I've posted his before and didn't get much response, and yet after tons of research still can't find any info. The problem I have is excessive moisture coming from heater, and only when in heat mode. if I turn on the AC it clears up. First of all do these vehicles have a condenser drain? it was suggested to me that it might be clogged, yet I can't find one below my car and looking at pics of the AC/heater unit in the manual, it doesn't show one either. Further it doesn't get wet while under AC, just when heat is on. Water isn't leaking into the vehicle, nor is it a coolant leak. But when you turn on the heat it's like a freaking sauna. It appears as if the only entrance into the system is through the duct where the pollen filter is, and I made sure that is clear and air isn't getting in through there. any advice would be hugely appreciated. I don't wanna tear open the dash.

 

First I apologize for the lack of help,and I'm not able to help either.

I opened your post and thought this is very odd. Like you where is the moisture coming from? Is there an option for fresh air entering as opposed to recycling the cabin air? It has been humid here in Vic recently. (S is not my forte)

 

it has an outside air setting, but it's not the humidity. Imagine putting your face over a hottub. That's what it's like.

 

Leave a/c on, adjust heat. Should be dry. Is it? Note: don't turn a/c off!

yes there's an a/c drain.

 

If you've been running the AC then manually turning it off by overriding the auto setting, then yes you'll get a blast of hot moist air as the evaporator rises in temperature. The same thing might happen if the temp setting is at it's minimum (18?) and then reset to it's max (35?)

I've never owned a car that wouldn't do that if I forced it to.

Leave the HVAC in auto mode, choose a target temp and let it do it's thing.

BTW: which 'Victoria' are you in? I presumed Canada but is it Oz?

 

Thing is when you first fire it up in the morning the windows instantly fog up like a shower stall and you have to wait several seconds for the AC to clear it all. And sometimes we just want to feel warm air blowing on us when it's chilly outside, and to do that you have to shut off the AC. We'll set it to say 28 degrees and air flow through the upper vents, but that air is so moist that soon you have to switch back to AC defrost to clear the windows. Maybe we just don't know how this system works but we rarely just set it at a temperature and leave it because the car is cold inside, we feel cold, and want nice warm air blowing at us, but whenever we do we'll get foggy windows.
Does that mean that even when we crank up the heat we should keep the AC on? That sounds crazy :/

 

It uses the a/c to remove the moisture and heats to the temp you want. Turning off the a/c virtually guarantees excess moisture.

 

If the car was shutdown with a wet/frozen evaporator then yes you'll get a blast of soggy air the next time it's started if the AC is being been overridden.

You do not need to shut off the AC to get warm air, nor does cranking the temp setting up higher warm the car faster. There will be no warm air at all if the engine is still cold.

The auto button will do all the work for you and avoid the fogged windows in all but extreme cases- if you give it a chance. It evens knows to shut off the AC compressor when you've asked for heat. Part of the AC system's function is to dry the incoming air to avoid window fogging. You're overriding that.

Many kangaroos in your part of the country?

 

+1
As stated above - for best results and most comfort, press the Auto button and set the desired temp.

 

Guess he isn't ready to divulge!

 

LOL it's winter in my version. I guess you just use the system very differently from the older types, where you just move a knob to get the temp you want, without risking a sauna. I'll give the auto button a try.

 

You press the temp up/down instead of the knob. Nothing difficult. Quit pressing buttons as well unless you've a reason

 

Read the 2001 Drivers Handbook starting on pg 4-18 to understand how your Climate Control System works. It's way more sophisticated than older car heater | A/C systems.

If you don't have the MY2001 Handbook, Forum member "jimlombardi" posted a download link in Post #38 of this Forum thread...
Handbook Download

 

Hah. It basically advises to use the auto setting and don't bugger with it or you can get moisture. Guess that was my problem. Good to know this time it wasn't something I had to fix! Thanks all for the advise; god knows how long I would have cursed the thing.