crazy4ladies

I have an unusual water leak, or possibly coolant... I drove the car around and it doesn't overheat. The temperature level on the cluster doesn't quite go over the half mark line. I ran the car with the a/c on and off. both times with about a 30 minute break. after I moved the car the first time there was a HUGE "water" puddle under the car... not sure if I need to do a head gasket repair, or its something with the a/c. the a/c does run very cold too. has anyone experience this before? going to take it to my buddy's shop tomorrow so we can get under it and check it out. much help would be appreciated, thanks!!

ezone

Job #1 of any air conditioner is to remove moisture (humidity) from the air.

It has to remove moisture before it can cool the air.

The water condenses on the evaporator coil, collects in the housing, then, finally, drains to the street below.

This is plain, clear water. It drips from the evaporator drain tube, roughly below the passengers footwell. 100% normal. No worries.

ALL air conditioners do this. Your home AC does too, central or window unit.

How much water you see is directly dependent on the humidity level in the air at any given time.

HTH

crazy4ladies

thanks, I hate to question you, BUT ARE YOU SURE? it just looks like a lot of "water" under the car. my truck doesn't do that, at least not nearly half as much. its just unusual for me to see that because I have never seen it before. I Truly hope its what you say it is. thanks again

crazy4ladies

should there still be a large amount of water under my car even without the a/c running though?

ezone

98%. I can't see it from here.




Taste it. Seriously. If it doesn't taste like plain water, then it's not plain water (spit it out).

Look for the origin, where the water is coming from. There is a rubber tube, about 1/2 inch diameter that sticks out through the firewall (down low, passengers side, below the steering gear) from the passengers compartment, this is the evaporator drain hose.



Antifreeze would be colored and taste sickeningly sweet......and it would be disappearing from the reservoir/radiator if it were leaking.
Same for the rest of the fluids....if none are low, then that 1/2 gallon of water on the floor is from your air conditioner.

HTH

ezone

Yes. It can drip for quite a while after you shut off and exit the car.

They drip the entire time it takes me to change oil and rotate tires on some of these cars. LOL

crazy4ladies

well I sure hope so, hopefully I can check it out tomorrow. ill definitely let everyone know something once I do just in case anyone else is experiencing this. I may try and take a pic of it tomorrow.

crazy4ladies

well its a head gasket leak... DANG IT!!! I noticed a DIY post so ill run thru it before everyone starts yelling at me to look before I post. if you guys have any helpful input leave some. thanks

ezone

Well, I assume it was not dripping clear clean water then.

Head gasket failure is quite common on that engine.
Pushes antifreeze into the reservoir until it overflows to the ground.
When hot, it should have been stinking horribly of a sickeningly sweet, syrupy smell.


If it overheated bad, it may be warped so have the head checked for flatness at a machine shop- if you don't have a precision sraightedge.

Yes, there are several threads dealing with head gaskets.

civicbyrc

if its clear its condinsation dripping from your evaporator, normal.

crazy4ladies

well come to find out it wasn't a head gasket leak... shop told me it was a clogged pcv valve. had that replaced, along with the timing chain, spark plugs since they were in there. oh 2 days later oil started leaking. well they forgot to put a seal on the cover so it started leaking. sure would be nice if I had tools and knowledge to do this myself.

ezone

Not trying to be offensive.......
Observation is the first step in solving problems.

This episode should have started with you actually identifying the puddle you found, rather than let me/us assume it was just plain water.

HTH

Scout1

EZone,

I like to read and learn. Could you explain how a clogged PCV would cause a large water leak? I could see it maybe pressurizing the crankcase and causing an oil leak. Just curious. Thanks.

Ed

ezone

No.

I should tell you to ask whomever made that claim, because I don't buy that answer for one second.





Um...
So what was in the puddle?

Matt_75

ezone, as a seasoned Honda technician, how many clogged PCV valves have you seen in this generation of Civic? I'm just curious.

ezone

Marinated...



Clogged? 7th gen? Honestly, zero that I have seen/diagnosed/caused problems/whatever, I don't remember seeing any......but you have to remember I work in a dealer. By the time the cars would actually have problems like this, most are no longer coming here.
And they are not in a spot that is easily inspected, so they are ignored for the most part.

Theory:
The ones that clog tend to be the engines that have sludge buildup in them, and most of the good customers here don't have significant sludge buildup.



I wonder if OPs shop can produce the old, clogged PCV valve? Would it even be from the OPs engine?

crazy4ladies

well im just telling you guys what the dealership told me. my car isn't "draining" water like it was before I took it to the shop. I'd appreciate it you guys wouldn't insult my lack of car knowledge. that is why I am a member of this site to LEARN. isn't that the purpose of this site?

ezone

I don't see where either of us insulted you, and I just want to know what the puddle was that you found.

Clogged PCV might make it leak oil, but not coolant or plain water either. But I still have no idea what your puddle was.