Why do I never see any condensation draining from AC?

[shertex]

1991 300D, have had car for about 28 months. Other than a minor refrigerant leak somewhere, AC works fine....always nice and cold when charged.

However, try as I might, I NEVER see any water coming from the bottom of the car. Any other car I've ever seen, including my 1992 300D, drips water on the driveway.

If the drain were clogged, wouldn't I have had problems by now? I take on LONG trips, with AC on all the time. What's happening to the water??

Thanks.

[sixto]

Do you have encapsulation panels?

Sixto
87 300D

[shertex]

Originally Posted by sixto

Do you have encapsulation panels?

Sixto
87 300D

Not sure. How would I find out?

I had assumed that my 91 and 92 would be identical in this respect, but perhaps not.

[vstech]

from the factory, your two cars would be identical, but one of them may have been ... "modified" by now.

[vstech]

that said, you should pull ALL your floormats and verify no water is being trapped inside the car.
trust me, if your car's a/c is working well, you are condensing a LOT of water...

[shertex]

Originally Posted by vstech

that said, you should pull ALL your floormats and verify no water is being trapped inside the car.
trust me, if your car's a/c is working well, you are condensing a LOT of water...

Pulled mats, everything is bone dry.

[shertex]

Originally Posted by vstech

from the factory, your two cars would be identical, but one of them may have been ... "modified" by now.

Paneling looks pretty similar. What kind of a modification could result in my not seeing any water draining?

[vstech]

if the condensate is dripping onto the exhaust, no liquid will make it to the ground.

[shertex]

Originally Posted by vstech

if the condensate is dripping onto the exhaust, no liquid will make it to the ground.

So that's not uncommon? If that's the case, that explanation makes perfect sense and I have nothing to worry about. Are some cars designed that way, or has a tube been moved so that it no longer falls on the ground?

[vstech]

my bet is junk is clogging the tube, and letting the condensate run along the body of the car instead of dripping out. it's also likely there is condensate inside the car. I can't fathom modifications that would on purpose send water onto the exhaust and cause rusting...

[shertex]

I called the MB dealer....they said that, with some of their cars, the condensate does dissipate/evaporate before it gets to the point of dripping on the driveway.

Whether the guy knew what he was talking is, I suppose, another matter....

[shertex]

Originally Posted by vstech

my bet is junk is clogging the tube, and letting the condensate run along the body of the car instead of dripping out. it's also likely there is condensate inside the car. I can't fathom modifications that would on purpose send water onto the exhaust and cause rusting...

Or, the tube could so old that it's disintegrated so the condensate is dripping on to something that causes it to vaporize immediately.

[sixto]

Encapsulation panels are plastic panels under the engine and transmission. If you have them, they collect anything that drips. Water might evaporate before enough collects to overflow or reach a drain hole. Maybe one car has them and the other doesn't. Have you had both cars since new?

Sixto
87 300D

[shertex]

Originally Posted by sixto

Encapsulation panels are plastic panels under the engine and transmission. If you have them, they collect anything that drips. Water might evaporate before enough collects to overflow or reach a drain hole. Maybe one car has them and the other doesn't. Have you had both cars since new?

Sixto
87 300D

All the paneling looks to be intact on both cars. I bought both cars used.

The collects-then-evaporates explanation makes perfect sense. What puzzles me is why one car drips and the other doesn't.

[ashedd]

Only on a rare occasion will I see any water under any of my cars. On a 123 it drips onto the transmission, dunno about the others.