Hi

My Rapid is in its second winter, last year the windscreen would regularly mist up and this year it seems even worse, even thou given the inside a good clean etc.

The force of the fans seems a lot less than my old Toledo.

 

I had a look behind the plastic trim of the engine compartment / bottom of the windscreen (scuttle panel ? ) and can see a rectangular cut out in the vertical metal surround about 6inches by 4 inches on the passenger side ?

Should there be a cover / filter on this that might be missing that could account for the fan sucking in extra moisture and moisture in general getting in the car ?

 

Thanks

Ian.

Edited 14 December, 201510 yr by kph100

Actually on closer inspection I can now see that there is a black plastic cover from the inside of the dash side that is a few cms inwards and surrounded by a foam.

 

I guess im just clutching at straws as its getting annoying how easily the windscreen mists.

Try a dehumidifier bag. Have 2 in my car and no issues with misting.

I have these:http://www.amazon.co.uk/DEHUMIDIFIER-REUSABLE-MOISTURE-ABSORBER/dp/B00AZZB5UY

Ours seems pretty bad for misting too.

 

Most cars I've owned sometimes need the windscreen blowers and air con to clear the screen, but in the Rapid, we just leave them permanently on - it starts to mist up as soon as you switch it back to auto!

I have some dehumidifier bags, still have misty windscreen.  Maybe its the design of the Rapid then, still annoying to have blowers on all the time at the windscreen.

Especially since selection of "windscreen" disables the stop-start feature!

Mine seems fine. I always keep the windows shut and the AC on at recirculation mode.

 

kph100, keep in mind that the moisture (water in gaseous form) comes from the inside, i.e. from your exhalation. This water will become liquid in contact with a cold surface such as the windshield. How cold this surface should be to liquidify the moisture depends (among other parameters) on the volume percent of the moisture in the air. So, to avoid moisture liquidifying on your windshield you would have either to keep the windshield warm or/and remove moisture from the car. The first one is achieved by blowing hot air on the windshield to keep it warm. This is where I believe the Rapid has problems. Maybe the air dynamics are not well calculated and the hot air does not reach higher parts of the windshield. So you are left with the second one, removing the moisture. This means either letting the air inside the car to refresh (open windows, fresh air blower) or turning AC on. The air conditioning actively removes moisture from the car and it is the most drastic solution (albeit the most expensive one, fuel-wise).

Using recirc only makes misting worse.

+1 for this.

 

Never had a problem with misting, never switch the climate control off, it's set to auto.

Also read on the Citigo section owners seem to have had the same problems, misting up, won't clear very well. When I had mine it was ok, soon to clear.

Sure you've all got the setting and knobs in the right positions?

Edited 15 December, 201510 yr by MickA

Using recirc only makes misting worse.

That's correct if AC is off.

If AC is on, recirc helps because no new moisture is introduced into the cabin other than from passengers' breathing.

Damp in the cabin is definitely a problem on both the Rapid and the Fabia. Have had to put hefty dehumidifier bags in both. Water retention in rear doors definitely didn't help the Rapid early on.

Both bags had to come out of both cars for drying last week - both were so full as to be sopping wet.

I personally think it is down to ineffective door seals.

Sent from my iPhone 6S Plus using Tapatalk, please excuse any typos.

That's correct if AC is off.

If AC is on, recirc helps because no new moisture is introduced into the cabin other than from passengers' breathing.

 

Try it when it's cold and damp, you'll soon switch it back to vented from the outside.

Try it when it's cold and damp, you'll soon switch it back to vented from the outside.

Well, the weather here is mild by your standards, rarely going below 5 degrees, but the humidity is very high.

As soon as the AC kicks in, the moisture disappears, regardless of the recirc setting.

Mayby if it is very cold, you get better results with recirc off.

First timeI used Aircon on a car (An Astra) I got a bit of a shock - I used it to do a quick demist onw rainy day on the way bak from work, down the motorway. After a bit I turned the aircon off, 'cos the windows were cler. It took about 3 seconds for the windscreen to mist up completely!

 

Condensation on the bit of the aircon in the ventilators was quickly evaporated by the heater - hey presto! Very scary.

 

So a question - do you use your aircon much, and is your problem in damp weather with the aircon off?

Had to swap over the dehumidifier bags in both the Rapid and the Fabia again tonight. Not as sopping wet as las time, but felt damp to touch, so put the original ones back in as they had finally dried out after a couple of weeks on the hallway radiator.

Sent from my iPhone 6S Plus using Tapatalk, please excuse any typos.

My Rapid de-mists very quickly with the climatronic just left on full auto. The Polo on the other hand is pretty hopeless and takes an absolute age.

I know I'm in a minority but I've had a lot less annoying issues with the Rapid than I've had with the Polo !

It's a no-cost compulsory option on many Skoda models.

 

A common complaint on the MkII Octavia since 2005.

worth checking the cabin pollen filter, if clogged used to cause issues on mkI's with windscreen misting

It's just a terrible car for misting up. Not that it's a terrible car, just incredibly awful for getting steamy windows

 

I used to have the heat at half way and the blowers to full but if you put the heat to full it clears a lot quicker, even when the engine is cold. Although not as quick as giving the screen a wipe which is what I've resorted to with a microfibre cloth. My absorbent baggy dehumidifier thing is on the radiator now and will be going into the car tomorrow.

 

I've had to scrape ice off the inside of the windscreen in the past:

 

disappointingly, I may have to deal with the UK winter this year.  Last year I spent it working in temperatures of 25 to 35 C abroad, and next winter looks like it could be the same

Edited 8 January, 201610 yr by camelspyyder

I currently have three dehumidifier bags on the rear parcel shelf, and am having to regularly swap them out to dry. That is how bad the condensation has been in the car.

That said, our Fabia II Combi is worse (though partly because it isn't driven as much and the AC is rarely used in it).

Sent from my iPhone 6S Plus using Tapatalk, please excuse any typos.

I have problems in my Ibiza some days with the windows misting up and often get frustrated with having the constantly fiddle with the heater. Was hoping the Rapid would be better when i get it but it sounds like it wont. Cant believe people resort to dehumidifers in their car!

It helps on other cars ive had if you wind the windows down and turn the heater off a few mins before you stop to let the warm, moist air out.

Sent from my LG-D855 using Tapatalk

...or just use AC so you only get dry air coming in.  My car only mists up on first start up before the dry air starts to flow.

No AC is there when the ambient temp outside is 2*oC or below is there?

...or just use AC so you only get dry air coming in. My car only mists up on first start up before the dry air starts to flow.

You are absolutely right.

If I were driving my car more, am sure it would be far less of a problem in the Rapid. As for the Fabia, that's a longer-term challenge of educating my mum to actually use the AC in the car rather than not turn it on.