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condensation from air conditioning on a 1998 Jetta GLX

My wife told me that "smoke" was coming through the vents on her GLX. I drove the car around an noticed no "smoke". Today while I was driving it I noticed water vapor coming through the vents and noticed that condensation was forming on the windshield above the defroster vents. My wife said she felt drops coming from the foot vent as well. One thing I've always loved about the air conditioning in her car is that it is really cold. It would appear the evaporator may be leaking? Has anybody else seen this before?

Reply to
Jason Bowen
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It is a common issue. Typical reasons:

  1. High humidity today
  2. Running the A/C on re-circulate
  3. Blocked drain for the A/C

"It would appear the evaporator may be leaking?" More likely it is not leaking (see #3). Look for a drain tube under the car, likely on the passengers side. Compressed air is the safest way of clearing it, a wire can be used, but be careful it can damage the A/C coils and that will cost you.

Reply to
Joseph Meehan

Forming on the inside of the windshield or the outside? It's not uncommon on the outside during a high humidity day.

If you use a "wire" to clear the drain, use a speedometer cable core. I just went into AutoZone for. I asked for the longest core they had. They looked puzzled. I told them why and they shook their heads and we picked among several generic ones they had. Don't force it tho'.

Could also run the cable up from the bottom while running a slow stream of water down the air intake under the hood just ahead of the passenger side windshield. If there's a pollen filter there, I think you'll have to remove that. (going by memory of a drawing I saw years ago when thinking about retrofitting my '95 GLS for one)

In any case, it's not the evaporator. There's no water in it to leak. Now the heater core, that could happen. Check your coolant level.

Mark '95 Jetta GLS

Reply to
Mark Randol

"Joseph Meehan" wrote

Good points, but having said that

Having sold new VWs I have seen this on many a new VW. It should not be anything to worry about unless it is billowing. Women do have a way of exaggeration also if not mechanical savvy (not meaning this person but generally). Unless it is billowing I would disregard it. It is more like hunidity with perhaps quick-frozen particles creating a mist, like a refrigerator in some cases. The other solution is to crack the temperature control to a less of cold setting by moving the slider to the right about

1/4 inch or so cracking in some warmer air. If the drain was blocked you would have water on your floor or the evaporator would freeze up with a slower leak.

Harry

Reply to
Harry

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