air con C180

[lackofgrip]

i get a little damp patch of water under the car central to the air con centre console. is this normal as my 200sx used to also do this. just wondering if its normal for mercs too????

 

[eric242340]

As long as its under the car and not inside the car, perfectly normal. Nothing to worry about.

 

[Blobcat]

At this time of year I would have thought it would be more likely to be water running out from the under tray than from condensatiuon from the AC evaporator. You only really get condensation coming from the evaporator in hot weather when you have the AC on full cold. Now I know you can be a hardy breed in Yorkshire, however I doubt you are running AC on full cold at the moment

 

[lackofgrip]

ok so it could just be water? i had just had the car cleaned about 3hrs previous. my 200 used to do it most of the time.

 

[television]

ok so it could just be water? i had just had the car cleaned about 3hrs previous. my 200 used to do it most of the time.

I think that you have answered your own question, the water will be running out of the drains on the scuttle, as Blobcat says,no way is this the evaporator.

malcolm

 

[eric242340]

Errrm, yes Malcolm is quite correct. I must have been standing in the sun too long, and forgot is blooming cold at this time of year in UK (especially yorkshire). Come from West Yorkshire myself Who would use their aircon at this time of year?

 

[Blobcat]

I would hope most owners with AC will be using it at this time of year to dehumidify the air as it aids demisting. It also ensures that the seals stay lubricated so when they do require cold air in the summer the AC system is still working.

 

[eric242340]

I would hope most owners with AC will be using it at this time of year to dehumidify the air as it aids demisting. It also ensures that the seals stay lubricated so when they do require cold air in the summer the AC system is still working.

This is a good one. and I agree with you but try telling people in this part of the world to use their heaters occasionally to keep them functional. We have the opposite problem - all year they dont use the heater and come winter (which is very short here) all the heaters fail, and i mean all. Good news for garages here but not for the customer. This is why i said this is a good one.

 

[television]

This is a complicated subject and it depends on the car.

On the 202 car referred to at the start the compressor does not run all of the time and is only engaged when the temperature setting is turned down below the ambient air temperature, and the speed of the engine will change slightly to compensate for the extra loading ( this is built into the idle relay) as the compressor cuts in.

Only on later cars where the car has cool boxes fitted then it compressor runs all of the time.
If you open the bonnet of your car and turn the air con down to min and the you hear a click or the engine speed changes slightly, then your compressor does not run when set to anything above the ambient temperature and in Oder to maintain your seals in good condition you should run it once a month at min.

for long term longevity if you turn your air con off 5 mins before the end of your journey in Summer the whole system dries out and you do not get the puddle of water under the car,this also prevents components rotting through remaining wet.

Malcolm

 

[lackofgrip]

how do i know when its on? is it wen the little red light on the ec button is on or off?

 

[television]

how do i know when its on? is it wen the little red light on the ec button is on or off?

When the red light is on the air con is off

malcolm

 

[lackofgrip]

cheers matey

 

[television]

cheers matey

On your car when you turn the air con on with the engine running and turn it down to min,the idle will just change slightly and you should hear the click as the compressor cuts in, thats if it is all working.

malcolm