Technical Interior Condensation

[Paddy0091]

Evening all,

Wondering if anyone has had an issue with interior condensation? my 05 Croma has significant water build up on all the windows. It started completely at random.

There's no obvious ingress anywhere and the interior and trim are all bone dry.

For what it's worth I've ordered a pollen filter which I'll swap..

Car stored on the road and mainly used on the weekends.

Thanks,

Pat

 

[SB1500]

My Panda is doing the same these days , randomly. Inside of the windscreen is lightly condensed. Most days it is fine, but others it’s there.

Starting the car doesn’t take long to clear it. I have no pollen filter either so not sure what it could be

 

[g8rpi]

Evening all,

Wondering if anyone has had an issue with interior condensation? my 05 Croma has significant water build up on all the windows. It started completely at random.

There's no obvious ingress anywhere and the interior and trim are all bone dry.

For what it's worth I've ordered a pollen filter which I'll swap..

Car stored on the road and mainly used on the weekends.

Thanks,

Pat

Pollen filter will probably cure it if it's not been changed recently. Clear out the scuttle of leaves and much while you are there.


Robert G8RPI.

 

[dtimmins1985]

Pollen filter will probably cure it if it's not been changed recently. Clear out the scuttle of leaves and much while you are there.


Robert G8RPI.

Need to do mine on the stilo as mine js doing it but i thought it was due to me getting in and out of the car with wet feet hence damp mats until it has dried or the car has re-warmed... everything else is bone dry.

 

[g8rpi]

Not only can the filter get wet, it restricts the airflow so the car does not get dried out properly.

Robert G8RPi.

 

[s130]

Whilst water ingress my not be readily detectable from interior surfaces and materials often water ingress runs down bulkheads (eg from a screen leak) and flows behind the carpet fitments.

To be sure of ingress or not you have to get below the floor carpets and get you hand in between the back of the carpets and over the metal floor feeling for damp.

In most case this can be done by removing the inner door sill trim and poking your arm in whilst lifting the carpet edge.

Many Fiat carpets have fully waterproof backings so water under the carpet will never result in a damp soggy carpet on the surface. Water/damp below this membrane evaporates upwards behind those plush carpets which go well above the basic flooring area.

 

[andydiver]

Are you using air conditioning (if fitted of course!!)? A cause of significant condensation can be water evaporation from air con cooling radiator and I never use air con in the winter. Unless you can be sure the heater has dried the air ducting out completely I find that residual air con condensate mists the car more than any perceived benefit air con gives to help de mist. Note also that the colder it gets outside humidity is low anyway and only raw heat will work.

 

[Paddy0091]

Thanks for the input everyone, really appreciate it. It does have AC, I only ever really use this (ironically) to blast and demist the windscreen as and when.

I'll have a good feel under the mats and stick the new pollen filter in to see if this has any impact.

Cheers!

 

[g8rpi]

Are you using air conditioning (if fitted of course!!)? A cause of significant condensation can be water evaporation from air con cooling radiator and I never use air con in the winter. Unless you can be sure the heater has dried the air ducting out completely I find that residual air con condensate mists the car more than any perceived benefit air con gives to help de mist. Note also that the colder it gets outside humidity is low anyway and only raw heat will work.

This is a debatable point and subject to personal views, but if the evaporator drains are working correctly the AC will not be adding water to the car interior, it is removing water. It's how a typical de-humidifier works. The correct setting for demisting on a "manual" air con is aircon on and heat selected / demist on. For climate control just make sure it's in auto and press the demist button. You also need to leave the aircon on after the initial de-misting so it can dry out the rest of the car.


Robert G8RPI.

 

[BrianMcL]

Worth checking whether the pipe from the windscreen scuttle drain plug is long enough to go past the pollen filter to the drain hole underneath. Some, including mine, weren't so in theory at least water could run out the pipe but not out the hole underneath and possibly add to damp in the pollen filter.

 

[s130]

Yes. I had to lengthen mine as it could easily get disturbed and then drain into the pollen filter housing.

 

[tarquin1867]

Hello all just logged in again as I do occasionally as an ex owner these days .
There is a "scuttle drain DIY fix" thread I started in 2013 look for it in thread search and you will find a load of why and wherefores + pictures.

 

[BrianMcL]

Hi Tarquin,
Thanks for the reminder

Best regards,
Brian

 

[Paddy0091]

Thanks all, ended up not fitting the pollen filter as it seems to be OK now, just the odd mist up - Bizarre, got a spare filter now at least.

Thanks again

 

[s130]

Reading back through what we/everyone has posted I suddenly recalled a very early Croma Fiat Campaign that was to cure sudden mists ups/condensation.

I'm soory I don't have the campaign number but I know it was applied to my 2005 Croma during PDI in Dec.2005. Vehicle was manufactured Sep.2005.

It could be that your vehicle production date is earlier the Sep.2005 AND the campaign (which was not a mandatory safety recall) was never applied.

The only way you are going to find out is to ask a dealer/Fiat to check SIGI (?) to see what recalls and campaigns have been registered as having been applied to your vehicle.

Hope this helps.