PDA

View Full Version : Serious Misting Problem



racer
Tuesday 20th December 2005, 22:46
Just changed my oil hungry R reg V70T5 for an S reg one with a lot less miles on it. The front windscreen mists up badly and refuses to clear with the fans on full, centre switch in the defrost position and the AC running. Noticed on the way home it gets worse as the engine load goes up. If I overtake something, I can see mist forming. Not a good thing.

I suspect the heater matrix may be leaking, but the coolant isn't disappearing at a rate of knots. It MAY be down slightly, but the car wasn't on a level surface when I parked up tonight. Anyone else had this? Any suggestions? :wtf:

Justin
Tuesday 20th December 2005, 22:53
I had the same thing the other week, was a bit misty then soon cleared, as soon as i booted the car i couldnt see anything !

I checked my matrix, it isnt that, its only done it a couple of times since, i think its a combination of the weather and the ac switching off under load :)

S60D5
Tuesday 20th December 2005, 23:00
The 850 & 70's are terrible for misting problems anyway! Justin's theory sounds probable as with our 850's you have to keep the AC on at full blast on the windscreen sometimes for it to stay clear, as soon as you switch back to AUT the windscreen starts to mist up again slowly.

racer
Tuesday 20th December 2005, 23:10
Thanks guys, probably just stopped me parting with 100 odd quid for a new matrix. It's a bloody persistant problem though. Only had the car since Saturday and it's done this every day. I shall have to investigate further when I get back from holiday. Off to Spain for Christmas tomorrow! :)

Rufe
Tuesday 20th December 2005, 23:13
change the pollen filter as first port of call.

on yours part number is 9171296, think its about £20 if i remember right

racer
Tuesday 20th December 2005, 23:20
Changed the oil, oil filter, wiper blades, pollen filter and plugs on Sunday. Guess it's not down to the pollen filter.

> on yours part number is 9171296
Woah !! Impressed with that!!!

Rufe
Tuesday 20th December 2005, 23:30
oil filter 3517857
sump plug washer 977751
pollen filter 9171296
plugs 8692071
front wipers 274382

and they are off the top of my head too lol (may look sad lol, but after selling these daily for years, you do get used to the numbers, its impossible not to!)

if you have changed the pollen filter then it cant be that, but that is allways the first place to look for excessive misting problems as a rule.

racer
Tuesday 20th December 2005, 23:36
Right! Stop that! You're just showing off now!!!

(Even more impressed now, though!)

Aiken
Tuesday 20th December 2005, 23:50
I was going to suggest pollen filter, but too late, and already been tried. It did help me when i had that problem thouugh, only happened on auto and putting temp above 21 C

JUDGENINJA
Thursday 22nd December 2005, 04:13
Is there a Relay that controls the A/C...?

I'm just asking cos my brothers Pugeot 406 has this sort of problem which stems from a controlling ECU....I''ll try and explain...

You turn on the A/C and the heat exchanger either warms or cools depending on what setting you've got selected...this generates condensation in the system..

When you turn off the A/C the vents close which allows the heat exchanger to exhaust the condensation generated to the atmosphere/outside the car...

In my brothers Pugeot this doesn't close which causes the windscreen to steam up almost instantly which is similar to the issues raised here......

Assasin
Friday 23rd December 2005, 20:12
I know its made for rain and the outside of screens, but if you buy some rain X and treat inside and out it stops clouding and misting... oh yeah and the rain just runs off... its realy good stuff..


i think they may do one for motor bike lids that might be even better...


did my back windows and front ones as the T5 is a touch misty..

Jod T5
Friday 23rd December 2005, 20:18
I know its made for rain and the outside of screens, but if you buy some rain X and treat inside and out it stops clouding and misting... oh yeah and the rain just runs off... its realy good stuff..


i think they may do one for motor bike lids that might be even better...


did my back windows and front ones as the T5 is a touch misty..
the motorbike one is made by bob heath and available in all motorcyle shops. it does however require regular re-application

JackT5
Saturday 24th December 2005, 10:01
Back in my biking days a smear of washing up liquid on the inside of the visor did the job.

david-m
Saturday 24th December 2005, 13:57
Another vote for rain-x here used it in the g/f's astra with good results

audimadmike
Saturday 24th December 2005, 23:36
From my experience Justins answer is the most likely, but its also worth taking the plastic cover off the plenum chamber under the bonnet and removing leaves and other sludge that always seems to accumulate there.It remains wet or damp and the ac and heater have more work to do.
Also worth checking is recirc button..it must be off.

Mike

MacXC60T5
Sunday 25th December 2005, 08:59
I know I am not an expert mechanically but I have had the same problem with all T5,s and and 1 T6. The previous reply regarding the recirculating system seemed to work for me with it switched off and on a good blast it clears everytime also found it was helpfull cleaning out leaves that have built up over the weeks. Have you tried the recirculating switch I know its too obvious but you never know LOL.
Happy Xmas
@0757 waiting for all to get out of bed and get at the prezzies.

fyggy2002
Tuesday 27th December 2005, 09:11
Shortly after getting my S40 (the seller said it had been valeted, I wasn't impressed), I had Fyggy valeted by someone whom I knew did a good job. Inside and out. However, after he finished and for a few days, my screens kept misting up, I worked out, in the end, it was because the seats were still "moist" from the valet. Seats are now dry and I don't get the problem anymore.

HTH

Tris

racer
Friday 30th December 2005, 19:00
Back from holiday now, had a poke about behind the trim panels.

COOLANT !! AR*E !!! :(

I've yet to extract the matrix, so I might get lucky with a simple bad o-ring fault, but it does look like the bloody thing needs replacing. Anyone know how much they are?

mat562be
Friday 30th December 2005, 21:10
Shortly after getting my S40 (the seller said it had been valeted, I wasn't impressed), I had Fyggy valeted by someone whom I knew did a good job. Inside and out. However, after he finished and for a few days, my screens kept misting up, I worked out, in the end, it was because the seats were still "moist" from the valet. Seats are now dry and I don't get the problem anymore.

HTH

Tris

True. My Volvo never, ever, misted up inside (Rain X on the inside and outside of the glass) but, with the wet waether, 2 dogs and all the bootliner/blanket in the back, it does now... Moisture in the blankets etc is to blame.

Could be the same for yours. Hope it's not the heater matrix on the wane (although the "smelly sock" aroma would also be present) as it's a dashboard-out job...

Daz T5
Friday 30th December 2005, 22:12
Interesting one this, had 6 T5's and never had a misting problem (lucky me!) Thought my matrix had gone on my current T5, got smelly heaters but not lost a drop of water in 2 months and no wet carpets. Maybe start a small controlled fire in the footwell!!! LOL. Oh, and the Valletting therory stands up a lot of the time for folks that have bought a new car, used to do it for a living and moisture can take several weeks to escape in winter even when seats and carpets feel touch dry.

Daz

racer
Saturday 31st December 2005, 00:06
Going to try swapping the matrix for the one in my "spare" V70 tomorrow. Mr Haynes makes it sound worryingly easy!

I'll let you all know how it goes.

siamblue
Saturday 31st December 2005, 00:12
Going to try swapping the matrix for the one in my "spare" V70 tomorrow. Mr Haynes makes it sound worryingly easy!

I'll let you all know how it goes.


Good luck mate, i looked in the Haynes too and it does look very easy,

I have seen the matrix's for sale on fleabay for £55.

Gary

racer
Saturday 31st December 2005, 17:09
All done, was the matrix leaking.
Not to bad a job actually, took 3 hours start to finish to swap the matrixes over. OK, I’ve not refitted the trim panels on the old car, but the light’s going now.

Things learnt :-
1. Shove the gear linkage cables over to the left to get them out of the way.

2. You’re going to get a LOT of coolant in the passenger foot well. Be ready for it with a good supply of absorbent stuff.

3. You HAVE to replace the O rings on the feed and return pipes.

Windows don’t mist up now!!
:)

vt5
Saturday 31st December 2005, 17:52
Glad youve got it sorted.

Just for information only: The inside of potato peel rubbed on the window stops misting up. SAS trick for in the field. :)

Also as your a north westerner, do you know about this place
Volparts in Preston. These guys are great for parts at super cheap prices.

MAF sensors for £60..... :) Lambda sensors for £10 :) :)

Number is 01772 709221

racer
Sunday 1st January 2006, 21:24
Thanks for the info on Volparts, never heard of them before. I work in Bury, so that's going to come in real handy.
The potato thing could be useful on my next trip to Ireland....

Justin
Monday 2nd January 2006, 18:00
Right, having been away over the festive season I decided to tackle this dam issue, last week it was beyond a joke :(


So, I had noticed just before xmas that there was a water mark on the inside of my rear screen, heading south from the washer jets :(


So I decided to strip it down and have a poke about. I had damp in the spare wheel well too, dead give away for misting, so how to cure the problem.

In a few easy steps here is how:


This may work on the 855 but my car is a V70 and so you would need to check.


Remove the plastic trim covering the washer nozzle feed and brake light; easiest way is to carefully get you fingers behind it, where it covers the brake light in the top centre of the rear screen. A sharp tug and the 4 retaining clips give up :) Then carefully remove it from situe remembering to slide the panel upwards towards the top of the tail gate so the bottom ends come out of the door mechanism cover for the boot (you'll see what I mean when you do it)


There is a piece of sponge tape covering elbow valve, remove this, then you'll see the washer pipe and a diaphragm valve in an "L" shape beneath the nozzle jets. The valve is 1 of the 2 causes of leaking, remove the valve and the extra 1" of rubber that connects to the jets, twist and pull :)


You should now have the main pipe just short of the jets and the jets still attached to the screen, you must remove the washer jets too, there is a retaining plastic clip on the inside of the screen, slide it away and it will fall off, it will be quite loose, and that’s part of the problem (remember which way the clip was on, it should be finished side showing, the other side is unfinished. Then pull the nozzles out of the hole in the screen from the outside. Turn the nozzles upside down and you can just see a rubber seal sat in its own shaped (circular) bed, pick this out and turn it round the other way, the side you were using will be caked in crud and perishing, by turning it over you get the fresh new clean side to the glass, like having a new seal :) Give the screen a clean on the outside where the seal you just turned over sits.


Now replace the washer nozzles back through the hole in the screen and use the retaining clip to hold them in place, BUT, Turn the clip over as well so the unfinished side is showing, it will be really hard to push on because its slightly curved but it will go on :) Also instead of aligning your washer nozzles at say 45 degree's look at the contours of the nozzle casing and fit it so that the nozzles are pointing vertically down, towards the rear bumper.


Now create a bit of slack in the water hose that feeds the jets, I did it by moving the 2 hose clips that attach to the body along an inch or so. You should now be able to connect the main pipe with no attachments straight to the washer jets; I used a cable tie for extra security to hold the pipe on :)


Now switch your ignition on and give them a try, they should still send water across the screen at about 45 ° and not leak :):):)


Replace the plastic trim and hey presto, after I dried out the boot and put some WD40 on my rear wiper arm I now have NO MISTING after 30 miles and I get better contact with my wiper and powerful washer jets that don’t bloody leak :)


Takes 5 minutes absolute max, have done GuyT5's for him this afternoon ;)

Has to be worth a shot instead of a heater matrix.


Let me know if this solves anyone else’s ;)