Right befroe you all start threatening to kill kittens and tell me to use the search.

I ALREADY HAVE!

Now then, problem:

I use the A/C, its great, works fine. I stop using the A/C, its great no problem.

I leave the car for a while, start it up and the windows fog as the blower brings a load of mist out of somewhere - the plenum?

Pollen filter was changed in November.

Today it was not even raining, it was a nice warm day and I had to cool it down, so it was not too humid. When its raining I dread it as I know if I use the A/C the thing will mist up like a sauna the next time it is started.

I do not notice any puddles under the car when using the A/C.

My lovely helpful stealer says it's normal. Funny how the wife's Mondeo works fine.

My door seals are fine at present and there's nowt coming in through the pollen filter area.

Does anyone know what the cause is please? I am thinking blocked plenum drain or something - but wtf is it?

Cheers for any assistance.

Cheers.

buy a 'moisture mate', ive got one under the front passenger seat, should have seen how much water it was filled with after 3 months !

ive also, changed the pollen filter, sealed rear door carriers, polished interior glass, used rain x anti fog on the windscreen

after all that, i now get hardly any misting whatsoever

Carpets dry, pollen filter done, screen rain-x'ed every time and is kept clean.

WTF is a 'moisture mate', mate? OK googles it and got it - will buy one tomoz.

Thats the sticking plaster for the symptom sorted.

Root cause anyone? what is causing the misting? the system must be holding moisture inside, anyone know where the drain for thr AC can be found?

Edited 14 April, 200917 yr by micklecats

screen rain-x'ed every time

the inside ?........if not i was talking about the inside, the do an anti mist product, comes in a black bottle

Yeah got the picture (!)

Rain x inside and out, yes mate all done, but again its a symptom being treated - I want the root cause!!

I will kill it when I find it, damn its very soul!

well if your using the A/C set to the screen your gonna make your screen really cold, then if its sat in the sun for a bit the difference in temp would possibly bring on *some* misting but nothing excessive, what was your car like a few months ago in winter ?

I think it is a 'feature' of the aircon system. I have seen loads of threads on this, and poor screen clearing from a cold start. Most aircon systems clear the windscreen in seconds, but unless I have the vents pointed to feet when the car is switched off I always have water-vapour build-up when the aircon is first switched on.

Thanks to those who have commented thus far, but -

Just to clarify:

Drive car in hot weather, cold weather, wet weather, anything at all but must put on AC.

Turn off AC 5 minutes before stopping to help clear any residual mosture. helkps a little but not a lot.

Stop car.

Start car an hour plus later.

Windows immediately mist right up - affected areas where the 'ventilation' system is directed.

Same in any weather, any time of year, if I switch the AC off to clear or if I leave it, stays the same. Recirc or not makes no diff.

The moisture is being 'stored' inside the system somewhere, it is not related to glass temperature or anything like that - the thing is blowing the mist out from inside the rubbish ventilation system. I am better off never using the AC, it is completely s***e, waste of time using it other than you get cold whilst it is on - only thing is when you start the car next time you are in the smelly sauna and can't see out, like you have been dogging all night (not that I would know of course;-)

This is far worse than any early morning cold day misting, that clears ok, this makes the glass dripping wet.

Need some drawings of the system or some info as to where the drain is I reckon.

HELP?

if its dripping wet in this kind of weather then yup you do seem to have a more serious issue, sorry im still fairly new to the Fabia so dont know enough yet to offer advice, do you have a Haynes manual ?

Posted on this as I had similar problems ,with the addition that someone had in the past used something on inside of windscreen that refuses to go away (something like clear x).Clean winscreen inside -great ,till first time car left ,then pools of moisture on windscreen . Dry it off and the smearing returned . Not keen to do the pollen filter at this time of year so resorted to mopping up cloths of differing types . Second try got a pack of four from Sainsbury (initial intention was to mop up).Found that by leaving it on dash - no more moisture problems -it dries out in the heat and when getting into car it feels moist at times . Only drawback it that it comes in red/blue/yellow and another colour - (so long since I got it that I've forgotten) -so don't look great on dash .But it works -and no water to get rid off

Trouble isthat I've also forgotten the name - sixe about 8" X 6" by about 1/4 " thick( thats 20x15x5 mm)

Sits on the household shelf in the store -

If I find post or name will put it up .

EDIT - found my post -name of "cloth" is VILEDA - works great for me .

Anyone got any other ideas, guys, please, this is doing my head in!

get this , smell will be gone

AIRCO REFRESH PRO CAR AIRCON REFRESH DEODORIZER on eBay, also, Air Conditioning Tools, Garage Equipment Tools, Cars, Parts Vehicles (end time 05-May-09 11:00:08 BST)

there are other manufacturers of similar products, i have a tin Texaco Levanto aircon treatment, and i know at work we use a Wurth product

A/C systems sometimes have a hard to describe sour smell, usually caused by micro organisms breeding in the system if the car cabin or A/C system and they like humidity to breed, hence the odour. De-odourizers do work well to rid you off the odour. The fogging of your windows again is lack off venting, there are drain tubes coming from the A/C unit to under the car to dump the water. Not sure where exactly where the tubes are routed but someone will know on this forum. Water can also accumulate in the plenum chamber, which is below the heater air intake between the wiper spindles and there will also be a drain tube to the underside of the car. The drain tubes need to be found and unblocked, the hard bit is locating them, if you can get the car on ramps they should be easy to find then all you need to do is push a length of curtain wire up the tubes to clear them. If that doesn't clean them out properly you will have to find the top of the tube fixing and clean them.

Cheers Soot1e, thanks for that.

All I need now is that certain someone on the forum to tell me where the relative bits are. I will have gander underneath.

How do I get the scuttle off around the wipers?

Dealers no help - how they won the Autotrader customer service poll I don't have clue!:confused:

I think the plenum bleow the wipers drains into the engine bay via two holes with rubber flaps on the rear bulkhead about 6" down just behind some sound deadening - As for the AC unit I'm not sure but have a feeling it is behind one of the front wheelarches, probably on the passenger side.