Condensation....on the interior?

[Colt]

Might be a dumb topic. So this has happened a few times, but not regularly. My A/C (not on MAX) about two bars on, my car starts to make water lines on certain areas inside the car. But have never had this with any of the other cars I have owned so figured it to be a little...unique situation? I'm kind of thinking it's the lining of where the A/C hoses are, and just get cold under the dash on a hot day and produce this?

This isn't something I would be freaking out over, but just want more information in general and see if other 1 users have this.



Other line is on the passengers side airbag area. Didn't take a picture of it though. It's very noticeable when driving the car, but taking a picture of it doesn't give out the full detail so it's hard taking a picture of it all in the drivers seat.

[christopherkriens]

This is normal, especially if you drive with the sunroof open or the windows down because there is a constant supply of humid air moving over the surface.

[Dackelone]

I've never seen that. I do not think its normal. Do you see the condensation after the car has been parked outside over night? I think your interior is not sealed correctly. Like the HVAC box or a door seal. Somehow outside air is getting into your car and causing teh condensation to form.

I would be freaked out. Has your car ever been in an accident?

[syenisch]

Mine does it all the time if I run the AC and then let humid air in. It's because the AC ducts run under there. Done it since day 1 and it doesn't concern me one bit.

[romak47]

ive seen posts before about this many times before..
its normal. the a/c ducting goes under there. not very well insullated , therefore convection of humid air hits it and condensates. Its
normal. but if u want to report it, i think bmw takes dash out and reinsulates that area.

Some people even get issues of idrive disfunctions when running heater full tilt , since that duct goes near the idrive unit. :P

[bimmerjph]

I'm pretty sure its normal. If its true that the A/C duct is under there then it would make sense that water would condense their.

[Colt]

Alright thanks for the replies, was just curious about it.

[1speedbike]

This happens to me once in a while when I have the A/C on. It's annoying, but normal. I get it in the same location you do, plus up on the flat part of the dash in front of the passenger seat.

[fwmcb]

It's normal, thats right over the ac duct lines

[Dackelone]

WoW! Normal!?!? Well.. I guess Germany just doesn't get that hot(it only gets up to about 27'C on a hot summer day!, most of teh time we have less than 24'C) to get that kind of condensation buildup on the top of the dash board. I still find it weird though.

[Greenkirby21]

This happened to me. I had to get my evaporator replaced. Hasn't happened since then

[Colt]

Originally Posted by Dackelone

I still find it weird though.

Yea same here lol. Maybe I'll look further into this evaporator thing...if I don't get it replaced what are the outcomes? Will it just keep doing it or would there be further damage to something else if it doesn't get replaced?

And no, the car has never been in an accident. The only thing it had was damage to the roof during first shipping from Germany and the roof was repainted black.

[shodanusmc]

I live in Chicago and it does get HOT here. A/C is always on, and this has never happened to me, even when it is 100 degrees and sunny. If it is normal, then I am glad my 135 is not normal.

[RPM90]

Originally Posted by Angerman

Alright thanks for the replies, was just curious about it.

As others have pointed out, when it's very humid this can happen, especially if you have a window or roof open.
The warm humid air will condense it's moisture onto any surface that is cold.
It's just like a cold drink or glass full of ice that sits outside in warm/hot humid air. As the humid air hits the cold surface, the water vapor in the air condenses and clings to the surface.

Do you have a window or sunroof open with AC on when this happens?

If not, try using MAX AC. That will close the fresh air intake, and recirculate the cabin air, which should dry it fairly quickly.
If it's not drying it, then you may have a faulty seal somewhere that is allowing too much outside air to flow in.

I've had condensation build up on the air vents only if I open a window or let a lot of humid outside air in.
I've also had very light condensation in the area you show, but not to your level, and it's only happened a couple of times, again if I let too much air in, like having a smoke and I open my window.

BTW, looks like you have a dog or cat that gets to ride with you.
Lots of hair on that dash.

One more thing, have you checked the cabin air filter?
If you're getting reduced air flow it may be time to change it.
It just occurred to me that I haven't changed mine in 3 years!

[romak47]

Originally Posted by Dackelone

WoW! Normal!?!? Well.. I guess Germany just doesn't get that hot(it only gets up to about 27'C on a hot summer day!, most of teh time we have less than 24'C) to get that kind of condensation buildup on the top of the dash board. I still find it weird though.

ive never had it when my car was in germany either.
Now that im in states and run the ac more, i notice its happened to me actually once.
Just depends on atmospheric conditions, and if u have lotsa humidity on the interior.
The longer you run the A/C with the windows up, the more humidity the system will remove from the cabin air, and lessen the amount of condensation on the dash.
As long as the a/c system is doing its job on removing moisture in the air that is.. :P
I believe recirculating the air may help too.

[ATSR]

I live in Florida where the humidity makes the air feel like soup, and this happens to me every time I have the a/c on and have either a window or the sunroof open. Not concerned about it, however the issue does highlight poor build quality IMO.

[RPM90]

Originally Posted by Dackelone

WoW! Normal!?!? Well.. I guess Germany just doesn't get that hot(it only gets up to about 27'C on a hot summer day!, most of teh time we have less than 24'C) to get that kind of condensation buildup on the top of the dash board. I still find it weird though.

I think you guys have drier hot air.
The humidity, water vapor in the air, is the more important factor for comfort.
It could be 85F, but if the relative humidity is like 80%, then the dew point is pretty high, high enough that it can still cause condensation to form on cooler surfaces.

There's a saying in some parts of the US, "It's not the heat, it's the humidity!"
It's true. I've been in the Arizona desert at 117F, but it's very dry. If you can find shade, it's quite comfy and bearable.
In the south like in Florida or Houston, Texas it can be 30F degrees cooler but the humidity can be over 80%, and it's not bearable even in the shade.

Condensation is all about the "dew point", which is the temperature at which the air will condense to it's saturation point, which is 100% relative humidity. At that point the air can no longer hold any more water vapor. The air and water vapor then condense, and the vapor becomes liquid water.
High heat and low humidity has a low dew point.
Moderate heat and high humidity will have a higher dew point.

This is the reason why in the morning you may see dew/water sitting on the grass. Over night the ambient temp falls to the dew point, and the air and moisture condense leaving water on surfaces.
That's what happens around the air vents and cold surfaces where the ducts are. As the humid air hits the area, it cools, reaches the dew point and moisture is left behind.

[RPM90]

Originally Posted by Angerman

Yea same here lol. Maybe I'll look further into this evaporator thing...if I don't get it replaced what are the outcomes? Will it just keep doing it or would there be further damage to something else if it doesn't get replaced?

And no, the car has never been in an accident. The only thing it had was damage to the roof during first shipping from Germany and the roof was repainted black.

If your evaporator is leaking, it could be leaking moisture in the cabin, and that would be the added source of moisture. Have you checked the carpeted area on the passenger side floor? If it's wet you may have a leak, maybe from the evap or the drain hose, or some other faulty thing.
When it's humid and you're running your AC, check under the car on the passenger side, there should be water dripping down to the ground. That's normal. If you don't see any water, but you are getting condensation build up in the cabin, then you may have a clogged drain line, and the water is filling up and running back into the cabin.
Again, check the passenger side floor up towards the firewall to see if it's wet or moist.
I'm not positive where the evap is located in our cars, but it's likely the passenger side.
Anyone know where the evaporator is located in our 1's?

[fwmcb]

It only happens on hot and humid days... it didn't happen on the e92 though

[RPM90]

Originally Posted by ATS

I live in Florida where the humidity makes the air feel like soup, and this happens to me every time I have the a/c on and have either a window or the sunroof open. Not concerned about it, however the issue does highlight poor build quality IMO.

Well c'mon now, you're in an ultra high humidity environment running your AC AND you have your window or sunroof open.
Yes, you've created a ideal condition for condensation formation.
That is not however an example of poor build quality.
It's an example of what will happen if you create the right conditions.

BMW could insulate the ducts with even more, but then the designers aren't expecting you to run your AC in high humidity with the windows open.

[ATSR]

Originally Posted by RPM90

Well c'mon now, you're in an ultra high humidity environment running your AC AND you have your window or sunroof open.
Yes, you've created a ideal condition for condensation formation.
That is not however an example of poor build quality.
It's an example of what will happen if you create the right conditions.

BMW could insulate the ducts with even more, but then the designers aren't expecting you to run your AC in high humidity with the windows open.

I fully understand and agree with you, but if you see how much condensation I get in my car you will probably agree about the build quality. In some cases after leaving the window open for several for 5-10min periods (yes, I smoke in my car) when it comes time to hit the brakes (when leaving the highway for example) I get a stream of water that soaks my feet!! I'm not talking a few drops here, I mean like someone emptied a glass half full of water on my feet.

Like I said earlier, I'm not too concerned about it, however I do hope that they shielded all the electronics from all that water that accumulates in the car. So far it seems they did.

[RPM90]

Originally Posted by ATS

I fully understand and agree with you, but if you see how much condensation I get in my car you will probably agree about the build quality. In some cases after leaving the window open for several for 5-10min periods (yes, I smoke in my car) when it comes time to hit the brakes (when leaving the highway for example) I get a stream of water that soaks my feet!! I'm not talking a few drops here, I mean like someone emptied a glass half full of water on my feet.

Like I said earlier, I'm not too concerned about it, however I do hope that they shielded all the electronics from all that water that accumulates in the car. So far it seems they did.

The one thing that has bugged me about my 135i from day one is the rain channel on the drivers side. I don't know if mine is misaligned or what, but rain/water POURS in when I crack the window open for a smoke and/or to let some more air in.

When it's raining and I open my window for a smoke, it seems the rain channel was designed to let water come right into the window and drench the window switch area.
Does your 1 also do this?