Wehen you vehicle window gets steamy....

Ice Rich · 7 Jan 2008 at 11:55

When you vehicle window gets steamy

Hi all,

What do you do when your vehicle window starts getting steamy?
I normally direct HOT air onto it and open the windows slightly.
Just talking to a mate who said you should use only cold air directed on windows and to keep all windows shut?

What way is best?

Masterdog · 7 Jan 2008 at 11:57

I do a mix of the two, hot air and shut windows. Always thought the point was to heat the window to remove the condensation.

Windle · 7 Jan 2008 at 11:57

Cold Air is normally quicker, but it works by bringing the temperature inside the cab close to the outside temperature and thus no condensation.

If you use Hot Air, you need to wait for the air to heat which is why it takes longer and it then brings the cab temp up so that it's too warm for the condensation.

So if your going a short journey, use cold. Long journey, use warm and wait for it to heat up.

gumbald · 7 Jan 2008 at 11:58

Is this when driving or parked in some woods?

Booner! · 7 Jan 2008 at 12:02

gumbald said:
Is this when driving or parked in some woods?

lol beat me to it

Begbie · 7 Jan 2008 at 12:09

Tell your girlfriend to calm down!

Born_2_Kill_83 · 7 Jan 2008 at 12:09

If you have it....Air-con is the quickest way

ScoobyDoo69 · 7 Jan 2008 at 12:10

Loowi_ashley said:
If you have it....Air-con is the quickest way

But that means you'll almost always mist up when it's raining and you don't have your air con on. Or so I've found on a few cars..

ci_newman · 7 Jan 2008 at 12:15

ScoobyDoo69 said:
But that means you'll almost always mist up when it's raining and you don't have your air con on. Or so I've found on a few cars..

Doesn't that mean that your pollen filter needs changing?

Dogbreath · 7 Jan 2008 at 12:20

ci_newman said:
Doesn't that mean that your pollen filter needs changing?

Or that the aircon evaporator drains have become blocked.

ScoobyDoo69 · 7 Jan 2008 at 12:28

I don't know, but I doubt that on 2 Scoobs, a Golf, a Mini, a Fabia, and a Focus that that could be case. But as I say it's just what I've found.

Jonnycoupe · 7 Jan 2008 at 12:38

I have found Focus is worse than expected when I dont have AC running...

prob worth having a nose around the drains and pollen filter i guess

RainX antifog should be a good thing to use aswell.

thedazman67 · 7 Jan 2008 at 13:02

AC on its gone in a couple of seconds

Fr0dders · 7 Jan 2008 at 13:05

AC on directs dry air onto the windows which should in theory could the condensation on the windows to evaporate onto the air to bring it to the same moisture level as the rest of the car

problem is, as somebody's already said. it doesnt deal with the temperature difference, and the condensation will re-appear unless you keep the aircon on.

Freakitchen · 8 Jan 2008 at 00:52

Steamy windows is the least of your worries when the inside of your car looks like a plasterer's radio!

West · 8 Jan 2008 at 01:02

Normally just open the windows a minute or two

Clarkey · 8 Jan 2008 at 01:45

no a/c

, so just whack the blower on max and drop the windows a little. Rarely leave it outside long enough to get misted up though, so a bit of a non issue.

Jez · 8 Jan 2008 at 02:10

Suprised no-one has come in with a smart arsed answer of the auto demist button yet, so i might as well be the first

Logsi · 8 Jan 2008 at 02:27

I turn my Heated Front Windscreen on! :cool:

If that fails then use A/C then if that fails use the old fashioned way off the engine heat.

On a Ford Fiesta Zetec Climate!

Josh

[TW]Fox · 8 Jan 2008 at 11:16

ci_newman said:
Doesn't that mean that your pollen filter needs changing?

No, its an unfortunate side effect of some air conditioning systems - even when you turn the AC off on some cars air brought into the cabin is still drawn through the condenser anyway, and of course if the AC has recently been used it will be damp so will tend to steam the car up more easily until the condenser has dried out.