Windows constantly misting up

Lexus1976

How to I stop windowns from misting up? Within 5 mins of being in the car all 6 windows mist up? What is causing this?

Henry Ford III

A water leak most likely.

Lexus1976

Where could the leak be coming from?

aquascrotum

Check your recirculated air isnt on. Surprising the number of people who don't know what that is...

Lexus1976

Recirculated air switch. This cause air to be recirculated in the car, how could this be responsible?

Zulu

I guessing the theory here is that the mosure builds up in the air?

Berty

+1 on the recirculated air.

Moisutre can also build up if there is a crack in the windscreen.

Lexus1976

Not sure, there is no crack in the window

seamus

Degreasing your windows also helps - dirt and grease naturallu builds up on the inside of the windows from the occupants' excretions and this allows water to stick to it.
I got a tip from someone here - Clean the inside of the windows. Then take a cloth and put a dab of undiluted washing liquid on the cloth and rub it into the window until it's gone white (like in a shop window when they're doing it up).
Then take another clean & dry cloth and wipe it off.

This worked well for me. Obviously you'll need to redo it every so often and it won't completely prevent your windows from fogging up, but it should stop them going straight away.

mickdw

Turn on climate control if ya have it

Pete67

Very common in cooler weather. Air always has some moisture mixed in with it. The amount of moisture the air can hold varies with temperature, warm air can hold lots of moisture, cooler air can hold less.

When warm moist air cools, the water vapour condenses out and forms droplets, usually on cool surfaces like car windows, which are cooled by the cold air outside. So the windows mist up. Heated rear windows or windscreens work by raising the temperature of the glass, so that the water vapour does not condense on it, so they do not fog up.

If the air in the car is being recirculated, then the moisture in the air is increasing all the time, as the occupants breath out moist air. In addition, any damp clothes/coats etc will contribute moisure as they dry. The car will feel stuffy and clammy very quickly. So always leave the re-circ switched off and the fan on low or medium speed so that the air in the car is being replaced continuously. If you have air conditioning or climate control this will help to clear fogged windows quickly. This is because the a/c cools the outside air which has the side effect of drying it (moisture condenses in the evaporator and is drained outside the car) and the dry air is then reheated by the air heater before being blown into the car. As the air is drier to start with it does not hold enough vapour to condense out on the windows.

One other thing which can cause the problem, if the car is equipped with a pollen filter in the ventilation system, this can get blocked and prevent fresh air getting into the car. If the fan blows strongly on recirc and poorly on fresh then get the pollen filter changed.

Sorry for the lecture, but you did ask!

Stephen

mickdw wrote: »

Turn on climate control if ya have it

+1 on that. Foggy windows won't ever bother you again if you have climate control

superjosh9

My good man, are you participating in country matters?!

Einstein

lol, i saw the thread title and assumed it was in the computers forum...:D

meesa

Lexus1976 wrote: »

How to I stop windowns from misting up? Within 5 mins of being in the car all 6 windows mist up? What is causing this?

Check this out ...http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?t=92029&highlight=windscreen+misting

John Mason

aquascrotum wrote: »

Check your recirculated air isnt on. Surprising the number of people who don't know what that is...

LOL, i had the exact same problem with my car and my cousin pointed out to me on saturday, the re-circulated air thingy was in the wrong place.

The car is perfect now

kluivert

In the colder months you need to turn on the warm air to keep the mist off the windows. It also keeps to close the vents on the dash and turn the ventialation dial to front windows.

I hate when your driving along and you see people with misty windows and the windows wipers going full blast.

Going to work last week, and this lads pulls out in front of me. As he continues to drive down the road, with his windows all misted, he sticks his head out the drivers window to see ahead of him.

So funny and so dangerous.

ART6

If the problem was caused by a leak somewhere then the windows would be misty before you got in. I suspect the problem is actually you, since you're getting into a cold car with very cold windows, and you are breathing out very moist warm air. That moisture then condenses on the cold surfaces. Having the heater on recirc only makes matters worse. There are two solutions: (1) stop breathing when you get in (;)), or (2) leave the driving side window open until the heater fan has had a few minutes to warm up the screen by a degree or two. Alternatively, you could try a dehumidifier pack from Homebase or Tesco -- a plastic box with moisture absorbing crystals in it. It helps to keep the humidity in the car down.

LightningBolt

How would you go about finding a water leak?

Omcd

seamus wrote: »

Degreasing your windows also helps - dirt and grease naturallu builds up on the inside of the windows from the occupants' excretions and this allows water to stick to it.
I got a tip from someone here - Clean the inside of the windows. Then take a cloth and put a dab of undiluted washing liquid on the cloth and rub it into the window until it's gone white (like in a shop window when they're doing it up).
Then take another clean & dry cloth and wipe it off.

This worked well for me. Obviously you'll need to redo it every so often and it won't completely prevent your windows from fogging up, but it should stop them going straight away.

Or, as an alternative, try 'Screenies' interior screen wipes available from most service stations or motor factors, you'll be absolutely amazed at the black dirt that comes off the windscreen onto them.

Popples

Hey, I had the same problem about a year ago and it turned out my Pollen Filter needed replacing. Once i got that done, the windows stayed mist free for longer. THis might be your problem?

Berty

Also, check under your carpet mats to make sure its dry. Otherwise you might have a leak coming in some other way, if there is a leak at all.

I had a transit years back with a cracked window and the boss wouldnt repair it because he would have to pay the €23.16 VAT. I had to bring a towel in the van with me to dry the inside windows every morning.

chickenhawk

seamus wrote: »

Degreasing your windows also helps - dirt and grease naturallu builds up on the inside of the windows from the occupants' excretions and this allows water to stick to it.
I got a tip from someone here - Clean the inside of the windows. Then take a cloth and put a dab of undiluted washing liquid on the cloth and rub it into the window until it's gone white (like in a shop window when they're doing it up).
Then take another clean & dry cloth and wipe it off.

The Sunglass hut sells a spray for cleaning glasses and it works wonders on the inside of car windows. Doesn't take have as much work.

Seperate

kluivert wrote: »

In the colder months you need to turn on the warm air to keep the mist off the windows. It also keeps to close the vents on the dash and turn the ventialation dial to front windows.

I hate when your driving along and you see people with misty windows and the windows wipers going full blast.

Going to work last week, and this lads pulls out in front of me. As he continues to drive down the road, with his windows all misted, he sticks his head out the drivers window to see ahead of him.

So funny and so dangerous.

There's a window polish called Silver Screen, made by Autosmart. It's main selling point is anti-mist and it works fine.