Do all ac systems leave a little puddle after you shut the vehicle off?

2000 Cherokee SE 4.0 I recently had the hoses on my ac unit replaced, The shop guy said they were leaking and because it was losing pressure it was causing the ac unit to not cycle on and off. It would get cold for about 5 minutes, then get an awful stinky air smell and start blowing warm. In order to make it get cold again, I had to shut the ac off and after about 10-20 minutes turn it on and it would be cold again. Replacing the hoses did nothing to fix this. I read somewhere that one guy lubed the clutch and it worked after that. Well we used some wd-40 and the little clutch thing pops on and off now and the ac stays cold. I thought that since there's never a puddle underneath it after using the ac, that the condensation was collecting inside a vent somewhere and getting stagnant. The shop guy said that a good working system won't have a puddle and that I should drop some deodorizing pellets down inside the vents. This bit of info and the new hoses cost me $300 and that was with a $50 off coupon and him telling me the system was overcharged so it saved me another $50 in R-134A. Anybody out there know if my system should be leaving a puddle and or where that drain tube is located? The smell of the stale air is getting to me!

Go get a cold drink and just let it sit, you'll have condensation built up on the glass. The drain tube is just that, a tube to drain the condensation built up from the cold refridgerant.

I know what it is and what causes it. What I can't find is where it's going since it's not puddling under the vehicle. I suspect that the drain tube is clogged or something is making it back up inside and cause the stink. I think I will go have a drink though. Bourbon and 7 in a bucket while I ponder this.:cheers:

The drain tube may be clogged, causing it to back up, and you'll get mould or mildew.

Generally, you'll get a puddle of condensation, but it's possible that it could be too hot that day, and it evapourates almost immediately (or the asphalt is hot enough to boil it right off...)

Fabreeze spray works pretty good at getting rid of these smells.A buddy of mine had a Grand Cherokee that this happened to. Drain tube was plugged. It was suprising how much water was in there. One question though...If your lines were leaking,why did he say it was overcharged? Shouldn t it of been low? working for a short period then becoming warm sounds like it was iceing up. A system that is low will do this. It will also cycle the compressor on and off...

Left in running in the garage where the floor was cool and still no puddle so I'll be tracking down that mystery tube after my BV&7

What can I say? He told me 2 different things and then his explanation for the smell was the last straw. I asked him if he would check the drain tube but all he wanted to do was put dedorant in the vents...

Most likely, the condensation is going into the pass side floor board. Check under the floor mat, it most likely is damp. Open the hood, on the passenger side close to what I'd call a frame rail should be a black rubber piece sticking out of the firewall. Take a piece wire w/ a very small bend in the end and run it through there. You'd be amazed aat how much stuff builds up in it/

The drain tube should be near where the passenger left foot would be, except on engine side of firewall. Small tube 1/2/" dia., 2-3 " length. If its clogged at the end sometimes it can be cleared with a toothpick or straightened paperclip.

The smells
-After Drain is working properly.-

--Plain old Baking Soda dissolved in water. -With a/c on, select outside air then spray (misty like) into air intake just in front of windshield. 'bout 2-4 oz then shut down and let it sit a while ('soak' 1 hr.). Drive it for a day or so and see if smell is gone, may have to repeat 1 or 2 times. Usually works right away.

Good Luck,
O

2nd -on questionable a/c shop.

so should it be leaving a puddle? I believe so, I've never seen a car's AC that did not drip water onto the ground. My XJ did back when it had AC, I did have to clean the drain once. Tho, where I am, it is usually about as humid as a bathtub, and something would be wrong if it didn't remove a lot of water.

If you've gone through a lot of mud or especially clay mud the drain can get clogged and it will back up and leak into the pass side floor.

This is most likely what is happening and your heater box is full of skank water. the deoderizer will help in the short term but you need to get that drain open and the water out.

Any AC that is running properly dehumidifies the air while cooling it. The water has to go somewhere. Yes, try to clean the drain tube. Without proper drainage, some evaporators get a nasty moldy build-up that smells bad. To try to de-scent, the most efficient way is to put the system on MAX AC, which opens up the recirculation door on the HVAC housing. This door is under the dash on the passenger side. Spray Fabreeze in there sparingly. Another idea to minimize sitting moisture in the housing is to run the system with fan on high for a minute or so with the AC off before parking at night.

AC shop advice seems questionable. You either have evap freeze-up or the clutch needs to be adjusted, based on the statement that it runs good for 5 minutes.

Mine drips a little. All of the condensation on my Cherokee gets cough in the unibody and as soon as I accelerate/break hard it comes out or as soon as i go up my driveway it pours out. When I leave it overnight some drips out but as soon as I back down the drive it comes out, leaving a streak of water all the way down my drive.

redneck said:

Mine drips a little. All of the condensation on my Cherokee gets cough in the unibody and as soon as I accelerate/break hard it comes out or as soon as i go up my driveway it pours out. When I leave it overnight some drips out but as soon as I back down the drive it comes out, leaving a streak of water all the way down my drive.

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Sounds like your Jeep is marking it's territory. :looney:

redneck said:

Mine drips a little. All of the condensation on my Cherokee gets cough in the unibody and as soon as I accelerate/break hard it comes out or as soon as i go up my driveway it pours out. When I leave it overnight some drips out but as soon as I back down the drive it comes out, leaving a streak of water all the way down my drive.

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I think you mean "caught" in the unibody? Check the "framerails" inside with a nice bright light and make sure the undercoating is still there - if it isn't, you're going to need to make sure it gets reapplied...

"If you're looking for a quote from me/I'll be under the mango tree.
"Just don't ask how I'll get there/Hey! I don't know and I don't care!"

(I've been listening to Buffett for probably 25-30 years or so...)

they sell an evaporator mildew remover. you spray it into the blower motor, then it foams up. you then cover the vents with a rag and turn the ac on max. this kit removes the mildew buildup that causes odor.