Condensation in car

[goddardo]

My Citroen Xantia windows mist up as soon as I get in it every morning.
There are areas of windscreen seal that are damaged which I'm going to repair with silicone, as the carpet is slightly damp.
Has anyone any suggestions for reducing this problem.
I've heard of putting some salt on the dashboard (When stationary)
and using the air con, which does help in my situation, but does this use more petrol ?

Thanks in advance

 

[JohnD]

mend the leaks.

don't use salt as it causes rust

 

[Burnerman]

Lift the carpets - you may find a lot more water there than you hoped....use the air con to help dry things out - it'll use about 5% more fuel but it'll also keep it working. I don't turn mine off at all. John

 

[Ron Gamma]

you can get a small bean bag full material that absorbs moisture. leave it on the dash overnight and hey presto - no misting in the morning. when they have fully absorbed you just pop it in the microwave or the normal oven after you've done the sunday roast and it dries it out ready to use over again.

or everytime you get a package with a dessicant bag in it just pop it in the car and throw it out when finished (sorry - dispose of in a responsible fashion )

 

[mointainwalker]

Air-con use is generally reckoned to increase your fuel consumption by 7- 10 %. The relative increase will be higher at slower speeds as the power needed to drive the pump is consistent.

You need to dry your carpets ( from the leaking seals ? ) but this might be difficult as the carpet - depending where it is - may have a thick, dense layer of sound-deadening fibre behind it. I don't know how easy it will be to dry this with the heater. Removing it to dry would be best but depending on how many pieces there are and how they are fixed this would probaly be HUGELY difficult.

I don't hold out much hope for your silicone repair of the seal.

The suggested dessicant bags are not likely to make any difference because the amount of condensation overnight is likely to be up to 500 cc and these bags can only handle a small fraction of that.

In any case unless you keep your car in a heated garage ( or open all the car windows when you get in !) your breath will condense on the windows. Only way to improve that is to wipe the windows with a cloth ( not hands as that will make them smeary )

 

[TicklyT]

Check all the drain holes in the bottom of the doors, heater plenum, sun roof channels etc. etc.

Any blockages (bits of dead leaves, road dirt etc. etc.) can lead to rainwater backing up and finding it's way inside the car.

The carpet and soundproofing can wick water away from where it's getting in, and deposit it elsewhere.

Air con can condense a significant amount of water out of the atmosphere. That can be a problem if the plenum drain is blocked.

 

[CortinaV8]

Are you sure its the windscreen leaking and these are generally bonded in and dont really ever leak.

Have you looked towards the heater matrix yet?

 

[pompeyal]

you can get a small bean bag full material that absorbs moisture. leave it on the dash overnight and hey presto - no misting in the morning. when they have fully absorbed you just pop it in the microwave or the normal oven after you've done the sunday roast and it dries it out ready to use over again.

or everytime you get a package with a dessicant bag in it just pop it in the car and throw it out when finished (sorry - dispose of in a responsible fashion )

Dry them in an oven not a microwave this will usually destroy them.

 

[foxhole]

You can get the same result with a bag full of wheat, will absorb moisture and can be used like a hot water bottle by popping in the microwave for 2 mins.

 

[goddardo]

We have a wheat bag that we can microwave.
Do you heat it up & put it on the dashboard, or just leave it in the car cold & microwave it to dry it out again?