View Full Version : thick coating of condensation
Hi,
Does anyone else battle with removing a thick layer of condensation off the inside windows of the leon now that the mornings are getting colder. Usually I put this down to abnormal weather conditions, but recently it has started to occur every day and takes 10 minutes to clear by wiping the condensation off with a cloth.
are there any useful steps i can take to prevent it happening as I cannot see any problem with the seals, and I always make sure that the interior of the car is as cool as possible before locking it up and there does not appear to be any dampness on the inside of the car.
any help / advice would be much appreciated
Thanks,
Jon.
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Comedy Si
13-10-2001, 12:15
Jon - i get the same in my Ibiza Cupra, it is probably the WORST car i have had for misting up...even when it's not damp outside or anything it still mists like a bugger, and i have no idea how to get rid of it...
xxxx
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Comedy Si
Cupramax
13-10-2001, 17:19
A lot of airconditioned cars suffer from this. When you haven't got the aircon unit switched on, humid air seems to get into the car causing it to steam up. I leave the aircon on in mine permanently at the moment as the second I get in and switch on it steams up.
I know for a fact the Leon unit has a dehumidifier built in and it clears the screen in seconds with the aircon on. Cant comment on the Beeza's
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Max
Imperial Blue Leon Cupra
RSD soon to be!
its a 1.4 leon, not a cupra :(, got it on the cheap so its not got the aircon etc.
sounds daft i know , but when its misted up , wipe it off with some newspaper , then ya screen will be perfectly CLEAR , and CLEAN , thatll help i promise
:D:D:D:D:D:D
heh.. ill try that, ta,
also.. off on a tangent, when the key in the ignition is turned to start the car, the wind screen wipers are activated.. the lever is not pressed, or moved before the engine is started, and requires a bit of fiddling to get it to reset it self, or requires that the car is turned off and on again, think i shall return it to the garage and get them to fix the bugger.
wierd :)
One thing I find useful for this is Silca Gel.
You sometimes get really big bags of the stuff in with new Laser Printers/Plotters.
Keep a bag in your car and when it 'wears out', pop it in the airing cupboard overnight to 'recharge' it.
Comedy Si
14-10-2001, 14:23
Duthie - that's actually a good idea, i will give that a shot. Do you place the bag in your glovebox, or anywhere else is better? Have you expereicne of using it???
I'll nip out and try to buy some anyway...
Thanks for the advice
PS - the beeza does have the dehumidifier etc, when the air con is on, but you could be right re. how all my latest cars (ie, all air con'd equiped) have been the worst offenders for condensation...
ATB :cheers: :repuke:
I normally keep a big bag in the back footwell, tucked under one of the seats.
You'd have to be careful what you store it in. The gel normally comes in a fabric/paper pouch. I guess this is so moisture can be absorbed through the bag.
I've never seen it recommended anywhere else but bags change hands at work like cigarettes in a prison! A few guys have motorbikes and keep small sachets in headlight housings, and assorted nooks and crannies.
A major source of SG is camera shops. Jessops used to be happy to give the stuff away free, but that may have changed now. Give your local branch a ring and check them out.
Comedy Si
14-10-2001, 17:32
Guys
Cheers for the useful replies. I searched the web and came up with a supplier, GeeJay Chemicals. See below for my mail to them and their reply...
Simon KL Birkbeck, thank you for your mail.
It is practical to try and protect cars in storage with silica gel, as there is an almost finite volume of air (and moisture) to consider.
As you correctly say though, with the car in use and a changeover in the air, you would probably find that the silica gel would become exhausted fairly quickly without you noticing much improvement - the silica gel can hold 1/3 of its own weight in moisture.
It could be practical in areas such as gloveboxes, if you find that these are particularly prone.
To give you an idea, we can supply two to five 250 gram sachets of self-indicating silica gel for £2.50 each. These will change colour as they adsorb moisture and can be dried out and reused. If they changed colour really quickly it would indicate that they aren't really effective under those conditions (or that you had to buy a lot more !).
We tend to ask for postage stamps to the correct value for small requests such as yours. This includes the return shipping. Just send some stamps over if you think it is worth giving it a go.
Best regards.
Russell Covington. GeeJay Chemicals Ltd.
16 Gosforth Close, Sandy, Beds., SG19 1RB.
Tel : +44 1767 682774. Fax : +44 1767 692409.
e-mail : sales@geejaychemicals.co.uk
www.geejaychemicals.co.uk
-----Original Message-----
From: Simon B <simonb@chemeng51.freeserve.co.uk>
To: gcovington@geejaychemicals.co.uk <gcovington@geejaychemicals.co.uk>
Date: 14 October 2001 14:53
Subject: Silica Gels for automotive use
Sir
I have recently been experiencing problems with internal condensation in my air conditioned car when the air conditioning is NOT in use. I am putting this down to changes in humidity caused by the air con unit. I am considering placing (for example) 0.5kg of gel in the glovebox to reduce the humidity, although I appreciate the effectiveness may not be great as there is likely to be a reasonable changeover of air volume in the car. Could you advise if you think this would be a feasible option to reduce condensation in the vehicle?
Many thanks - I look forward to hearing from you.
Best Regards.
Simon KL Birkbeck
many thanks for your help guys, you've been very helpful.
The only time I've ever had a problem with misting up on my Leon is when it was leaking, and as its a common fault it my be worth feeling the foot wells of you car.
Neil
I know you have said that there is no leaks/dampness in your car - but check as best as you can.
I had the same problem with mine - could'nt find any leaks or dampness. It ended up been a incorrecly fitted pollen filter - quite common fault and water was getting under the passenger side footwell.
This has been replaced since and there is no condensation at all!!!
Having had a new pollen filter cover fitted by the dealer after a different dealer bent it I have had a chance to check its water tightness today.......yipee, so far so good. When it was leaking I had to use a squegee to remove water in inside, and drive along with windows open as Air con didn't have any effect.
Neil
sounds exactly like my problem... need to get it sorted before it starts freezing
thanks again :)