A/C takes the moisture out of the air as it cools it and it has to go somewhere, hence the water you see. The same thing happens when you get a cold front weather pattern......rain.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 486
Likes: 1
From: Houston TX
Originally Posted by Shylor
So you've never owned a car with A/C before? As others have already stated, A/C takes the moisture out of the air as it cools it and it has to go somewhere, hence the water you see. The same thing happens when you get a cold front weather pattern......rain.
- Wisdom
