Front Screen Misting Up

[dipsomaniac]

Is anyone else having the same problem, or have any advice? The screen de-mr seems useless and doesn't clear the windscreen above a couple of inches.

 

I'm 6ft and struggle to reach the screen with a cloth. It also seems to be covered in a greasy film (not the Olivia Newton John variety) which is very difficult to remove when driving.

 

It seems to get worst when my girlfriend is in the car?

[MrT]

If you have Air Con Climate Control, that should be left on Auto, on Econ it can easily mist up.

 

Has your heated screen failed, as that should clear it as well?

 

Do you have an internal flooding problem, look under the floor panel under the front seats?

[Richmond]

Is anyone else having the same problem, or have any advice?  The screen de-mr seems useless and doesn't clear the windscreen above a couple of inches. 

 

I'm 6ft and struggle to reach the screen with a cloth.  It also seems to be covered in a greasy film (not the Olivia Newton John variety) which is very difficult to remove when driving.

 

It seems to get worst when my girlfriend is in the car?

Are you sure it's not your specs steaming up when your girlfriend is in the car?

 

Do you have an electrically heated front screen? If so, it should demist in a matter of a minute or two. What about aircon? It seems to be the case that if you have it, you need to use it in this sort of weather to avoid misting up; the more people in the car, the worse is the misting up.

 

I have only occasionally used the blower to clear the front screen, which it did pretty effectively , IIRC.

 

My windows are covered in a greasy film too, presumably a result of driving in traffic. If I could be bothered, I'd clean them; it makes a horrid mess if you try to wipe the screen, doesn't it? Presumably our lungs are lined with a similar greasy film :D .

[Masked Marauder]

There could be a few causes.

 

But the greasy film prompts me to ask, are you losing any coolant from your engine?

 

Other causes could be a dirty & wet pollen filter (left hand side will mist worse) or your heating stuck on re-circulated air.

[dipsomaniac]

Thanks for the replies, very helpful. I have tried all different setting on the climate control, but none were very effective. I must admit I haven't tried using the heated screen as I thought the screen de-mr should work on the CC. Have also been lucky as I haven't experienced the 'internal flooding' problem.

 

I am losing coolant and have been for over 12 months, have replaced the water pump as that was leaking and also the expansion cap. It has been into Fords and they couldn't find the source of the leak despite having the car overnight. How is the coolant getting onto the windscreen?

 

Thanks again

[Andrew T]

How is the coolant getting onto the windscreen?

 

By leaking into the incoming air from the Heater Matrix ? You could try putting Radweld or Barrs into the cooling system and see if it that will seal it.

[dipsomaniac]

Thanks Andrew. Does that mean that I have definately got an external leak rather than an internal (head gasket) leak?

 

I will try Bars.

[Andrew T]

Your coolant could be leaking into the Matrix then evaporating into the airstream from the Heater. FWIW though, I was convinced I had this problem on a previous car, with a consistant slight coolant loss but no external leaks. Eventually the Radiator failed, and on removing it I found that it had obviously been leaking for months judging by the crystalised antifreeze deposits on it. Due to the position of the Radiator and the undertray it never leaked onto the ground, and was impossible to see without actually removing the Radiator.

[Richmond]

A greasy film on the inside (and probably the outside) of windows is absolutely normal, in London if nowhere else. It wipes off black, and is no doubt down to all those parsimonious diesel engines. :D

[Ivor_E_Tower]

A greasy film on the inside (and probably the outside) of windows is absolutely normal, in London if nowhere else. It wipes off black, and is no doubt down to all those parsimonious diesel engines. :D

..and emulsifiers/removal agents in plastic mouldings. Get a good glass cleaner (eg Autoglym's fast glass, Mr Muscle domestic glass window cleaner - or some contact lens cleaning fluid) and give the inside of all your windows a thorough clean. You will be surprised at how it stops misting up from happening so soon.

[Richmond]

That's exactly what I should do, Ivor, but there's acres of the bloody stuff.

[Guest Andyb]

My screen only part of it is clearing so it is having a new screen fitted under warranty.

[gazza007]

As soon as I picked up kids from school wet coats & all. Started steaming up, usually no probelm as AC looks after it but temp is below 5C so won't kick in.

As Ivor said a good clean can help

[delboyt]

use RAIN-x

halford etc sell it

black bottle to inside & yellow bottle for outside

it stops misting & you don't need to keep the fans running all the time &

saves on the air con aswell

[Guest technician]

hi all

 

i followed delboyt advise and it works, i applied some to the windscreen and front door windows on saturday.

went out this evening to take the other half to work in the pouring rain for the first time since applying it and would you believe it no misting on the windows it was applied 2 at all.... and i didnt have to use the blowers either! fantastic stuff.

oh the two rear windows and hatch which were not treated misted up as usual so tommorow i shall be applying the screen x to them as well.

 

well done delboy thanks m8 :D

 

 

mike

[Guest fredt]

If your that impressed with screen x you should try rain x, I only used my wipers a couple of times today! and that was while stationary or just crawling along in traffic :D

[Guest technician]

ok fredt ill give it a go

 

cheers m8

 

mike :D

[gazza007]

Regularly use rain X, wooks well. I will try screen X anti fog, condensation was a bugger this morning. We had some sleety rain followed by hard frost last night, a few people I know pulled their door handles off this morning.

Out of interest how much is the screen x at halfrauds, seen it on-line for

[Guest ratherhaveanewone]

Halfords -

[delboyt]

rain x is

[MrT]

I have used Rain X and followed the instructions. Cleaned the window, applied it in circular motion. Let it dry and polished it off. It seems to work well with the rain rolling off. However as soon as I put the wipers on, it was af the rainX turned into a misty layer that was being rubbed across the screen by the wipers.

 

What did I do wrong and how can I stop this smeary layer whilst still getting the benefits on rainX?

[Richmond]

Any coating (except a rock hard one) on the screen is likely to produce this effect, I would imagine. Yesterday, I bought a bottle of a Mer product designed to do the same thing and it warns that the first pass of the wipers can have that effect; I don't know what it's like as it was raining so I didn't put it on.

 

I did clean the interior glass and treat it with an anti misting liquid (also Mer), and a bloody boring way to spend half an hour it was, too.

[Guest fredt]

 

What did I do wrong and how can I stop this smeary layer whilst still getting the benefits on rainX?

After applying the Rain X spray a drop of water onto the screen, not to much just a light covering of droplets then polish it, I dont have any trouble with it :P

dont give up on it keep applying it and it builds up and lasts longer, I even do the side windows, the rear screen, the mirrors and the headlights

on the damp misty mornings when the car is covered in a fine mist, the momement you start to move the moisture runs off :(

you know when you have applied it correctly as the glass feels very smooth and any water on it just beads up and rolls off

[GSMGuy]

I'll back up what everyone is saying about Rain X - have used it for years and it's great.. Especially on the motorway! Not tried the interior stuff, but off to get some now... Wasn't happy to have to de-ice the INSIDE of my (old) work van this morning lol

 

Mike