Constant, terrible window condensation

[Gibberoni]

Afternoon everyone,

Does anyone else have this issue? I saw it once about 6 months ago, but now that the weather is cooling down its starting to get constant. There are pools of water droplets on the bottom of the windshield. The drops are slightly dirty, and they create a light brown film if you try to wipe them off. They also have a slight salty taste to them (I just had to). They smell like water.

This is starting to get really annoying, as blowing the defroster on full will slowly get rid of it, but blasting the defroster on full heat on an 70*day in a car thats been in the sun all day is not very pleasant..

Let me know your thoughts.

 

[tstadgti]

I've noticed this too, and also at the bottom of the rear window. My car only has 1k mi on it, so I'm going to keep an eye on it. It does seem excessive compared with other VW products I've owned and other cars in general

 

[abdul999]

I have got the same issue, it is awful, here in UK, especially at night the rear window, front window and left (passenger side windows) are completely covered in a thick layer of condensation, having the fan on does not help at all (tried on cold AC and full heat after 10 minutes got fed up and had to dry it with paper)

Just ordered Rain-X anti fog hope fully it should help out a little.

would love to hear better solutions

 

[Mark V1]

Why not just leave it on the normal heat setting with the a/c on all the time?

 

[Baldilocks73]

Leaving the A/C on, with the temperature turned up does help with the condensation. Also using recurculation helps a bit too.

As far as the brown film? Odd. Do you smoke in your car? Much pollution around? Cabin filter been changed recently?

 

[Sandman GTI]

Also do you have carpet mats or rubber. Any sitting water on rainy days?
If left to dry inside maybe the moisture content inside is getting high.
With a rubber or weather Tech mat you could dry out after a rainy day.
I had this slightly once. Not sure if AC was on prior then cooled off an night.
Some have put kitty litter in a sock and left in car at night to help absorb moisture.
Take out when you leave and put back in at night.
You could also leave car windows open on a good sunny dry day and let it air out to see if it helps. Also when you are 3-5 miles from home cut AC off and maybe run some heat for the last 30 seconds to help dry condensation pan out. The water on windshield might come from the pan as it evaporates when parked.

 

[alan h]

anti fog is pants, tbh all the anti fog products are no ones cracked it yet

i had this in my old car badly (not a vw) winter was a nightmare no matter what i tried i just couldnt tell when it was going to happen.

the above definately will help though, failing that if it happens im getti a couple of those dehumidfier products and leaving the in the boot or another under a footwell to see if that helps.

 

[NickN]

Happened to me yesterday, very annoying as did not have cloth handy and it took about 10 minutes with heater on full and a/c on to clear it. Much denser film of moisture than the usual condensation fog.
Too soon to know if it is going to be a regular 'feature'! But I hope not.

 

[HXP]

Condensation

I get the same condensation issues and consider it an issue - annoying.

Yes I could leave the air con on all the time ( take the hit on fuel consumption), yes I could carry a rag on a stick to wipe the windows down on the passenger side while I am driving or perhaps do a full valet before driving off on chilly mornings but am starting to think I shouldn't have to do these things.

I drove a 10 year old Ford Focus before getting this car and did not have to perform any other function other than getting in and driving it on damp days.

I don't think anything can be done as it appears to be part of the intrinisic design of the air circulation of this car so I think we are stuck with it but it does seem pretty poor in a modern vehicle.

Excellent for those who do not think this is an issue but my wife moans she is far to hot when I blast hot air on the screen.

Fuss about nothing - yes there are always some on here who say that who seem oblivious to any issue and dismiss what anyone else says.

A modern car shouldn't fog up and be worse than a 10 year old Ford.

 

[Baldilocks73]

Pretty much every car I have owned, GM, Ford, Nissan, VW have all done this. Especially in a more humid climate.

 

[Gibberoni]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

Why not just leave it on the normal heat setting with the a/c on all the time?

I leave the A/C on all the time, I have not turned it off yet. Its way to hot outside to use the heat right now. I need the heat in the morning, but in the afternoon the car is almost 90* on the inside. Turing on the heat is just horrible.

Leaving the A/C on, with the temperature turned up does help with the condensation. Also using recurculation helps a bit too.

As far as the brown film? Odd. Do you smoke in your car? Much pollution around? Cabin filter been changed recently?

I do not smoke in the car, and not a smoker. I live out in what I would consider the country (town of about 30K people), and I don't think pollution is an issue here.

I change the cabin filter every 10K miles, which is about 4 months for me. It was changed about a month ago.

Also do you have carpet mats or rubber. Any sitting water on rainy days?
If left to dry inside maybe the moisture content inside is getting high.
With a rubber or weather Tech mat you could dry out after a rainy day.
I had this slightly once. Not sure if AC was on prior then cooled off an night.
Some have put kitty litter in a sock and left in car at night to help absorb moisture.
Take out when you leave and put back in at night.
You could also leave car windows open on a good sunny dry day and let it air out to see if it helps. Also when you are 3-5 miles from home cut AC off and maybe run some heat for the last 30 seconds to help dry condensation pan out. The water on windshield might come from the pan as it evaporates when parked.

Great ideas. I am betting this is what it is. Where I park at work is on a giant black tarmac and bombarded by the sun all afternoon. I bet even with it being only 70* outside, it gets well over 100* in the car during the day and starts to evaporate the pan.

Happened to me yesterday, very annoying as did not have cloth handy and it took about 10 minutes with heater on full and a/c on to clear it. Much denser film of moisture than the usual condensation fog.
Too soon to know if it is going to be a regular 'feature'! But I hope not.

I blasted the heater/defrost for as long as I could stand it before it got too hot. I never got it to go away the whole drive home (about an hour). There was still a little left when I pulled in to the house.

 

[Sandman GTI]

Thanks for the replies everyone.



I leave the A/C on all the time, I have not turned it off yet. Its way to hot outside to use the heat right now. I need the heat in the morning, but in the afternoon the car is almost 90* on the inside. Turing on the heat is just horrible.



I do not smoke in the car, and not a smoker. I live out in what I would consider the country (town of about 30K people), and I don't think pollution is an issue here.

I change the cabin filter every 10K miles, which is about 4 months for me. It was changed about a month ago.



Great ideas. I am betting this is what it is. Where I park at work is on a giant black tarmac and bombarded by the sun all afternoon. I bet even with it being only 70* outside, it gets well over 100* in the car during the day and starts to evaporate the pan.



I blasted the heater/defrost for as long as I could stand it before it got too hot. I never got it to go away the whole drive home (about an hour). There was still a little left when I pulled in to the house.

On my truck I have the window vent covers so during day can crack a window with no fear of rain in. This would help to vent humidity.
I do not want the window vents on GTI so leaving a window cracked woul be a fear for me.
As you are in the SouthEast like myself, this time of year will be the worst for this. We still have humidity and cool night will increase the issue.

Keeping moisture out of car will help the most, I think and trying to dry pan out before turning car off.

 

[mec0902]

I had that too, and I cleaned the outside and inside window with a foam window cleaner. Then i cleaned both again with Rain-X window cleaner. Then i applied Rain-X outside and inside. It's been months and I have no issues with fog anymore.

 

[RDPOE]

Try this, don't leave it on the defog/defrost setting when letting the car sit for any amount of time. Mine only fogged last winter when this was the setting overnight. If I left it on an upper/lower vent setting I got no fogging, at all, all winter, parked outside

 

[steviesandwich]

I have had this on both cars: the Tig a few weeks ago after damp weather then cold evening, and the Golf ditto
Both have had upholstery treatments (GardX on one, Silver Seal on the other): resist stains etc. but presumably must be petrochemical based (certainly smell for the first few weeks), so is the greasy deposit derived from these treatments?
Cleaning the glass appears to have helped