Windscreen de-mister problem

[federalexpress]

Have had my 140 4x4 Elegance for about a week now and v happy with it, but one problem I had today was with de-misting the windscreen (just normal de-mister button, not the heated windscreen). Granted there was a fair bit of condensation, maybe worse because I live about 600ft up a hill, but when I put the de-mister on, it took an age to clear it, probably 10 mins or more to do it fully, way longer than the Merc I used to have. It seemed to clear the centre part a bit quicker, the drivers side took an age and I spent a fair amount of time craning my neck to look out of the centre. I won't do that next time because it isn't really safe, but I just assumed my side would clear much quicker than it did.

 

Tried it with aircon (which probably won't work in near 0C temperatures anyway?) and without but neither worked. Is this just the way it is and I need to give the windscreen a wipe next time, or is there something I could do to de-mist it quicker?

[weasley]

Use the a/c. The efficiency of a/c might drop at lower temperatures but it should still help to dry the air. If it's not helping maybe your a/c needs regassing?

Also, if you have a lot of condensation then make sure there are no leaks letting water into the car, or even a leak in the heater matrix (you'll be loosing coolant if so).

[spottydog]

It's better to use the air con but it's still crap. As you say it takes ages to clear the screen. One of the worst cars I've ever had for misting up. Reminds me of a Zafira I had as it clears the passenger side quicker than the drivers side. Probably because it's primarily designed as a LHD car and not all features will be converted to RHD.

 

Please don't give the usual "heated windscreens are great" response because they aren't if you haven't got one.

[KBPhoto]

I have to say that my 2010 Yeti is also slow to demise the front screen with the air-con on. Certainly slower than my old 2007 Octavia.

 

However, I rarely have need to use it - only on cold days with ice on the screen or when out kayaking with lots of warm, wet people and kit in the car.

 

No idea what he solution will be.

[yetiscot]

Some mention leaving the climate control  heater flaps set to legs only and the car won't mist up as much.

I also have a really useful, quite cheap aid, which clears the inside of the screen, in about 5 seconds--a microfibre cloth!

[weasley]

If you keep the inside of the screen polished and clean it will mist up less readily, and clear more easily. I will never touch the screen with anything other than when I am giving it a good cleaning... as soon as you do you introduce smearing and contamination to the screen, which leads to a self-sustaining cycle of wipe-mist-wipe.....

[spottydog]

As soon as you use a cloth, microfiber or not, the screen is smeared which means you have to spend more time cleaning it properly later on.

[crazyj]

Yes, my 2010 elegance is slow to demist, however the engine takes a while to get to temp...due to the 140tdi being so thermally efficient ...so I'm told by the cognoscenti on here..I was considering a grill cover to speed it up...

However was worse for about a month after we bought it ...then got much better. Bought some dehumidifier crystals from b&q and left them in it overnight for a week and they helped a treat, been much better since.

Think it's because it had stood at the dealers for a bit.

If you are at altitude and its cooler than the cars previous home then dew point will be different and the moisture will condense out.....so the fabric and foam will have a lot of moisture tied up in it. Takes a while for it to dry out. Same if you use a car last use was in summer and it stood at a dealers till winter..like mine.

Also have noted that the climate control is relatively prone to faults... Sensors etc.....thought mine was faulty but then it got better.

Hope it sorts itself out.

Cheers.

J

[Frenchtone]

similar probs - seems to speed up the process cracking a rear window slightly!

[federalexpress]

Thanks for the replies to date. Looks like it is a bit of an issue. The car is brand new and bought from recent deleivery stock via an online dealer, so fresh off the boat. I'll try opening a window and using the de-humidifier crystals- and maybe some patience also...

[YetiJames]

Hello,

I've had my yeti for ten days (it is brand new also).

It's the same for me - I also live high up. It's also slow for the air to heat up too which, I'm sure, contributes to the slow windscreen demisting...

Patience isn't a virtue of mine, sadly.

Can confirm a little gap in a window does help, but not enough.

Cheers

[crazyj]

Regarding dehumidifier crystals... I took em out in the morning when I used the car and when they were in it I placed the container on a tea tray. I think that they can be corrosive...depending the type.

J

[Urrell]

If my car gets wet inside I run a dehumidifier in it overnight while in the garage.
Stops most of the misting problems in the first place.

[turnedlight]

One thing I've always thought disappointing with the yeti was the demisting, the condensation was so heavy sometimes it ran down the window.

However we recently thought the heating was gradually getting worse, then couldn't get any heat (about four years old) and turned out the cabin temp sensor was faulty. Once replaced, we got better heat than we remember ever getting, and demisting seems better too. I also think the hotter you get the car before parking for the night, the more moisture around in the morning.

[Llanigraham]

From a different car make forum, but when they get misting problems one of the first things they check is the condition of the pollen filter.

I wonder if we could have the same "problem"?

[KBPhoto]

In my Octavia I used to turn the air blowers to 'Off' when I'd finished driving.

That reduced the condensation on the front screen by quite a bit.

Haven't been able to try it on the Yeti yet.

Can't say I noticed any difference before/after pollen filter changes in the Ocatvia though.

[speedsport]

From a different car make forum, but when they get misting problems one of the first things they check is the condition of the pollen filter.

I wonder if we could have the same "problem"?

Very unlikely Graham as the filter is fitted from inside the car above the passenger's footwell. The cars that suffer from water leaks through badly seated pollen filters usually have them fitted from above in the engine compartment.

[137699]

This misting up issue is a bit bemusing to me - because my Yeti has no issues with misting up whatsoever.

 

I don't really know what you guys are doing to your cars to steam things up so bad...???

[Llanigraham]

It wasn't the water leaks I was thinking about John.

On the Freelander 1 people are finding that if the pollen filter isn't changed they get condensation problems as the blocked filter isn't allowing enough air to pass through the filter, so it almost becomes a "re-circulating" system by default.

The Yeti pollen filter works in exactly the same way; all air passing through the cabin goes through it, and the filters are mounted in a very similar position.

It is certainly something worth checking.

[Yety]

As an aside, I use the recirc button until the engine has some heat together with the air con. This will lessen the thermal load on the coolant and speed up the "warm up" time slightly.

As said, diesels are more thermally efficient and take some time to "warm up".

Air con works for me for demisting, and as soon as the engine temperature climbs, I switch the recirc off and onto auto.

[spottydog]

It's not the pollen filter with mine but it's a valid point. 1st gen Zafiras were also noted for misting up if the filter was blocked. Also if the filter is blocked it dramatically reduces the effectiveness of the demisting system as any air drawn into the cabin has to go through it.

Keeping the car outside as I do doesn't help but it's still a terrible car for misting up.

 

 

[speedsport]

By any chance do you leave the air con/climate control on permanently?

I can't find it now amongst the many posts on here, but I'm sure there was one reporting that water continues to condense for some time after you park up (as do all cars with air con) and if the drain from the unit is blocked, instead of dripping onto the ground outside, it is held below the condenser so that when you next start up the car, the blower starts blowing damp air onto the windows.

[Sad555]

Never really noticed a problem but I'm parked in the garage overnight usualy ,I know everybody doesn't have the heated windscreen but for people parking outside does this make much difference used in conjunction with the a/c

[JCP]

Never really noticed a problem but I'm parked in the garage overnight usualy ,I know everybody doesn't have the heated windscreen but for people parking outside does this make much difference used in conjunction with the a/c

Enormous difference -this AM -4 c and I got in, started up and was able to drive away within 90secs- safe clear vision from hard frozen!!!

[Sad555]

That is what I wanted to hear,even if the petrol warms up quicker than the diesel !