Condensation in car...

Manxman_in_exile

Thanks all.

Don't think it's lack of anti-freeze as It must have pre-dated last weeks sub-zero temps and before that it hasn't been freezing here for a year.  I'll have a look at the rear bumper/air vents like the focus.

I'm taking advantage of the "good" weather today to take the mats out to dry and leave the boot open for a few hours.

I'll buy a pingi.  Or some pingis or pingii...

EDIT:  Once I've dried it out a bit I'll monitor it more closely now I know there's a problem.  I don't want to start messing around with the rear glass before trying to eliminate other possibilities.

AdrianC

Manxman_in_exile said:

I'm taking advantage of the "good" weather today to take the mats out to dry and leave the boot open for a few hours.

<looks out window>
Try that round here today, and you'd be bailing it out by lunchtime.

oldagetraveller1

Never heard of "Pingi" but I use a couple of bags of silica gel beads. A cheaper option. Orange initially and turn dark green at which point the beads need heating at 150 deg C, in an oven, for about 45 minutes to revert back to orange. Not in the bags, but on a baking tray.

Of course any potential cause of the heavy condensation needs to be eliminated first.

facade

If you do buy Pingi, they come dry, double bagged in polythene.

Weigh them, and write the dry weight on in magic marker.

Then you can weigh them to see if they need drying out (the novelty colour changing penguin is a bit of a joke)

Microwave on top of a cardboard egg box or something- they get HOT. Again you can weigh them to see how they are drying.

You want the super extra doubleplus big size- I think they are 500g, the baby ones might be ok for a biscuit tin!

The instructions imply they will absorb their own weight in water, but mine seem to give up at about 25%.

The moneysaving way is a bag of silica gel cat litter from B&M and sew up a couple of drawstring bags with what is left over from making masks.

I keep a couple of bags on top of the dashboard to try and absorb the condensation that forms inside the windscreen.

neilmcl

You say it's a Mondeo hatchback, does that mean it has a rear wiper? You might want to look into the possibility that you have a leak in the washer fluid pipe that'll run from the washer bottle in the front of your car, up the side and into the back. They tend to have multiple joins/connections and it's a quite common cause of unexplained water leaks in the floor areas of some cars. Also, make sure any drain holes in the boot and hatch are clear.

Norman_Castle

Manxman_in_exile said:

I'm taking advantage of the "good" weather today to take the mats out to dry and leave the boot open for a few hours.

Make sure there's no interior lights on with the boot open. I'd be checking the rear washer and pipework especially after the mechanic mentioned it seemed worse after using it. I've traced leaks inside cars by sitting inside while someone wets the outside, removing interior trim can help.

Manxman_in_exile

AdrianC said:

Manxman_in_exile said:

I'm taking advantage of the "good" weather today to take the mats out to dry and leave the boot open for a few hours.

<looks out window>
Try that round here today, and you'd be bailing it out by lunchtime.

Warm and (almost) sunny here. 

Manxman_in_exile

neilmcl said:

You say it's a Mondeo hatchback, does that mean it has a rear wiper? You might want to look into the possibility that you have a leak in the washer fluid pipe that'll run from the washer bottle in the front of your car, up the side and into the back. They tend to have multiple joins/connections and it's a quite common cause of unexplained water leaks in the floor areas of some cars. Also, make sure any drain holes in the boot and hatch are clear.

Yes.  I'm going to investigate the rear washer/wiper etc later today or tomorrow.

AdrianC

Flooding is closing roads and car parks and bridges roun' by yer.

Manxman_in_exile

Norman_Castle said:

Manxman_in_exile said:

I'm taking advantage of the "good" weather today to take the mats out to dry and leave the boot open for a few hours.

Make sure there's no interior lights on with the boot open. I'd be checking the rear washer and pipework especially after the mechanic mentioned it seemed worse after using it. I've traced leaks inside cars by sitting inside while someone wets the outside, removing interior trim can help.

Ha!  Thanks for that!  I'd thought to take the bulb out of the lamp in the boot - I don't think(?) it can be just turned off - but had not thought about any lamps in the cabin! 

I've just checked and all the interior lights seem to be off and it still starts.

It's been open for about three hours and I'll leave it for another two or three.  Hopefully it'll still go.