Vauxhall Corsa Demisting Issues

newfoundglory

I have been having the same excessive misting problem in my car over the last week or so. I have a heated windscreen and even that can't clear it!

Could it just be the weather (lots of water in the AIR)?

I dont think my car is leaking or is wet inside either.

I agree its very odd.

closed

£1

newfoundglory

im far too lazy for that - why do you think i got a heated front screen

closed

clears a lot quicker with a quick wipe first, and uses no fuel.

demonted

For the air con to be effective, when hot whether outside
(however unlikely) to maintain a cool or cold interior, the setting should be set to 'recirculate' the cool interior air from inside and not to draw in hot air from outside on a hot sunny day.

The recirculate setting closes all vents which allow fresh air from outside to enter the interior, thus recirculating interior air which has previosly been cooled by the air con.

Using the recirculate setting when cold and raining outside, especially WITHOUT switching the air con ON, the windows will mist up rapidly regardless of the heat setting, all the more so if wearing damp clothing due to the rain.


On a rainy and wet day = recirculate setting OFF.

On a hot sunny day = recirculate setting ON.

flyingscotno1

johnmc wrote: »

Take a tip from the caravaners. A container of cat litter will absorb moisture. You can put it in some socks and tie the top off.

Finding leaks into a car is almost impossible.

At the bottom of the windscreen is a gutter designed to take water and drain it through plastic tubing. If the drain is blocked, with leaves for example, the water builds up in the gutter.

Quite often there's DIY wiring running through the bulkhead (well, it is a Corsa), through the gutter and into the engine bay. Check for any of these not having a watertight grommet.

A bag with silica beads can be bought off ebay which do similar things.

johnmc

flyingscotno1 wrote:

A bag with silica beads can be bought off ebay which do similar things.

Valid point, and about the same price as cat litter in Sainsburys with the bonus that it comes with a lovely container you can put under the driver and passenger seats.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2X-Silica-Gel-Desiccant-Humidity-Moisture-4-Absorb-Bead-Absorber-Box-Reusable-/290787054596?pt=UK_Packaging_Materials&hash=item43b4425404

andrew-the-cat

Best settings for removing condensation:

Air conditioning ON
Air direction WINDSCREEN
Air recirculation OFF
Heat HIGH
Fan speed HIGH

If you are not scientifically up to scratch, the reason why condensation forms on the windscreen is simply because it is wet inside the car. Water vapour in the air will always condense on the coldest surface, that's why in the blazing summer heat, a glass of a cold drink will appear to be 'sweating'. It is the moisture in the air (the warmer the air, the more water it can hold, this is why humidity comes with heat) condensing on the outside of the glass.

The same happens in your car, since the windows are the only parts of the car exposed directly to the outside air with no insulation, they make the ideal place for water vapour to condense. If it is raining and you are wet when you get into the car, you compound the problem. Same with treading snow into the car, you are bringing water INTO the car which will eventually end up condensing on the windscreen. The problem is exacerbated if you have a perished seal somewhere and water is leaking in to the car.

Using the heater with the air directed at the windscreen will warm it up, and clear the condensation. The air conditioning will speed it up due to its dehumidifying effect. Turning the air recirculation off is essential as the air outside the car will be dryer than the air inside. If your ventilation controls are electronic or you have some sort of climate control, pressing the front screen demist button will usually select these settings for you. If your air recirculation control is electronic, it will always turn it off when you select demist.

A lot of Fords have proper heated front screens (they call it Quickclear) which are amazing and clear in seconds.

richard734

I run a Vauxhall Astra convertible, roof is fine, but was suffering with condensation problems with the torrential rain.
My FIL had a new surround sound system and in teh bottom of teh box was a silica bag, popped it in teh card and problems gone

Either that or its all frozen....