Technical Car/Motor Issues > Ford Focus - 01 2.0 something boiling(?) and dripping when car Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Focusless Replies: 7
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New Sat 8 Sep 12 20:36 
 Ford Focus - 01 2.0 something boiling(?) and dripping when car - Focusless
...stopped (I entered that when posting but it got chopped off).

When I got out of the car after a short-ish (<10 miles) journey this afternoon, it sounded like something was boiling down near the driver side front wheel. It gradually died away after a minute or so.

There were also some drips - I thought they would be hot, but they were cold, with a water-like consistency. Looking under the bodywork, the drips were dropping off the dome-shaped bottom of a steel cylindrical thing, which was also cold - colder than air temperature.

Which made me wonder if this was something to do with the air con - might be normal operation, but I've never noticed it before.

Any ideas?
Last edited by: Focus on Sat 8 Sep 12 at 20:37
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New Sat 8 Sep 12 20:49 
 Ford Focus - 01 2.0 something boiling(?) and dripping when car - Old Navy
If it is water it will be either the aircon drain (most likely) or condensation drips from the pipes, more common on humid days.
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New Sat 8 Sep 12 20:58 
 Ford Focus - 01 2.0 something boiling(?) and dripping when car - Dave_
The boiling sound will be where the cold water is touching something hot on the way down. I often get passers-by come up to me and point out a "leak" from my Mondeo and from the works Hilux.

Think about what happens when you get a can of coke out of the fridge on a hot day - within 30 seconds the outside of the cold can is covered in moisture which condenses from the surrounding air. It's just the same thing happening with the car's aircon bits and bobs, absolutely nothing to worry about.
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New Sat 8 Sep 12 21:02 
 Ford Focus - 01 2.0 something boiling(?) and dripping when car - Focusless
Thanks chaps. Strange that I haven't heard it before though (easy to miss the drips).
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New Sat 8 Sep 12 22:04 
 Ford Focus - 01 2.0 something boiling(?) and dripping when car - carmalade
The a/c accumulator sits just in front of the drivers front wheel ,behind the plastic wheel arch liner.It is a large aluminium reservoir that gets very cold when the a/c is operating.When you switch off the engine ,water condensation will drip from it and there will be a whoosing type noise as the a/c gas pressure stabilizes.hth
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New Sat 8 Sep 12 22:33 
 Ford Focus - 01 2.0 something boiling(?) and dripping when car - Focusless
Wouldn't have said it was a 'whoos(h?)ing' noise, but from your description it was definitely the a/c accumulator I was looking at. I'm sure you're right; thanks.
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New Sun 9 Sep 12 00:10 
 Ford Focus - 01 2.0 something boiling(?) and dripping when car - Number_Cruncher
If the accumulator - or receiver/dryer gets cold, there's something wrong! Thet're usually on the high pressure, or hot side of the system.

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New Sun 9 Sep 12 09:40 
 Ford Focus - 01 2.0 something boiling(?) and dripping when car - carmalade
Nothing wrong at all here.It depends on what type of a/c system is fitted to the car.A receiver /drier is fitted in the high pressure circuit (hot),whereas an accumulator is in the low pressure side (cold).hth
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