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Windows Fogging Up? Here's a Solution!

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    Windows Fogging Up? Here's a Solution!

    Its that time of year again, weather gets cold & the differences in temperature between your cars interior & the outside can cause your windows to fog up.

    Why does it occur? Think about it...if you park in a garage & drive into cold weather, the air inside the cabin will be warmer than outside the cabin causing condensation on the inside of the windows. This can cause loss of visibility, especially at night which can become dangerous.

    Solution 1: Clearing the windows when they fog up.

    While this may seem like elementary information for some, many do not realize that your Air Conditioning can be used with the car on max-heat & still blow hot air! The a/c does NOT necessarily mean "cold air". The a/c compressor removes moisture from incoming air. If you put your car on defroster mode & throw the A/C on, you will notice the fog clear up very quickly. On many new cars, the a/c automatically comes on when you select the defroster mode from your HVAC controls, but our cars don't have this luxury .

    Solution 2: Preventive Maintenance.

    When your windows fog up, do you see swirlie marks appear from the last time you wiped your window off? Is the fog becoming increasinging more diffiicult for your a/c to remove? If so, the inside of your windows need a GOOD cleaning. Simply wiping them down once with windex or auto-glass cleaner is NOT ENOUGH. Even after doing it 3-4 times in a row, there will still be some oily residue leftover. This residue is caused by vapors in the interior plastics releasing & clinging to the window over time. Also if you smoke in your car, the tar & other crap from the cigarrette smoke will also cling to the windows creating a haze.

    So how do you remove this? Household VINEGAR! May seem ridiculous, but it works great!
    -Get 3-4 paper towerls, quadruple one up & press it against the vinegar bottle.
    -Flip the bottle quickly upside down & back up to get some vinegar on the towel. You could use a spray bottle to apply it directly to the windshield, but droplets will also get on your interior panels & create a lingering odor. Applying directly to the towel will prevent this.
    -Wipe down the window w/the towel a couple times.
    -Use a clean towel to remove any wet vinegar remaining on the window
    -Now spray regular window cleaner on the window & wipe it off to remove any odor
    -Wipe the window again with a clean towel

    If there is still a couple of swirlie hazy areas remaining...wipe that area down more thouroughly with vinegar.

    OVer time your windows will regain the nasty hazy gunk, so every now and then (probably once a year will do) clean them with vinegar!
    93' Noble Green MX-ZE (sold )
    02' Graphite Grey WRX Stage 4, 286whp
    05' Pontiac Vibe daily driver, lowered/tinted/rims

    #2
    good tips!

    my windows were fine till I moved to florida, now the sun heats up my interior and (im guessing) causes the plastic to release more vapors than previously.
    "Discontent is the first necessity of progress."
    -Thomas A. Edison

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    *Junked* 92 mx3, BP swap- milage whore, beaten up and down the east coast
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    New Daily stock 1.6L 1999 Mazda Protege LX

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      #3
      The film caused by all those things is also removed more easily by using regular windex and newspapers. I've had good luck with streaks after using newspapers. I guess it just soaks up the liquid better not allowing for streaks to occur.

      I wish my car would actually spit out warm air so i could use the AC to dehumidify the air.....stupid thermostat....
      sigpic

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        #4
        I don't have A/C...

        I just use a spare windshield wiper blade, works great and it's cheap!

        JoN - Automotive Machinist Journeyman/Refrigeration Mechanic Journeyman
        Member of MX-3.com
        1996 Mazda MX-3 RS - Creek Blue Mica
        1993 Mazda MX-3 GS SE - Raspberry... RIP


        Racing BP (Project "Blue" Marlin)... Twin Scroll GT3071R, breaking 30psi at the moment!

        "Do it ONCE, do it RIGHT!"

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          #5
          My windows are horrible about fogging up so thanks for the A/C trick tip here is another tip. After you clean your windows with windex wipe them down with some shaving cream. May sound crazy but up here in the north hunters use it on their rifle scopes to keep them from fogging and so do skiers on their goggles.
          MY RIDE
          sigpic

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            #6
            i dunno about you guys but when i turn on my defrost it automatically kicks on the a/c. and let me tell you it works AWESOME! my old car didn't have a/c and the windows wouldn't even start defrosting till i got to school.
            sigpic

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              #7
              Originally posted by me19875 View Post
              i dunno about you guys but when i turn on my defrost it automatically kicks on the a/c. and let me tell you it works AWESOME! my old car didn't have a/c and the windows wouldn't even start defrosting till i got to school.

              mine too.. most if not all cars use the a/c with the defroster, the a/c mists the windshield.. and defogs it teh faster!

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                #8
                i thought the ac system was designed to operate above 15 degrees C (59 degrees F)?
                1993 Protege SE

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                  #9
                  Originally posted by MD323 View Post
                  good tips!

                  my windows were fine till I moved to florida, now the sun heats up my interior and (im guessing) causes the plastic to release more vapors than previously.
                  Leave a crack in the window. It'll drop the temp inside from insanely hot to just f'in hot!
                  **SOLD** 93 EGT with more suspension mods then your average riced out civic's # of decals + useless "bling/style/culture" mods! **SOLD**
                  95 EGT New beater! And gawd damnit shes NOT pink!

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                    #10
                    awesome tips guys, imma try it tomorrow

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                      #11
                      the ac condenser with Heater on works. I tried it!

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                        #12
                        thanks im having the same problem. will try that.

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                          #13
                          Any tips on moisture condensating on the inside of the windshield during cold nights? Windshield would be clear getting out of the car and come back to it later and its either frosted over or covered in water.
                          sigpic

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                            #14
                            heater with ac + rear defroster = solution to your problem....

                            tried it again tonight! works awesome!

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                              #15
                              i might have to try this out then

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