Help, I have a leak under my Vue

[JeffTheJoc]

I've got a drip under the front of my 2002 Vue comming from half way between the tires. It looks like clear water but I have not been using the air conditioner, and the Dex-Cool and the wiper fluid tanks are still full. It has dripped about one quart over the last 24 hours, What could it be?

[Brock4u]

Coolant, probably the water pump, i had the same thing happen to me its about 450 to fix. Take a white kleenix for papertowel and touch it if its orange then you know.

[1saxman]

Condensate from AC. You probably have set the selector in a mode that automatically activates the compressor. This is based on the fact that you stated it was 'clear water'.

[Tom92SCm]

Condensate from AC. You probably have set the selector in a mode that automatically activates the compressor. This is based on the fact that you stated it was 'clear water'.

Yep.

Gas is about the only other liquid in the VUE that might be considered "clear"- although gas has a yellow tint to it.

[JeffTheJoc]

I checked again, the liquid has no color and no taste. The weather here has been humid but I have kept my air conditioner completely off. I could take my Vue in to the Saturn shop, but it is no longer under warrenty. They charge $40 just to look at it.

[john95SW2]

I checked again, the liquid has no color and no taste. The weather here has been humid but I have kept my air conditioner completely off.

Have you run your defroster? That turns on the AC compressor as well...

[Brock4u]

yep theres a good point...defrost

[Tom92SCm]

I checked again, the liquid has no color and no taste. The weather here has been humid but I have kept my air conditioner completely off. I could take my Vue in to the Saturn shop, but it is no longer under warrenty. They charge $40 just to look at it.

It's either AC condensation or you drove through a puddle. The AC will operate at other times- not just when you have the "snow flake" button pushed. What is your current climate control knob position? Turn the climate control knob to face with the AC turned off and see if the puddle reforms.

[OhioVueBoy]

Remember, this is a 2002 though. The only time the A/C compressor on a 2002 works is in Defrost or blend, with the fan on. That is, unless the HVAC head unit has been replaced with the newer part #.
~D.J.~

[JeffTheJoc]

You are correct, I had the window defroster on. I am so embarrassed. I could not think of any reason for the compressor to drip when the air conditioner was not being used. Thank you for your help.

[1saxman]

'and no taste'

Dude!

[joshjani]

I know this is an old thread, but I just wanted to chime in because just yesterday I had the same problem- a mystery puddle of clear water under my 2005 VUE.

Glad to see that the AC compressor comes on when using defrost- I was indeed defogging the windows.

Just one more reason to check here and take advantage of the WEALTH of knowledge and experience here! Thanks!

JC

[WE0H]

What positions on the HVAC controls makes the compressor run without the A/C switch depressed? I don't want to run around with the compressor running all the time.

Thanks,
Mike

[1saxman]

Floor registers and defrost. You can still use the floor registers without the compressor by not turning on the fan. Also, you can 'semi'-defeat it by setting the selector one click before the floor register position and using the fan. This will give some hot air from the floor registers and some from the dash, which can be turned downward to direct the hot air more to the floor, and excludes the AC compressor. Since this is a cold-weather problem, it's kind of interesting that it's come up this time of year. In cold weather, the AC will not run regardless of settings depending on the ambient temperature and vehicle speed. IIRC, this is 30F and 5 MPH. Test for the 'sweet spot' on the selector to get heat without the compressor by doing it while parked in a quiet location. You can hear the little 'clunk' when the compressor cycles on and off with the fan on - get the selector as close to 'floor' position as you can without engaging the AC.

[WE0H]

OK perfect explanation ;) I'll try it out tomorrow. I am learning a ton of info on the Vue this week thanks to this forum.

Mike