Windows fogging up

Dr. Teeth

Dr. Teeth

Club Member
I have a 2004 Subaru Forester with no apparent problems. This winter I noticed that after I drive somewhere and park, if I leave the car for a while, the windows fog up all the way around, and then usually freeze. I am not aware of any water leakage problems in the car (can't find anything wet) and I don't think the heater core is leaking (nothing wet, can't smell it, no loss of fluid.)

This is a royal pain in the ass, and it doesn't matter if I drive it 1 mile or 50, the same thing happens. Anyone have any ideas??? I think it's gotta be wet somewhere and I haven't found it. I do not notice this problem in the summer and when home I park in the garage. The garage is insulated but not heated, and when I go out to go somewhere there is no fogging issue. The garage's ambient is, however, warmer than the outside.

Thanks all.
 
Sounds like the water is freezing into the carpet and thawing when driven, then creating moisture. I get a few similar problems from customers every winter. What I can recomend doing is putting the car outside with the heat on, windows down, Defrost for the windshield on and let the car de humidify. You might not to make sure the carpet isn't soaked 7under the floor mats. If it is you will have to remediate the problem.

You might also wan to pickup some dessicant bags from the local boaters supply store once you get the carpets dry and dehumify the car more.

Rubbermaid floormats will help to stop this in the future. Just make sure they have the deep mud channels.


Dr. Teeth said:
I have a 2004 Subaru Forester with no apparent problems. This winter I noticed that after I drive somewhere and park, if I leave the car for a while, the windows fog up all the way around, and then usually freeze. I am not aware of any water leakage problems in the car (can't find anything wet) and I don't think the heater core is leaking (nothing wet, can't smell it, no loss of fluid.)

This is a royal pain in the ass, and it doesn't matter if I drive it 1 mile or 50, the same thing happens. Anyone have any ideas??? I think it's gotta be wet somewhere and I haven't found it. I do not notice this problem in the summer and when home I park in the garage. The garage is insulated but not heated, and when I go out to go somewhere there is no fogging issue. The garage's ambient is, however, warmer than the outside.

Thanks all.
Click to expand...
 
Sean said:
Sounds like the water is freezing into the carpet and thawing when driven, then creating moisture. I get a few similar problems from customers every winter. What I can recomend doing is putting the car outside with the heat on, windows down, Defrost for the windshield on and let the car de humidify. You might not to make sure the carpet isn't soaked 7under the floor mats. If it is you will have to remediate the problem.

You might also wan to pickup some dessicant bags from the local boaters supply store once you get the carpets dry and dehumify the car more.

Rubbermaid floormats will help to stop this in the future. Just make sure they have the deep mud channels.
Click to expand...




I have those floormats already. Maybe I should put a dehumidifer in the car this spring to wring it out? I'll check locally on the desssicant bags. Thanks.
 
Dr. Teeth said:
I have those floormats already. Maybe I should put a dehumidifer in the car this spring to wring it out? I'll check locally on the desssicant bags. Thanks.
Click to expand...


is the carpet under the mats wet ? Dessicant bags and a dehumidfier work great. sometimes you just get alot of moisture buildup in a car and its tough to get out.
 
99% of the time I will pull floor mats out of a car at work and it will be completely soaked underneath them. Like sean said, pull your mats out someday, maybe even shop vac the whole car (that way if you do find the wet area, you can suck some of it up) At work i use a big box fan and put it in cars over night that are still a little wet from cleaning. try cracking all the windows of your car an inch or two at night and throw a fan in the car to run all night
 
Alright I'll try that. I think this may stem from the fact that it's in the garage now. I noticed that in previous years when I got in that the snow from my boots that had fallen off before was still frozen, although now it's just dirty water sitting in the crevices of the floormat. Maybe I need to empty those out when I get home and/or as matt said crack the windows....
 
yea, pull your mats out and drain the water off them, hell run them under hot water in your utility sink or the likes to clean 'em off and leave the car open with a fan on it for a night, it should help a lot
 
Does your AC still work? Most cars run the AC when the defrost is on, or even when the heat is split between defrost and floor. This helps pull moisture out of the air by condensing it on the evaporator and dripping out through the drain in the HVAC module.


Or.. your Scooby is just a wet dog.
 
Start doing this, when you get in your car, sit on the seat side ways, with your feet outside of the car. Knock your feet together, watch how much snow comes off your shoes.

If that snow melts inside your car, it'll basically remain inside your car and form on the windows.
 
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