I'm All Steamed Up

[ferret51]

Ever since I got the car a few weeks ago whenever I take it to the hand carwash the windows badly steam up after he's used the jet wash on it and i keep forgetting about it,until this morning going under a flooded bridge I got through the water no problem but got out the other side a could see nothing due to the windows steamed up,had to stop and put the a/c on and wait ffor them to clear !! any ideas,the recirculation button was not on ?????

Les

[Big Kev]

Pound to a pinch of salt yer pollen filter is absolutely bowfin', Les.

If yours is a model withoot pollen filter, I am talking rubbish.....again.......

[ferret51]

Cheers Kev..I'll check it out tomorrow,checked some other posts on this site and it seems to be a common thing with Toyota's for some reason...Its been many a year since I've steamed any car windows up....

Les

[pmb]

I get this on my 2002 model. Noticed it today. Even with a new pollen filter it doesn't seem to make any difference. I assumed it was to do with the door seals. It is still worth replacing the pollen filter though.

[LeeADAB]

One tip I can add which may help PMB at least....

Don't leave the air direction knob set to windscreen when you park up. Remember to move it to one of the other positions. Doing this made a huge difference to my previous 2003 Corolla as I would often get back to a layer of water on the inside. Leaving the vents set to the screen allows moist air in that condenses straight onto the screen.

Using air con while temp set to warm over the winter will keep the car drier inside too.

[Big Kev]

Good nod there Lee.........will get wife to do this.........oops, flying pig just crashed....

[CharlieFarlie]

Excess condensation is usually due to to much moisture within the car.. Perhaps from water penetrating a window seal or sometimes other leaks into the cabin.. Even mats getting really wet can cause this to happen. Said moisture rises and when warm air inside the car meets the cold glass it turns to steam ow water droplets,

Often windows that steam up after washing the car is an indication of to much moisture in the cabin.. Sort this and all will be well..............

[Tech01]

" Leaving the vents set to the screen allows moist air in that condenses straight onto the screen.
Using air con while temp set to warm over the winter will keep the car drier inside too. "

Lee is spot on with this. The AC is good at removing humidity, but If there's a high level of humidity kicking about inside the car, switching on the AC - on cold - directed at the glass, will rapidly chill the (very thin) Toyota windscreen - and create a nice chilly surface for condensation to form on.

Solved by switching on the AC and setting the temperature to half-way/warm. Warm air absorbs more moisture, and the AC will condense and remove it.

Oddly, cars fitted with AC tend to need it to be used to clear high levels of humidity more frequently than cars without AC. When AC is switched off, it can leave substantial residual humidity behind. As soon as you start up to drive away - particularly in winter (with cold glass everywhere) - and particularly after a short spell away from the car - the humidity hits the cold glass big-time. That's when you need AC with heat!

Chris

[Big Kev]

Gotta admit a totally new one on me, but makes total sense re. directing outside air temp anywhete away from glass when static.

[ferret51]

I'm inclined to think there's moisture getting in somewhere,but finding where is the next thing to do after checking the cabin filter..

Les

[Cyker]

Leaving a big bowl of rice/coffee on a seat can help if the problem is due to static moisture inside the car. Just don't forget to take it out when you drive off!

[Big Kev]

Leaving a big bowl of rice/coffee on a seat can help if the problem is due to static moisture inside the car. Just don't forget to take it out when you drive off!

............coz if you have to make an emergency stop, you could end up with a pilau rice on the floor.......? Subtle play on words there....

Coffee at £4.00+ a jar noo........let's settle on rice.....

[bothwell_buyer]

I'm inclined to think there's moisture getting in somewhere,but finding where is the next thing to do after checking the cabin filter..

Les

The very common place for ingress of water is the windscreen seal. On RAVs as with many cars, the windscreen offers a semblance of rigidity to the body stiffness. A weak area of sealant/glue will eventually open up and allow waterfalls in.

Easiest way to check is stick yer un-gloved mitt on the front carpets and see if they are wet.

If they are, let me know.

[bothwell_buyer]

On nummer wan, I removed the rubber plug on the passenger floor as the sunroof (joke) is letting in a lot of water - a slight design fault is stopping the lockdown from closing properly. Rather than bending the rollover bar, I'll shave a wee bit aff the handle.

[ferret51]

Well checked carpets and all dry,pollen filter had dead leaves and stuff in it and is dirty but still lets air through but not sure if its enough and just had a thought while sat here,why not take it out altogether? I always drive with the window open anyway and there's no pollen filter on my crash helmet and thats done me no harm..

Les

[LeeADAB]

All the leaves etc will end up churning round the blower unit. Defo don't remove.

[Big Kev]

...........and you will need to buy some mail order tumbleweed to go with the sand and dust that settles on yer dashboard.

Forget word "pollen" and substitute "cabin"............

[ferret51]

Thanks for the reminder,its bad enough having steamy windows never mind a dusty dash :) so new cabin filter on its way and "hopefully" the problem is solved....or its off for a bag of rice...

Les