ac condensation

BMWLOVER · #1 09-30-2008, 07:43 PM

Well as the title says I am getting condensation in the vents and a bad smell coming from them after i turn my ac off. I had tooken the x5 in before and had gotten this fixed. They had drained the hoses which let the condensation drip out from the bottom of the x5 but now its back again. I was wondering if anyone else has this problem and also if someone could tell me if there x5 does drip some liquid from underneath it with ac on.

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BMWLOVER · #2 10-01-2008, 06:52 PM

Don't want to be annoying but anyone got any response

fatboyoz · #3 10-01-2008, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BMWLOVER

Well as the title says I am getting condensation in the vents and a bad smell coming from them after i turn my ac off. I had tooken the x5 in before and had gotten this fixed. They had drained the hoses which let the condensation drip out from the bottom of the x5 but now its back again. I was wondering if anyone else has this problem and also if someone could tell me if there x5 does drip some liquid from underneath it with ac on.

With the ac on, and humidity in the air, you should have a steady drip of condensed water from both ac drains. There should be enough to leave a small puddle of water on the road when stopped at a set of traffic lights.
If this is not occuring, you have a problem.
The drains exit the underside of the X5 adjacent to the transfer case which is located about a third of the way back from the front edge of the front doors. Get underneath, have a look and check for blockages.

BMWLOVER · #4 10-02-2008, 12:34 AM

Thanks for replying. I checked and there is no puddle or any drops falling at all. I will get under it tomorrow to see if I can find anything. I did have this fixed from the dealer about month and half ago but I guess ,as usual, I'm going to be booking another appointment for the x5.

carlgo · #5 10-02-2008, 11:49 AM

I just got back from the Mercedes dealer. They had a fairly new sedan there with all the interior stripped out, except for the 12 miles of wires. The whole floor was wet and it was rusting in places and they wanted an estimate for the rust repair.

It turns out that a mouse chewed the condensation hose and the water then drained into the car rather than outside. In time things started to short out and warning lights flashed on and off and so the owner figured something was wrong, finally.

You would think musty smells and condensation on the windows might be a clue....!

The moral of the story is that you are doing the right thing by having it looked at. Also, it might be something your insurance can handle under your comprehensive coverage if your dealer won't cover it. There are a lot of scenarios here to consider if insurance is involved.

BMWLOVER · #6 10-02-2008, 11:27 PM

I don't think it is that serious but you never know. Better safe than sorry.

Weasel · #7 10-02-2008, 11:37 PM

The dealer should also have an ac cleaner kit for the musty smell. The one we use has 2 cans, one is a spray that you simply spray into the fresh air vents under the hood, the other gets set of in the cabin like a bug bomb with the ac on full max. It kills all the bacteria that builds up on the evaporator for that fresh and clean smell. But definately check or get checked the ac drains. If it is under warranty don't worry about it, just have them look at it.

carlgo · #8 10-03-2008, 01:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by weasel56

The dealer should also have an ac cleaner kit for the musty smell. The one we use has 2 cans, one is a spray that you simply spray into the fresh air vents under the hood, the other gets set of in the cabin like a bug bomb with the ac on full max. It kills all the bacteria that builds up on the evaporator for that fresh and clean smell. But definately check or get checked the ac drains. If it is under warranty don't worry about it, just have them look at it.

This is something I need done. The 2-can process is interesting. I assumed they just sprayed into the air intake.

robocal · #9 10-03-2008, 08:37 AM

I think I may have a similar problem. Admitedly I live in what is at the moment a very humid environment but today as I was driving along I noticed visible vapour coming out the air vents on the passenger (left) side of the car and nothing on the right side. The vapour was colouless and odourless and the car felt more humid than normal so it was presumably water vapour. I shut the left vents off and after a while noticed that the vapour started coming out the right centre vent, but nowhere near as much. I noticed the vents were a little wet after I stopped. Checking under the car and there was water dripping, however I have since read on another post that there are two of these drains. The air did not smell and it was cool.

Could the above be evidence of the left drain being blocked ? This would explain why the vapour appeared mainly from the left (Passenger) side.

Could this problem be due to a fault in some element of the air con system ? I have read posts on the evaporator but the only thing that doesn't match with my situation was that the temperature of the air was fine i.e. cool.

The only other relevant information I can think of is that I replaced the final stage resistor a few years ago but since then the A/C system has worked perfectly.

Many thanks for any suggestions or opinions on this.

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