Why Does My Car Keep Steaming Up On The Inside

[Tilly2]

when it's standing on the drive?

My neighbours' cars don't steam up but mine is absolutely dripping when I get in it. Why?

[bhg481]

Is your car dry inside? eg, have you got a leak and your carpets are damp?

[gingejbee]

It means that you have a lot of moisture in the car....wet clothes, wet shoes, damp carpets, water leak...anything that makes the inside "wetter" means that the water evaporates (particularly if standing in the sun) and when the temperature drops in the evening, the water vapour condenses on the coolest surfaces - glass windows being the obvious colder surfaces.

[Tilly2]

It happens when I'm not in the car. I have just been parked outside my friend's house for two hours and the car was full of condensation.

[Buenchico]

Perhaps their car windows are cleaner than yours?

No, that's not a joke. Water droplets (i.e. condensation) can't adhere to truly clean glass. When your car windows steam up the water is actually adhering to the very thin film of grime that's normally present (even on apparently 'clean' windows). Try cleaning them with vinegar. (Any vinegar will do but white vinegar won't make your car smell as much like a chippy as normal malt vinegar does). Or buy the anti-misting fluid that Halfords (etc) sell and use that. (The last time I bought some it was from Asda. As far as I know, they still sell it).

[gingejbee]

yes, hence my answer.

[Tilly2]

There are no wet things in the car. Could it then be a leak? If so what could be leaking?

[bhg481]

It sounds very much like you have a water leak - try feeling around the car floor with your bare hands to see if you can feel any dampness.

[Tilly2]

I'll give the windows a good wash tomorrow and see if that makes any difference. Thanks for that.

[gingejbee]

Chris, although what you say is true - you still need fair amounts of water vapour inside to get very wet windows. Some models have this problem worse than others....

[Buenchico]

PS: It could also be that your neighbours have been driving their cars with the air-conditioning turned on (as it should be when there's a chance of windows misting up).

That means that the air inside their cars will be much dryer than in yours (if you don't use the air-con).

[Tilly2]

It's not just the windscreen, It's all the windows.

[Tilly2]

I don't use the air con much as I don't actually go very far in my car.

[gingejbee]

spath...the word is "condensed"

[bhg481]

Was it you who said their battery had gone flat the other day because the car hadn't been used for a few weeks? If that's the case the damp winter atmosphere might have got into the soft furnishings. As Buenchico has suggested, a run with the air-con on will help to drive out the dampness.

[sapelesam]

If your car has a pollen filter that hasn't been replaced for a few years, this could be the problem. The filter get blocked and traps moisture. I had this problem with a past car.

[Tilly2]

It was me that had a flat battery, bhg but it was happening before we went away. I will give it a run with the air con on after I've washed the windows!

I do have a pollen filter but the car is only three years old, Sam.

[Tilly2]

We have heated front seats. Could they be a factor at all?