Damp car interior / misting up

[PM]

It's the time of year when my car tends to get lots of condensation inside, enough to have to wipe the insides of the windows. If it freezes it is a real pain.

My Q is how to best get rid of the dampness whilst driving. My journey to work is about 15mins and it takes 5mins for the car to come to temperature. Do I drive with the heater on full blast all the way? Should I open the windows a couple of minutes before I get to work to let the hot moist air out?

I don't have aircon or recirculate.

Pete

[nick smith]

Its really not long enough to get all the damp out - Certainly hot air holds more water vapour than cold, so its good to get the inside as warm as comfortably possible, but equally important to get a good airflow through the car at all times, hot or cold, to whisk away the damp air. If you have aircon that drys the air and, even when cold, will help. Don't use recirculate. When you arrive at the destination, let the hot moist air out by leaving the door open for a few seconds. Do whatever you can to avoid bringing water into the car - damp raincoats / dogs / shoes etc. - probably little you can do about this. If parked under a carport or in a garage, leave a window or two cracked open a touch if security is not compromised to allow air flow through the car. Go for a long hot breezy drive once or twice a week to dry the car out.

Hope that helps,

Nick

[Paul]

I had the same problem a while back with an old car.

How old is your car? I found that my car had a small leak and the carpets were always damp and I think that had alot to do with it. Tried everything to fix it but never did, sorry couldn't help

Paul

temperature.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Recirculate is the worst thing you can do.

Best is heater full blast, open windows, and leave the windows open a crack at night.

[Ian Middleton]

When my old Fiesta had damp problems, I sorted the leak first (silicone sealant round window seals sorted it) followed by leaving a fan heater on low on the back seat on a plank of wood (just in case it got too hot) and leaving windows slightly open for an afternoon. Sorted damp problem.

[Phil Addison]

The only real way is to find out where the leak is and fix it. Here is one way wet could be getting in

[e-mail]

Phil The uk.d-i-y FAQ is at

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[Sam]

Have a look around for leaks, around door seals, windows surrounds, rearlight clusters, bootlid etc. Do you have a sunroof? Blocked sunroof drains is a classic. If you can't find an external leak check the heater matrix. These can develop leaks, usually one or other footwell will be damp.

Good luck, damp cars are horrid!

Sam

[Sam]

If you have aircon, recirculate is the best thing you can do. Reducing the humidity of the small volume of air in the car is rather easier than drying the damp air drawn in from outside. It amazes me how many people I've spoken to with car aircon never use it in the winter to demist their cars. Me every aircon system in the cars I have owned has been broken :-( and more expensive to fix than the value of the car.

Sam

[The Natural Philosopher]

Recirculation doesnt work because all teh sioggy wet air goes around and around. The ourtdie iar, being cold, is able to xcarry less water anyway, and what there is gets sucked oput by teh aircon. THEN you hate THAT and its ultra dry - a lot dryer than air sucked fromn inside the car.

[PM]

I'll give that a try Thanks

[PM]

10 yrs old. I suspect that seals etc aren't up to scratch, I've already fixed leaks in the light clusters and scuttle panel.

[PM]

I've not done that yet .. will give it a go

Ta

[Sam]

But the air is recirculated over the aircon condenser round and round and gets dryer and dryer. If you are drawing in cold damp air then it's going to take longer to dry.

Sam

[PM]

I suspect it's an accumulated effect from previous leaks, moisture from wet clothes & my breath and so on. I've noticed lots of cars have the same problem, seems to be more prevalent now than a few years ago.

[PM]

Can't find any damp patches, more like a damp smell in the whole car plus the interior feels colder than it should, if you know what I mean.

[Phil Addison]

No. It soon dries out once you have *really* stopped more water getting in.

Check

- holed wheel arch

- rear screen leak behind back seat

- from heater radiator

- from heater via scuttle (poss due to blocked drain tubes)

- holed scuttle or seam seal defective

- sunroof

- door to body seals

- door membrane

Phil The uk.d-i-y FAQ is at

NOSPAM from address to email me

[Phil Addison]

Pull up the carpet - it *will* be wet underneath. Once you convince yourself there *is* wet, you are half-way to curing it :-)

Phil The uk.d-i-y FAQ is at

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[The Natural Philosopher]

You don;t apprecaite then that soggy air at 20C holds about 4 times as much water as soggy air at 2C.

Air below 0c holds no water at all...

[Aidan]

I believe that it can also be a symptom of a leaking heater matrix. You'd be topping up the coolant regularly, if this were the case.

[James Salisbury]

Had a bizzar fault on my astra, the stale air vent by the offside rear wheel was broken, filled body pannels with water, noticed the steaming up problem...