Hi,

 

I did a search on this but didnt find quite what I was looking for. I have a 96 outback, and the windows (windshield especially) tend to fog up as long as there is ANY moisture outside. Dewy outside? foggy inside... have to run the defroster. Drizzle outside? foggy inside... run the defroster.. rain an hour ago? well..run the defroster...even with the windows open!. Is this a normal subaru thing and should I just resign myself to running the defroster if there is humidity in the air? I saw that Rain X makes something called fogex.... does that really work? just curious as to what others have found! thanks

 

badjer

Yeah, I have that issue. I get foggy pretty often..oh well.

Are you sure that your heater core hasn't got a small leak that's adding a lot of extra humidity to the interior of the car?

Hi,

 

I did a search on this but didnt find quite what I was looking for. I have a 96 outback, and the windows (windshield especially) tend to fog up as long as there is ANY moisture outside. Dewy outside? foggy inside... have to run the defroster. Drizzle outside? foggy inside... run the defroster.. rain an hour ago? well..run the defroster...even with the windows open!. Is this a normal subaru thing and should I just resign myself to running the defroster if there is humidity in the air? I saw that Rain X makes something called fogex.... does that really work? just curious as to what others have found! thanks

 

badjer

 

being a 96 just might be old enough to have an old sube prob I have run into twice, it is a tricky one. The bottom of the windshield loses seal and never leaks... I found it after removing windshield.the winter i am assuming is the cause, and defrost being very close to the bottom of windshield gets the most heat pushing on windshield, as well as the dew inside dripping down to where windshield seals when there is no heat. I have encountered this on more than old subes with some years on them. i hope for the newer design of outback models sake it isn't the problem, but mentioned it anyway.

Actually there is another possability and there is nothing you can do about it.

My 97 obw does the same thing. This is actually a common complaint on most cars. The dashboard is plastic, and with the automotive plastics of the last 15 years, they are constantly degassing (notice how rare it is to see a cracked dash these days). The degassing leaves a film on the windsheild. Add umidity to that mix and you get fog.

i tried chronically cleaning the windsheild but gave up. Even an open window doesnt help all the time.

Don't let anyone make you thnk you have a leaky heatercore, as this fog is a common thing. It seems to be more common on cars as the windshield rake continues to get steeper.

 

you just have to live with it. Newer cars i think they reformulated the plastic, im not sure.

 

nipper

My 96 Toyota did that too. Came to the same conclusion that Nipper stated, degassifying of plastics.

 

There really isn't much you can do. Just live with it.

have you tried treating the windows with those anti-fog wipes from rain-x?

 

i've been meaning to try em cause the back window area of 94 leg fogs up prett quick.i did find a way to deal with it if i'm sitting in the car while parked..simply open back hatch alittle and it prevents fogging(the work i do requires me to sit in my soob for a period of time)

I have an 01 impreza and I have the same problem, I bought some of that rain-x stuff for the inside (not the wipes, but the bottle) and it kind of helped...though I dont believe I was very good at putting it on, it sometimes (I think if you use too much) leaves a fog of its own on your windows, I lost patience trying to apply the correct amount, where it works but does not leave the film on your window. Possibly the wipes work better? that I dont know.

Try this as a test of the laws of physics:

Ever notice how your bathroom mirror fogs up when you run the shower? Clean... and I mean clean your bathroom mirror and note that absent the particles of dirt for the water molecules to attach to, it takes much longer for any fogging to develop. I guess the RainX products similarly change the surface tension.

Now, as Nipper claims he has tried to rid his windows of a likely cuprit (outgassing products from plastic) with no success, then perhaps more experimentation with cleaners is in order to determine the proper solvent. We're not talking rocket surgery... err brain science...

Actually its not physicis its chemistry. From a vette board.

 

"Windshield Haze or ‘Fog’:

The vinyl used on vehicle dashboards contain plasticizers, these low molecular weight compounds maintain semi-rigid vinyl’s flexibility. The vinyl used in modern vehicle interiors vent (out-gassing) these are the plasticizers evaporating (more prevalent on newer vehicles or a dash with freshly applied vinyl dressing) Crack open vehicle windows when parked to allow the gasses to vent.

 

UV and heat radiation will also cause the plasticizers to dry out, resulting in a chemical film that when combined with road oils, dirt and grease introduced via by the vehicles a/c system results in a stubborn haze or fog that forms a cohesive bond with the interior glass surfaces. "

 

seems like Armorol can add to the problem. Seems like everyone has it including a canadian complaint of new transit busses.

 

The vet site continues

"Wipe glass with a damp waffle weave towel; apply Stoners Invisible GlassTM, to 100% cotton micro fibre cloth and rub glass surface with a light to medium pressure (it will dry streak-free / lint-free) If after cleaning there is still a persistent ‘fog / haze’ pour some Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) on to a clean dry cloth and agitate surface film."

 

i have never heard of this product.

 

nipper

University of Queensland physicists have invented a permanent coating technology that will prevent your spectacles, car windscreen or bathroom mirror fogging up ever again. As XeroCoat also cuts out unwanted reflections from glass, it lets more light through and improves thus the performance of solar cells and glasshouses.The technology is based upon thin films of nano-porous silica; this means that the coating is a layer of glass full of tiny invisible bubbles, just like the foam on beer. The whole production process is extremely simple, low-cost and environmentally friendly, which will make the use of solar energy cheaper and more effective.

From Innovations Report.

Actually its not physicis its chemistry. nipper

University of Queensland physicists have invented a permanent coating technology that will prevent your spectacles, car windscreen or bathroom mirror fogging up ever again. As XeroCoat also cuts out unwanted reflections from glass, it lets more light through and improves thus the performance of solar cells and glasshouses.The technology is based upon thin films of nano-porous silica; this means that the coating is a layer of glass full of tiny invisible bubbles, just like the foam on beer. The whole production process is extremely simple, low-cost and environmentally friendly, which will make the use of solar energy cheaper and more effective.

From Innovations Report.

 

bah on physists, they make matter up as they go along. If they cant solve an equation, they just make a new matter name and go looking for it

 

nipper

Actually, I am more dubious of explanations "from a vette board". Can you really trust the reasoning abilities of someone who would buy a car that considers off-roading as the ground clearing ability to negotiate the entrance to a driveway? I guess that would more aptly be considered nano-off-roading.

bah on physists, they make matter up as they go along. If they cant solve an equation, they just make a new matter name and go looking for it

 

nipper

Actually, I am more dubious of explanations "from a vette board". Can you really trust the reasoning abilities of someone who would buy a car that considers off-roading as the ground clearing ability to negotiate the entrance to a driveway? I guess that would more aptly be considered nano-off-roading.

 

the explained it the best, feel free to google it.

 

 

nipper

I didn't see anyone else suggest it, but the windows will fog up constantly if the vent system is operated in recirc mode?

apparently we have 2 terms, fog and haze. i too have noticed the haze, (haven't seen purple haze for a very long time). the haze is hard to clean, always comes back and does seem to cause fogging (moister on inside of glass) a little quicker.

 

but, if you have a serious moisture problem, like nomad said , make sure the fan is blowing outside air. (the defrost positon does this automatically and engages the a/c.) also check to make sure you don't have water leaking into the car. my cracked rear center light on my wagon let water leak in and the inside fog was terrible. sometimes it would almost rain.

 

 

 

I didn't see anyone else suggest it, but the windows will fog up constantly if the vent system is operated in recirc mode?

My 02 Legacy GT is the worst car I have ever owned with respect to the interior fogging up. Anytime moisture from the outside is introduced into the interior of the car and the window are closed, I have to turn on the A/C to keep everything from fogging up. If it wasn't great in many other ways, I would have gotten rid of it a long time ago. The endemic fogging is just very frustrating, but it's a great car otherwise.

 

No, there are no cooling system issues.

No, there are no significant air leaks.

No, no filters are clogged.

Yes, the windows have been cleaned with all sorts of cleaners and are squeeky clean.

 

I've researched about everything I can, but this car just does not clear the wet air out fast enough. It's been this way since new, the dealer could notfind anything, nor have I been able either. I am the original owner.

 

Jack

bah on physists, they make matter up as they go along. If they cant solve an equation, they just make a new matter name and go looking for it

 

nipper

 

For several years, I've delt with the degassing plastic on my glass with a product from England. The company is called Autoglym and they produce car cleaning products (for you Canadians, the company has been endorced by the Royals and their warrants are displayed on each bottle, including The Queen). Autoglym produces a cream-based glass cleaner that you wipe on to clean the glass, let it dry to a white haze in about a minute, then wipe off the dried residue. It contains no silicone, which contributes to the haze on the glass. It is almost impossible to streak or smear the glass because you want the cleaner to dry, as opposed to ALL spray-based glass cleaners, which must be removed before they dry. It also removes contamination on the outside of the glass (oil, trans fluid, etc.) that mixes with the rain water that gets splashed onto your windshield and eventually causing your wipers to smear and chatter because of contaminated glass. Rain-Ex is not a cleaner; it's a glass sealant. Each bottle of Rain-Ex says "clean and dry surface to be treated before using this product". Same goes for anti-fogging treatments.