it’s most likely to be water dripping from the air conditioning system – and there’s absolutely nothing to worry about. It is caused by the air conditioning compressor working hard in hot weather: due to thermodynamics, the unit itself can freeze over as it takes moisture out of the car. When the car is parked and the air con unit deactivated, the ice on its surface melts: this is what causes the puddle under the car (and the hotter the weather, the bigger and more alarming-looking the puddle may be…).

YES! You certainly can cause damage to an A/C system that is working (or has the A/C compressor engaged) but isn't blowing cold. The biggest problem is that your system is probably low on refrigerant. When that happens, your A/C compressor is not being cooled properly. Understand that the same refrigerant that keeps you cool also cools your compressor. What's worse is that without the proper flow of refrigerant, your A/C compressor isn't getting proper lubrication either! That's because there is not enough refrigerant flowing through the system to carry the required amount refrigerant oil to the A/C compressor. That can quickly cause catastrophic failure. If this is happening to your car's air conditioning system, leave your A/C controls in the 'economy' or 'vent' position until the A/C system is diagnosed and serviced. That way, you are not calling for the compressor to engage and you will reduce the risk of having a catastrophic failure.