Lots of moisture on the inside part of the windshield

[peter.sellers]

So winter is almost in and I am seeing lots of moisture develop on the inside side of the windshield in the evening just as I am leaving work. And it's not like light fog which the car's heater can dispense.

It almost looks like heavy condensation to me. So what gives? Leak somewhere?

 

[onelsono]

thats weird, that only happens to me when me nd the g/f are breaking in the backseat lol.. idk about a leak, but sumthing def sounds off.

 

[Addison]

Sounds sorta like a heater core leak. Does the car have a slightly sweet smell in the morning when you get in?

It's usually that, or your carpets are wet. (Which usually happens more in the winter with snow melting into them, but it's possible with some heavy rain as well.) Make sure your heater is pulling in new air from outside rather than having it on recycle. That should help dry things out.

 

[BillTheCat]

Where you live can make a big difference in figuring this one out. If you live in a coastal area with a lot of humidity in the air and you are running any amount of heat during your drive to work, this may be a case of normal condensation.

If you drive in with the heat on, and the incoming air selector set to outside air, this has 2 effects. First, it warms the car in relation to the outside air. Second, by using outside air instead of recirculated air, you are bringing more humidity/moisture into the cabin, especially if the A/C is not engaged.

Then, when you park the car, it's full of warm, moist air looking for a cold surface to condense onto. But if you leave the air selector on outside air, that also allows the colder outside air to creep into the car. And since there are vents pointed straight at the windshield, the glass there could be cooling faster than the rest of the car, thus contributing to increased condensation.

Of course, this is all based on certain assumptions. I could be missing the boat entirely. But you could try this- drive into work with the air selector on recirc & the A/C engaged to dry out that air (regardless of the temp you select). Also make sure the defrost vents aren't in use when you park- just the main vents. If you do this & there's still condensation at the end of the day, then you've at least eliminated normal condensation & can start troubleshooting from there.

Can you tell us more about the temp/humidity where you live, and your current A/C or heat settings? (Temp, vent selection, incoming air selection)

Addison's question about the sweet odor of engine coolant is a good tip, too. If you smell that, the heater core & hoses are the next place to look.

 

[peter.sellers]

I live in NE GA. In winter time, the humidity is not that bad. Having said that, I have noticed condensation only after it has rained heavily. We have not had rain for the last few days, ergo no condensation seen. Maybe that is the missing link!

Albeit, when I did see condensation, the formation was heavier closer to the bottom of the windshield (i.e. where the dash meets the windshield). I am suspecting that the dash stays warmer longer after the sun sets and the air around the dash is warm too. Add humidity to this equation and this moist warm air around the dash condenses immediately on the rapidly cooling windshield.

Or these is a leak somewhere from the engine and as the engine cools, warm air leaks into the car and condenses on the windshield.

Next time after it has stopped raining, I am going to leave the window slightly open to see if this warm air inside the car dissipates into the environment. Looks like the air inside the car is more humid than the air outside anyway!

Oh well, if this doesn't make sense, I might have to hit those physics text books this evening!

 

[uthemang31]

I live in NE GA. In winter time, the humidity is not that bad. Having said that, I have noticed condensation only after it has rained heavily. We have not had rain for the last few days, ergo no condensation seen. Maybe that is the missing link!

Albeit, when I did see condensation, the formation was heavier closer to the bottom of the windshield (i.e. where the dash meets the windshield). I am suspecting that the dash stays warmer longer after the sun sets and the air around the dash is warm too. Add humidity to this equation and this moist warm air around the dash condenses immediately on the rapidly cooling windshield.

Or these is a leak somewhere from the engine and as the engine cools, warm air leaks into the car and condenses on the windshield.

Next time after it has stopped raining, I am going to leave the window slightly open to see if this warm air inside the car dissipates into the environment. Looks like the air inside the car is more humid than the air outside anyway!

Oh well, if this doesn't make sense, I might have to hit those physics text books this evening!

I had the same thing happen to me at AMC within the Mall of Ga. last Sunday. It has not happened since then. I do not have an answer to the problem, just attributed to the humid weather.

Sunny

 

[peter.sellers]

Update: Previously it was just the condensation, but now I smell the sweet smell in the car. Is that the smell of coolant?

My car is still under warranty, which will expire this year. Would warranty cover this check and any fixes assuming the heater core is bad?

Where is the heater core btw?