Engine Bay Condensation? Normal or strange?

Jabberwocky · Jan 27, 2021

Today I needed to buy some food. Removed all remaining snow from bonnet, windscreen and roof. Started the Cali and was greeted by screeching noises. Switched the engine off as it sounded as if something was seriously wrong. Opened the bonnet and was surprised to find the whole engine bay was soaking wet as if someone had been playing a hose in there. The Cali has been stood on my driveway for the past three weeks and not driven since the council started gritting the roads. Where could all the water come from and was it causing the screeching and if so was it harmful?
Moisture being absorbed by salt - no see above.
Driving through a ford or large puddles too fast - back in October we were in a very wet Scotland but that's 3 months ago.
Could it be condensation? - it was -6C two nights ago and now 9.5C - possible according to my knowledge of physics (The vehicle just needs to be a lower temperature than the outside air and the higher RH of the air the more condensation there will be. That could explain how water was everywhere. (I kid you not it was very, very wet.
A quick call to a motor mechanic pal of mine and he didn't know about the physics but quickly blamed the water for the screeching. It was on the belts and pullies and the screeching was one or more of those belts slipping. Not to worry he said, start the engine again if the screeching was still there act as though nothing was wrong and it will go away very quickly. It did disappear quite quickly and did not return on the return journey.
Any other ideas about where the water might have come from? (Only to ease my mind)
Thanks.

WelshGas · Jan 27, 2021

Jabberwocky said:
Today I needed to buy some food. Removed all remaining snow from bonnet, windscreen and roof. Started the Cali and was greeted by screeching noises. Switched the engine off as it sounded as if something was seriously wrong. Opened the bonnet and was surprised to find the whole engine bay was soaking wet as if someone had been playing a hose in there. The Cali has been stood on my driveway for the past three weeks and not driven since the council started gritting the roads. Where could all the water come from and was it causing the screeching and if so was it harmful?
Moisture being absorbed by salt - no see above.
Driving through a ford or large puddles too fast - back in October we were in a very wet Scotland but that's 3 months ago.
Could it be condensation? - it was -6C two nights ago and now 9.5C - possible according to my knowledge of physics (The vehicle just needs to be a lower temperature than the outside air and the higher RH of the air the more condensation there will be. That could explain how water was everywhere. (I kid you not it was very, very wet.
A quick call to a motor mechanic pal of mine and he didn't know about the physics but quickly blamed the water for the screeching. It was on the belts and pullies and the screeching was one or more of those belts slipping. Not to worry he said, start the engine again if the screeching was still there act as though nothing was wrong and it will go away very quickly. It did disappear quite quickly and did not return on the return journey.
Any other ideas about where the water might have come from? (Only to ease my mind)
Thanks.

Pure condensation. Bet it's all gone now. :thumb

As your mechanic friend said, screeching due to wet belts and wet pulleys.

Jabberwocky · Jan 27, 2021

WelshGas said:
Pure condensation. Bet it's all gone now.

As your mechanic friend said, screeching due to wet belts and wet pulleys.

Indeed yes and thanks for your confirmation. I can rest easy now. Thx

Jabberwocky · Jan 27, 2021

Hotel California said:
If there was snow on the bonnet i guess that caused the condens underneeth .
the cold snow on top and warmer ouside air on the underside gives condens .

Exactly this, but the amount was amazing! I put it down to the huge difference between high and low temperature. -6 to +9. 15 degrees is a lot.

B J G · Jan 27, 2021

In the days before vehicle bodies were completely dipped to give internal metal areas protection that condensation caused them to rust from the inside out.