Yellow Liquid & Garage Condensation

Yellow Liquid & Garage Condensation

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throwyourbike

Original Poster:

704 posts

150 months

Saturday 20th December 2014
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About 8 weeks ago I put the Monaro away in the garage for Winter.

I leave a bit of cardboard under her so its easy to spot if anything leaks.

While tinkering around in the garage the other evening I decided to to take a look at the cardboard. I was alarmed to find a couple of fresh spots of yellow liquid on it.
Looking under the car it seems they had dripped from the cats.

The liquid was as thin as water and odourless.




After checking that all the fluid levels were ok, I realised that not one of them was the same colour as the stuff on the cardboard.
However I also noticed that the engine bay had had droplets of water all over it.

On closer inspection the garage floor under the car was damp, the exhaust system was soaked and the side parked closest to the wall was also covered in droplets of water.

I'm pretty fussy about my car so I set up a fan heater to dry off the underside and took a hair-dryer to the engine bay.
Since then the car has been bone dry all over and no more drips have appeared on the cardboard.
The roads were dry today so I took her out for a good long blast to make sure I burnt off any condensation that might be hanging around.

So I have a couple of questions.....

1. What could the yellow liquid be? Since the whole underside has been bone dry for days, I reckon it must have been dirty/discoloured water?

2. Apart from getting a dehumidifier, what steps can I take to reduce the condensation build up in the garage?






Gary H 2008

3,507 posts

188 months

Saturday 20th December 2014
quotequote all
"I'm pretty fussy about my car so I set up a fan heater to dry off the underside and took a hair-dryer to the engine bay."



Anyway, I wouldn't worry unless it gets worse. There's a lot of condensation around at the moment so water dripping of your car will naturally pick up anything en route.

With regards to a Demudifier, get one. Buy the biggest second hand one you can off ebay and just run it. I have one with a 3 litre collector. In the Summer I tend to empty it every 10-14 days. At this time of year it's every 4-6 days, but for me, I collect the distilled water for my home-brew water/meth so it's all good.
A Green house Paraffin heater may also be an idea ( I use an electric one because I'm a tart) on a 4 hour timer (02-0600) just to ensure the the Garage stays frost free.

Makes a huge difference.

jonnM

1,102 posts

138 months

Saturday 20th December 2014
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Definitely get a dehumidifier, makes a world of difference. smile

R8OMG

176 posts

129 months

Saturday 20th December 2014
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Are you getting condensation anywhere else in the garage? Try leaving your bonnet up I had some condensation in my engine bay after standing for a few weeks and it cleared over night.

throwyourbike

Original Poster:

704 posts

150 months

Saturday 20th December 2014
quotequote all
R8OMG said:
Are you getting condensation anywhere else in the garage?
The windows from time to time are the only other thing I've noticed. I have a few bikes (bicycles) in the garage and loads of parts, they are never damp.

ARAF

20,759 posts

222 months

Sunday 21st December 2014
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throwyourbike said:
R8OMG said:
Are you getting condensation anywhere else in the garage?
The windows from time to time are the only other thing I've noticed. I have a few bikes (bicycles) in the garage and loads of parts, they are never damp.
Less metal in the bikes, so their temperature is matching the surrounding area. It's the difference between the temperature of the air and the car which is making the car an ideal place for the damp to condensate.

Your other option is to insulate the garage, so that the air temperature changes less from day to night.

rich24v

352 posts

208 months

Sunday 21st December 2014
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For the dehumidifier to work well, you need to block up all the drafts,
imho it's a lot cheaper to remove moisture than heat the garage. I've run a
dehumidifier on a timer in my garage for last 10 years (actually it's the
same unit, lasted well) empty the container every couple weeks or so.

ArnieVXR

2,449 posts

182 months

Sunday 21st December 2014
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Paraffin heaters are the last thing you'd want to use, as they give off tons of water vapour. According to the reading.gov.uk website a gallon of paraffin gives off a gallon of water vapour. I'm sure someone could explain the chemistry behind that...

Gary H 2008

3,507 posts

188 months

Sunday 21st December 2014
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Yup - I remember that now! Not the best thing really smile
Lowest wattage you can get away with just to keep the chill - and condensation off then.

ARAF

20,759 posts

222 months

Sunday 21st December 2014
quotequote all
ArnieVXR said:
Paraffin heaters are the last thing you'd want to use, as they give off tons of water vapour. According to the reading.gov.uk website a gallon of paraffin gives off a gallon of water vapour. I'm sure someone could explain the chemistry behind that...
I think it's a pint of water in a gallon of paraffin - which still makes it extremely damp. wink Electric heat is the driest. I used to use something like this,and left it on all the time, as it was only 60w


stevieturbo

17,229 posts

246 months

Sunday 21st December 2014
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A dehumidifier is probably a good thing...

But what always gets great reviews for cars parked up, is one of the carcoon type bubbles. And they use minimal electric to run

https://www.carcoon.com/carcoon-airflow-systems/ca...

SteveMJ

919 posts

195 months

Sunday 21st December 2014
quotequote all
ArnieVXR said:
Paraffin heaters are the last thing you'd want to use, as they give off tons of water vapour. According to the reading.gov.uk website a gallon of paraffin gives off a gallon of water vapour. I'm sure someone could explain the chemistry behind that...
Spot on!!

I'm not a chemist, but something along the lines of the hydrogen in the fuel combines with Oxygen; H2O is produced.

Steve

throwyourbike

Original Poster:

704 posts

150 months

Sunday 21st December 2014
quotequote all
Thanks for all your help guys.

The boiler is in the corner of the garage which probably isn't helping either.

I'll look into a dehumidifier.

A carcoon would be ideal but it is only a Vauxhall that been used as a daily drive for most of its life. While its not in bad condition, its not showroom either.

granada203028

1,482 posts

196 months

Sunday 21st December 2014
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Maybe the "cats" marking their territory smile

djwilk

1,693 posts

168 months

Monday 22nd December 2014
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If you get condensation build-up in the garage, why not just add ventilation grilles to it? So that the air can circulate, get into it on the front and, say, escape at the back. Even grill at the back would make a huge difference. And if you think you would be introducing a lot of heat loss or cold air in, that is not necessarily true.

Air travel from high to low and not the other way around. So really, you would be allowing warm air to escape the garage room through a single vent.

hidetheelephants

23,741 posts

192 months

Monday 22nd December 2014
quotequote all
ArnieVXR said:
Paraffin heaters are the last thing you'd want to use, as they give off tons of water vapour. According to the reading.gov.uk website a gallon of paraffin gives off a gallon of water vapour. I'm sure someone could explain the chemistry behind that...
What he said.
throwyourbike said:
The boiler is in the corner of the garage which probably isn't helping either.
It will help a little as it will have a flue dumping the combustion gas and moisture outside, although the heat given off modern boilers isn't much; as it's already there perhaps a small radiator, or even just a couple of doglegs of uninsulated pipe, in the heating circuit(on the return leg probably) would act as a great frost stat, especially in combination with a dehumidifier. With the boiler in there you may not be able to block all drafts as the boiler will need air for combustion(unless it has a balanced flue).

djwilk

1,693 posts

168 months

Monday 22nd December 2014
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hidetheelephants said:
It will help a little as it will have a flue dumping the combustion gas and moisture outside, although the heat given off modern boilers isn't much; as it's already there perhaps a small radiator, or even just a couple of doglegs of uninsulated pipe, in the heating circuit(on the return leg probably) would act as a great frost stat, especially in combination with a dehumidifier. With the boiler in there you may not be able to block all drafts as the boiler will need air for combustion(unless it has a balanced flue).
The boiler flue has got an air supply in the outer sleeve. No separate air supply needed.

Chris-55tad

32 posts

92 months

Tuesday 16th January 2018
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Old thread resurrection...

Did the OP ever work out what the yellow fluid was? I have exactly the same coming from the rear area of my 911 997.2 and looks identical to your photos.

I put the car away slightly wet recently and that is when I first noticed it some days later (probably a couple of tea spoon's worth). The car went away very dry at the weekend and I have noticed a very small amount has leaked since.

I took the car to my local Porsche indy (Northway) who service the car and they have had a look and couldn't see any problem, and said none of the fluids in the car are yellow, watery and odourless.

It seems as though perhaps residual water or condensation is running through something causing the colour. I'm not worried about condensation but specifically why it is bright yellow and whether this indicates a problem?!?

Thanks in advance.

throwyourbike

Original Poster:

704 posts

150 months

Tuesday 16th January 2018
quotequote all
Nope, never found out what it was.

I still own the car and it has flown through 3 MOT’s since then with no problems though.

I can only assume it must have been condensation which became contaminated with something.

ARAF

20,759 posts

222 months

Tuesday 16th January 2018
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Refrigeration oil is a yellowy green. Could be a weep from the aircon.