Bubbly water in left hand air vent

[Shane Hodges]

I'm perplexed on this one so am seeking help please.

The car has just come back from it's MOT last weekend and has been parked in the garage for 4 days. When I got in the car today (first time since the MOT), there was a strong odour - sort of lubricant odour ... sorry I can't be more specific, but I can't put my finger on what the smell actually is.

Anyway, I turned on the fan, and bubbles starting coming out the left hand air vent, followed by water. Looking down the vent, I can see liquid in the vent. There appears to be nothing in the drivers side vent.

The last time I washed the car was 3 weeks ago, and it was fine before I took to be MOT'ed.

Anyone any ideas?

Cheers,

 

[clyde]

Is this the left hand screen vent or left-most dash vent Shane? Not that it makes much difference as I can't see how water could find its way into either, at least not to the extent that it would blow bubbles or that you would be able to see it. I suspect that someone at the MOT testing station is playing funny bu99ers.

 

[Shane Hodges]

Thanks Clyde. It is the LHS dash vent, next to the passenger airbag cover. I did think about the MOT guys, but they have had the car for the last 3 or 4 years and been fine.

I think I've worked out the smell though - it could be washer fluid. But still struggling to see how this got into just one part of the vents.

 

[szklarek]

The MOT testers would have tested the screen washers. Maybe there is pipe loose or leaking near the vents so water got in when they tested the washers.

Anton

 

[Mark Elder]

ORIGINAL: szklarek

The MOT testers would have tested the screen washers. Maybe there is pipe loose or leaking near the vents so water got in when they tested the washers.

Anton

The pipe goes up into the bonnet lid just above the vent that Shane's talking about - so I think you are onto the cause there.

 

[clyde]

Really can't see how this could have come from the 'screen washers as the jets spray onto the 'screen, not the air intake. If one of the pipes to the washer jets had come off water shouldn't reach the air intake as it would need to get past the luggage bay rubber aperture seal (which is designed to keep rain out at speeds in excess of 170 mph, so stopping a bit of screen wash is a doddle). Finally, even if the jets were all pointing at the air intake, or one of the pipes had come off and somehow ended up bridging the seal, the system has to have one or more drain holes within it, otherwise every time it rained or you washed your car the fresh air pipework would end up filled to the brim with water.

I'll stick with my first diagnosis of daft mechanics

 

[silver7]

Check the windscreen tube by the LHS bonnet hinge, there is a join there, maybe it has come loose and somehow water is finding its way down and towards the vent?