Weird AC fumes
June-26th-2002, 10:33 AM
#1
Protege Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 12
Weird AC fumes
I turned on my p5's AC this morning (cooling outside air) and noticed white fumes blowing out of the vents--I put my hand to it and it didn't appear that is was frost.
There weren't any chemicals, smoke or fumes outside (bright sunny day in Minnesota), and the fumes blowing from the vent didn't smell particularly funny.
Is this freon? Any ideas? Anybody else have this happen?
Thanks!
slank
There weren't any chemicals, smoke or fumes outside (bright sunny day in Minnesota), and the fumes blowing from the vent didn't smell particularly funny.
Is this freon? Any ideas? Anybody else have this happen?
Thanks!
slank
June-26th-2002, 11:48 AM
#3
Protege Owner
Join Date: Oct 2001
Posts: 731
I had this happen on the highway this past weekend as well. Turns out I had the fan set on low (1) and was going along on the highway on a very humid day. At some point there was condensation blowing from the vents.
The odd part was that the air flow had been reduced to about 1/3 of the normal airflow... apparently enough humidity had collected on the heat exchanger (the little radiator) to cause it to frost over and not pass a lot of air through it. Turning the AC off and running a little heat for a few minutes returned it to "normal" airflow... it was really wild to get cool air from the vents with the heat on
I guess the AC really does get that metal cold!
The odd part was that the air flow had been reduced to about 1/3 of the normal airflow... apparently enough humidity had collected on the heat exchanger (the little radiator) to cause it to frost over and not pass a lot of air through it. Turning the AC off and running a little heat for a few minutes returned it to "normal" airflow... it was really wild to get cool air from the vents with the heat on
I guess the AC really does get that metal cold!
June-26th-2002, 01:39 PM
#4
Demands Perfection
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 344
That's It
mito7878 is right on: It's water vapor (condensation). I haven't seen it yet in my ES Pro, but my old Nissan Sentra used to do that. I noticed it especially when I'd turn the A/C off but left the fan running. Then when I'd turn the A/C button back on again after it was off for, oh, 5 minutes or so, it would "steam" for a bit, then go away.
In short, it's normal! No worries!
In short, it's normal! No worries!
June-26th-2002, 01:50 PM
#5
Cripple Fight!!!!
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Northern VA
Posts: 1,944
yes it's condensation, sort of like you seeing your puffing breath on a cold morning, except it's the other way around. In winter you are puffing HOT HUMID air into cold dry air, while in summer your AC is blowing COLD DRY air into hot humid air. Get it? 
hehe that acutally made sense, how unusual!
hehe that acutally made sense, how unusual!
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