achewood

My air conditioning unit is suddenly making loud waterfall sounds when it's turned up high. The sound comes from directly behind the vents in the top-centre of the dashboard. When the is 2/3 - full, there's the sound of running water from there. When it's full on and the engine is accelerating, the sound gets much louder. There is no sign of water leaking into the car but when the a/c is full on and the car is accelerating fast, the odd speck of water can be felt coming through those vents.

What's going on? A leak? Something else?

This is a 1998 A8. The a/c was recharged last year. It's still very cold, just making these odd sounds now!

PaulW

<ul><li><a href="http://www.audipages.com/Tech_Articles/heatac/exaporatordrains.html">http://www.audipages.com/Tech_Articles/heatac/exaporatordrains.html</a</li></ul>

radglad

Drain the lines now, before you start having water pour (and I mean DOWNPOUR) out of the side of the console and onto your foot and into the passenger foot well.

As for why the germans would design a car so that rain water will flow into the interior compartment, I have no idea ;-(

FYI, on my 2000 A8, I was able to access the drivers orange drain line without removing any side panels.

achewood

Seriously, this place is great. Despite having a European version (so right-hand drive), I got the passenger's side open, drained the unit, and gave the lines a good blow-through. No idea if that will clear it but it's going in to Audi in a couple of days anyway so they should make sure.

I couldn't do the same on the driver's side - couldn't get the side panel off as I couldn't locate the screws. Seems to be a different setup for the right-hand drive cars... Immediate problem solved, though!