Condensation Problem
12-14-2009, 05:16 PM
#1
1st Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: PA
Posts: 110
Condensation Problem
As the title suggests, I'm having an annoying problem with condensation building on the inside of my windshield at random times. I could run into a store for 10 min, or leave it parked over night and have a good bit of condensation built on the lower center area of my windshield. Anyone know if there's a TSB for this? When the body style changed for the Focus in 08, there was one suggesting we stuff foam inserts into the defrost vents to prevent this from happening on effected cars. But since I no longer work at a dealer, I can't access any information as easily. Am I out of my mind? Do any others experience this?
I was wondering if taking the cowl panel off and checking to make sure the water vents were clear would be a good place to start. Any opinions or pointers would be appreciated, because this is very annoying!
I was wondering if taking the cowl panel off and checking to make sure the water vents were clear would be a good place to start. Any opinions or pointers would be appreciated, because this is very annoying!
12-14-2009, 05:25 PM
#2
6th Gear Member
Do you have your ventilation on recirc? Most issues like this are caused by that. Leave your system on outside air. ALso, if you have excessive moisture in the car to begin with, try to allow the inside to dry. Leave the car in the sun with the windows open a bit as long as you can.
12-14-2009, 05:36 PM
#3
1st Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: PA
Posts: 110
I hardly ever use the recirculate button to begin with. Only in the summer when on Max AC. Maybe the vent door's getting hung up?? If I get a nice day and a few minutes, I think popping the cowl panel off to do some investigating is a good plan
12-14-2009, 06:46 PM
#5
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: PA
Posts: 110
Nope. Was sunny and about 55 today. Didn't do it all day until I parked at my gym for about an hour and a half. Around 5 o'clock rolls around, time for me to leave, and there's a small basketball sized patch of condensation. Seems fairly random to me
12-14-2009, 07:08 PM
#6
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Deep in the <3 of Tx
Posts: 3,925
I had this happen to me several weeks back. I can't think of any other time it happened. But it was very cold out and damp. Foggy, drizzley and colder than crap. It built up while I was at work.
What doesn't help is my passenger window doesn't go up all the way ever since I had problems with the auto drop feature like a year ago. It's always down like 2 or 3 mm and so some moisture might be getting in that way. I know when it's very windy, I get a lot of wind noise from it and sometimes it will suddenly whistle very loud and scare the crap out of me.
What doesn't help is my passenger window doesn't go up all the way ever since I had problems with the auto drop feature like a year ago. It's always down like 2 or 3 mm and so some moisture might be getting in that way. I know when it's very windy, I get a lot of wind noise from it and sometimes it will suddenly whistle very loud and scare the crap out of me.
12-14-2009, 09:21 PM
#7
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: NJ
Posts: 1
I took ownership of a new '09 GT a while back during the summer. As it got colder, I noticed this happening to me a good amount also - usually when it was < 60 degrees and when there was some moisture in the air like when it drizzles or rains.
There's like a blob of condensation on the inside, middle of my windshield beneath the rearview mirror. The condensation's shaped in a way that makes you think that air was being somehow blown up through just the center portion of the defroster vents while the car was off. The condensation blob is largest at the bottom of the windshield by the vents and then shrinks to like a cone or semi-circle towards the top of the blob. When I put my hand over the vent in that area I didn't really feel anything.
I've found this at the start of the day as well as at the end of my work day when I go to my car after it's been sitting outdoors for at least 4-6 hrs. Reading this thread made me think about it again - I'm also realizing that I haven't really seen it in a while now (or maybe I just don't pay attention to it anymore) and it's rained and been cold a good number of times recently.
There's like a blob of condensation on the inside, middle of my windshield beneath the rearview mirror. The condensation's shaped in a way that makes you think that air was being somehow blown up through just the center portion of the defroster vents while the car was off. The condensation blob is largest at the bottom of the windshield by the vents and then shrinks to like a cone or semi-circle towards the top of the blob. When I put my hand over the vent in that area I didn't really feel anything.
I've found this at the start of the day as well as at the end of my work day when I go to my car after it's been sitting outdoors for at least 4-6 hrs. Reading this thread made me think about it again - I'm also realizing that I haven't really seen it in a while now (or maybe I just don't pay attention to it anymore) and it's rained and been cold a good number of times recently.
12-14-2009, 10:02 PM
#8
1st Gear Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Florida
Posts: 55
Hmm...never had this problem myself, but sounds like something to do with moisture in the vent. I'd say to try checking for blockage in the cowl, as was stated before. Only time I've ever had moisture problems is when it's raining really bad and inherently I get rain all in the car in the two seconds I have the door open. Has to collect somewhere. Good luck hunting this one down. Only other option is to see if there is a leak somewhere like the windshield where water is getting through and settling into the carpet to evap later.
