windscreen misting up?

Question

why does my car windscreen get condensation on the inside. Even when its just left out on the driveway overnight? Theres more water inside than out.

for those that asked, its a VW golf 1998 Se model.

Answer 1

There can be water vapour in the air and in your breath which is inside the car as you are driving and invisible. You know when it is freezing outside and you breathe out and see the mist, this is what I mean. When you leave the car overnight the temperature inside equalizes, when you get in the car in the morning the temperature difference causes the water vapour to condense on the coldest surface which is the inside of the glass. You can buy vapour traps which use bags of silica gel to absorb the water in the air. They use the same principle as womens sanitary towels and disposable nappies. if you have a new car the seals should be ok but if your car is older then the seals may be worn and slightly innefective. All cars suffer from this, Brand new or years old but it is more noticable on older ones.

Answer 2

A quick check to make sure all windows are closed and that there is no openings to the interior of the vehicle will eliminate most of your problem. If this is not the case...I'd check to see what the humidity levels are inside the vehicle. Condensation inside the vehicle can only occur with higher levels of humidity and the temps reaching a dew point inside the vehicle. Try running the heater or defroster before you shut the vehicle off and see if that helps eliminate the water vapors inside the vehicle.

Answer 3

Car model would help my answer, but
Turn off the air recirculation switch
Keep air con on all year round,
Remove rubber mats, (prevents carpets drying out).
Feel carpets for damp & a water leak coming in,
And are you topping up coolant, Rad in car may be leaking,
Air con drain pipe is leaking into car,
Replace the pollen filter, check it is not damp,
The list goes on.

Answer 4

Clean all the sh*it and muck off the inside of the glass, and make sure you haven't got a water-leak into the hatch area of the car. Mondeos leak in through the rear light units and hatch seals. If it's a saloon, it's still the light units and boot lid seal that needs inspection. Make sure the carpets aren't wet, and if they are, find out why, and get it fixed.

Answer 5

This time of year water gets into the car ever time we get in or out (shoes, clothing, open windows etc)... if you have aircon try leaving it on even in the winter .. it removes moisture from the air and stops your problem ... after all how many flash cars with aircon do you see with water on the inside??

Answer 6

because its caused by warm air meeting a cold surface youdrive with the heater on .this warms the air in the car if its an old car with no alarm try leaving window down an inch if not drive last mile home with heater on cold andwindow open

Answer 7

if all the seals look to be ok, then rub vassaline all the why round. this helps the seals seal better and prevents them from ripping.
then in the summer months when realy hot leave windows down to dry car out!
or get a mobile dehumidifyer and leave in car for a day.

Answer 8

I have a car with aircon, and its nearly new, and this problem is common this time of the year to all cars, even mine. Just put the aircon and heater on, sit back and wait for it to clear, thats it folks.

Answer 9

check under your carpets for water, especially if it contains antifreeze? , means the small radiator that supplies heat to the car interior has gone. normally very expensive to replace as involves taking out the whole dash.

Answer 10

Have mechanic do cooling system pressure check
you may have leaking heater core.