While your car may be reliable, your car will eventually have some issues that you have to deal with. However, some of these problems may not be easy to figure out, especially when your car leaks water without it being hot.
If your car is leaking water but not overheating, you may be wondering what the cause is. I looked up the facts, and here is what I found!
My Car Is Leaking Water But Not Overheating?
1. Faulty Seals
Generally, your car will have seals that connect various parts of your car’s AC, but these seals can go bad over time.
Normally, these seals are meant to keep air, condensation, etc. within the AC unit to keep them from escaping.
When the seals fail or get damaged, condensation can seep out of your AC unit, causing water to leak from your car.
2. A Clogged Evaporator Drain
Usually, there is an evaporator drain in your car’s AC unit that transports debris and air, but the drain can get clogged.
A clogged evaporator drain will not allow water to pass, causing the water to go back up and drain out into the cabin of your car instead.
Other than seeing water inside of your car, you will also know that you have a clogged evaporator drain if there is a moldy smell in your car.
Moreover, the water will normally appear at the passenger side’s floor, but water can appear in other parts of the car’s floor.
Typically, an evaporator drain gets clogged because of a build up of dirt and debris, so you just need to clean out the drain to fix your problem.
3. Condensation
One of the most common reasons why your car leaks water without overheating is condensation.
Usually, your exhaust will have condensation because of the heat from the exhaust’s system, which will make some water come out of your exhaust.
Similarly, the AC unit of your car will also experience condensation because of the cooling mechanisms within the AC unit.
Normally, these are completely normal and do not cause any major issues to the car, especially if only a small amount of water appears under your car.
4. Physical Damage To The Car
In some cases, the water leak in your car may be coming from external elements, such as rain.
Usually, this occurs because there was physical damage on your car that allows water to enter your car and look like a leak.
For instance, a small hole in your car’s roof can allow water to slowly trickle in whenever it rains.
5. Loose Window Seal
Generally, your car will have window seals surrounding the outside parts of your window to keep external air, moisture, water, etc. out of your car’s cabin.
However, the seal on the windows can become loose or damaged, which means water can easily enter your car and look like a leak.
Usually, the seals around car windows can go bad over time since they lose their strength after around a few years depending on the environment, accidents, etc.
6. Windshield Washer System
Occasionally, the fluid that leaks out of your car may not be water because it could be other fluids, such as windshield washing fluid.
Sometimes, there can be an issue in your windshield washer system, such as a crack in the reservoir, that makes a water-like substance leak.
Normally, you will have to replace the tank for the windshield washer system to solve your problem.
7. Leaking Radiator Cap
In some cases, the fluid that leaks out of your car could be coolant and not water, and this can occur even without a car overheating.
A common reason why coolant would leak from your car while not overheating is that your radiator cap is leaking.
Occasionally, a radiator cap can become loose or damaged, especially if you ran your engine for a long period.
Generally, the radiator cap is meant to be tightly fitted because radiator caps keep pressure in, so a loose radiator cap will allow pressure to be released and spill out coolant.
8. External Coolant Leak
If your car is leaking coolant instead of water, you may be able to find the source by looking for an external coolant leak.
When there is a very small coolant leak, your car may not overheat since there is still coolant in the reservoir, but you will still need to repair the leak before the damage gets worse.
Usually, you can check the hoses in your car to loose for a tear or loose connection in the hoses to find the source of the leaking coolant.
9. Internal Coolant Leak
If you cannot find a source of the coolant leak outside of the car, your coolant leak is probably internal.
Generally, an internal coolant leak will appear in the head gasket or cylinder block, but you will need to have a mechanic check your car to confirm.
To know more, you can also read our posts on why use a pintle hitch, why comprehensive is more than liability, and why ceramic brakes squeak.
Conclusion
Cars usually leak water while not overheating because condensation occurred from the exhaust system or AC unit.
Moreover, damages to the car, such as physical damage to the car’s exterior frame or a faulty seal, can cause water to enter your car and look like a water leak.
However, some people may mistake a coolant leak for a water leak since coolant leaks can occur without a car overheating.