Odd Problem

[Datarancher]

Yesterday while driving our 2001 Santa Fe a steam/smoke type vapor came from under the hood while stopped at a light.

There was no smell of smoke, plastic, wires, pancakes (antifreeze), etc. in fact we were not sure that is was not just exhaust smoke from the truck in front of us.

When we got home I popped the hood and took a look with the engine running.

All of the sudden from the engine compartment on the drivers side the same vapor appeared, not smoke, and had a oily type smell, it sounded like a pressure relief valve from an air compressor, came out hard and fast and stopped suddenly and was loud.

After the cloud cleared I looked and could see nothing except a little antifreeze on a hose, green liquid, the engine never got hot.

Any idea what this might be, A/C relief valve, something in the cooling system?

Thanks for your help!

[Jed118]

sounds like the AC is releiving itself of R134a. Turn it on and see if it still blows cold air.

[Datarancher]

Hi Jed,

Up on looking further I don't see where any of the AC lines go that close to the drivers side.

What I did find out is that the electric cooling fan has a bad male - female connection when I moved it back and forth.

So until I can get to the dealer Monday I used a wire-tie to hold it in place connected.

I am guessing that the engine got hot (its just begun to get over 90 here in AZ) and that some how caused the engine to get hot and "blow".

That explains the antifreeze I saw, not sure about that air compressor sound, maybe there is a relief valve?

Maybe it was steam?

There was no dripping antifreeze as I have seen with other over heatings.

I'm not sure I'm 100 percent right on my diagnosis so please anyone/everyone give me your thoughts

EDIT - Yes the A/C is cold

[imcastock]

The green stuff is colored dye in the r134 compressor oil.. The cooling fan not turning on is making the pressures of the r134 in access of 500 psi. (Not a good thing.) Which blows the pop off valve in the back of the compressor. These pop off valves are not replacable and the compressor has to be replaced to fix it. These valves are put in there to save from totally blowing up if the pressure in the lines gets too high.

[Datarancher]

Thank you!

The AC is still ice cold, I rewired the fan and it works great now

I'll have to look behind the compressor to see if the valve is still there.

Is it possible the valve just opened and blew and closed again?

[bizzare]

hmm, typically a/c systems have a high pressure cut off switch on the high pressure line. But im not too familiar with the Hyundai hvac systems. But yea r134a has a distinctive smell to it, Kind of a bitter moldy type of smell.

[Killco]

I am going to go out on a limb and say breathing that in would be a bad idea?

[Datarancher]

Agreed Killco

Its still running great - thanks for all your help