Drippy Water Leak

[ronaldo]

Help or hints wanted please. Car is a 57 plate 08 model 1.9 TiD 150. Noticed over the last couple of days that I have a small puddle of water (egg cup full) under the car (clear so don't think it's coolant). There is no apparent drop in water levels in the engine bay.Had a shifty around and found a slow drip coming from under the car just behind the engine. Haven't got a photo as I cant get the car up on ramps. Best decription is..... behind the engine is the power steering fluid resevoir. Below that and slightly further back is what I assume to be the front anti role bar. Close to that is the meshed wire covering around the begining of the exhaust. Adjacent to that right hand side)is what appears to be a stubby rubber pipe exiting a casing of some kind. I think it may well be the heater matrix or something and this is where the water drips from. The air con system is located in the front right of the engine bay so it isn't condensation from the compressor. Even if the heaters are selected to hot the water is still cold. Sorry about the vague description but as I said without phots it's the best I can do. I jacked the car up and took off drivers side front to gain access but didn't like crawling about with just the SAAB jack taking the strain!!!.
Don't want the hassle of having to travel 30 odd miles to dealers only to find its a vent of some kind. Any suggestions ( pleasant ones accepted) greatfully appreciated.

[JamesK]

I'm no expert, but this sounds to me like the output from the A/C system.... The aircon system removes water from the atmosphere inside the car, and then drains it under the car... I'm guessing that's the water you're seeing and is perfectly normal.

[Mussey2]

Agreed! Aircon draining the water from the system. It's amazing on a very humid day just how much water the aircon can remove!!! It means your aircon is working!!

Mr Linear.

[saabtastic]

Ditto..aircon condensate!

[ronaldo]

Many thanks guys. Living here on devils island ( Anglesey) means a 60 mile round trip to the dealers and wasn't looking forward to their expensive remedy. Called at the local VX dealer (GM) and they said exactly the same. Just that I've never seen that much water over the year I've had it.

[shep]

when I saw the trickle of water coming from under the engine bay of my 9-3 I nearly had a heart attack. Spend too much time reading tales of woe on here and it's easy to become paranoid

[David Martin]

Just for confirmation and support. My 9-5 dribbles like an incontinent on a bender depending on humidity levels and temperature.

If condensate then the water will be clear, should have no odour and, if you are brave enough taste.............well of nothing like water does

[ronaldo]

Amazing how twitched you can get. Liquid is clear and not red / green (engine coolant) and did the taste test..... nothing. Thinking of checking for alcohol levels though just incase theres money to be made. Even gone so far as to trying to track down another SAAB owner on the base I work at to compare pipe work. Wife thinks I'm sad!!

[Paul B]

If it's clear and doesn't smell then agree with the others. Living on Angelsey you'll have high humidity and as the AC cools the air it dries it leading to the water. Don't worry too much on cash either a 57 is still under Saab warranty.

[junkcollector]

I have a related problem with my '04 Aero 9-3 - there should be a small puddle under the evaporator drain, but it appears to be clogged. The water builds up when I run the A/C and spills out into the passenger's side. Now that summer is here (and this is Florida), I have to keep a towel there all the time and change it every day.

I've removed the glovebox and passenger side cover to try and find the problem. There's a white plastic protrusion coming down from the evaporator housing and foam insulation where it meets the "firewall" - this isn't really a firewall, it's a plastic structure in between the carpet and the real firewall/floorboards. Inside the foam insulation is a pipe that leads from the climate control center unit through a plastic duct. It's out of that duct that the water is overflowing. I could stick a small tube down into it and air blows bubbles in the water inside. I syphoned out most of it.

I don't know if this duct is the actual drain tube and it's clogged below, or if this just for the tube and the water shouldn't be there at all (which means the clogged drain is elsewhere). I suspect it's really the drain, since it's location would natrually cause drainage and I couldn't find anything else that looked like a drain.

I jacked up the car about 10 inches and tried to locate the drain from the outside with my hands. Not having any jack-stands, I didn't want to climb under the car on just the jack - I'm thinking maybe a shop with a lift is the answer. I've got the Haynes book and the WIS software, but none of them show this duct and drain.

Any ideas or insight would be greatly appreciated. Otherwise, it's going to be the shop...

[bmwlee]

did you find this drain i need to find mine

[junkcollector]

I could not find my jack stands and I didn't want to crawl comlpetely under the car on a jack alone, so I went down to my usual mechanic to put it up on the lift.

We found the drain easy enough - it's just to the right of center (on US model) where the floorboards go up to make room for the exhaust. There's a small tube protruding only 1/2 inch or so.

I asked the mechanic to put a shop vac on it, but he apparently didn't have one (or didn't want to drag one out) and just blew compressed air up the tube. That did clear it out, but I'm afraid that the crud that was clogging it (leaf matter that had gotten past the main compartment filter) was just pushed back up into the system. I suspect it's now swirling around in the evaporator housing, because it puts out a musty smell for 30 seconds each time I start the car in the morning. At least the inside of the car is completely dry now!

Maybe when I find my jack stands I'll put my shop vac on the end of that drain tube.