I have an 03, and live in FL. It's hot and humid out. The AC is always on in the car, and on recirculate. Sometimes this fogs up the outside of the front window to the point that I need to turn on the wipers. It did this tonight with temps between 86-91.
While I've never had a car do this, I could understand if it always did this. Any ideas why this is happening?
Tonight I switched between the different modes, blowing on the floor, straight out (which is the usual setting), mix, and every mode caused it.
Thanks.

 

Mine does it too, I just run the wipers or crack a window. I'd rather be cool and foggy than hot and melty.

 

Not sure if you're just 'wondering why' or asking how to stop it from occurring, but- the reason it happens is the A/C is cooling the glass to a temperature below the dew point. The suspended moisture in the outside air condenses on the glass, no differently than a can of coke pulled out of the fridge.

Other than backing off on the A/C , not much you can do about it. It's a sign of a very powerful cooling system, very different than the Jags of many years ago.

 

I have a Toyota and a Jeep that I operate the same way, AC always on, and recirculated. Both cool off faster than the Jag's AC.
But thanks.

 

I now turn it to manual floor and face vents in the morn'n and that seams to work the best for me to keep the condensation away. Auto 61*f the rest of the time.

 

I guess that setting cools off the interior of the car rather than turning the windows into a grocery store freezer display case.

Not sure why you need to keep it at 61F- mine works best when I just set it to the desired temp and leave it alone.

 

61F sounds rather cold!!

Reminds me of when I was in a hotel in Phoenix AZ and the lobby etc were so cold I had to wear extra clothes to avoid shivering. Then remove them hurriedly on stepping out onto the sidewalk. Crazy.

 

What I don't understand is why the car's system is blowing cold air on the windshield when I don't have it set on defrost? I can see several spots or areas across the windshield. Could I have a vacuum or switch issue?

 

It's blowing cold air to reduce the temperature to where you've set it. I'm sure you know that but your question as stated more or less makes no sense so I think you've not quite grasped what the dew point issue leads to. It doesn't necessarily need to be anywhere near "defrost". As soon as the temperature drops below where the air can hold on to the moisture it contains, some will come out. (Actually it can drop even lower sometimes but that's best ignored here.)

 

I don't understand why you leave the recirc 'on' all the time either.

 

I have found it best if I get "dew" on my front windshield I just up the temp 2 to 3 degrees and it clears right up.

 

First I don't like smelling the cars around me in traffic. Second with over 300 fires in FL right now I'm getting enough smoke in my lungs. Why wouldn't I use recirculate? Every car I've had that's the max AC setting.

 

I appreciate what you're saying, and I get it. What I don't get is no other car I've owned, and I have 3 now and I'm 41 years old, has done this.
All my cars have been set to blow out toward me, not on defrost, and to recirculate the air. None of them cause condensation on the windshield on these settings.

 

Just for fun, set the temp to something reasonable say 68-72, hit the 'auto' button and tell us what happens.

 

Do you drive with it at 61F all the time?

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by jagv8

Do you drive with it at 61F all the time?

That was me that typed that. 67f auto is normal for me, but 61f the last two weeks because of the triple digit heat index and humid as hell lately. *yuck* To each their own, but I like it cold.

OP- I don't think anything is wrong with your car, it is just the way it was designed to more efficiently cool the vehicle down to set temp. On sunny days the windshield holds a lot of heat. The negative side effect of course is the condensation like they said above do to the dew point being reached. But like I said, I've only had that issue on humid mornings stuck in the parking lot they call front gate base traffic with it set to Auto.

 

If you are smelling things I would really recommend you to check and change your cabin filter. Also upgrade and use the ones with charcoal filter for better odor control. Have you every looked at it? I would bet it's packed.
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