Hello!

Newbie to FitFreak with a winter question.

I've seen this question in a few posts here but no real solution and I'm not sure if perhaps I have an issue or not.

I have a 2009 Fit and up here in Canada I noticed a really annoying issue in the winter: The interior of the windows frost over. I park my car in a garage so when leaving the house in the morning the interior and exterior is dry. After a few minutes of driving the windows (front side and read side) would frost over to the point of making them unusable.

This would happen with the heat blashing and with only two passengers in the car.

I've tried to blast the AC hoping that it would take the condensation out of the car however it seems that it can't keep up making it very unsafe to drive in what could already be dangerous driving conditions.

Are there any hints or tips on how to minimize this constant frosting issue?

 

welcome to the forums

Do you have the vent set to recycle or outside air?

 

Park it outside or Leave a window cracked a bit when first driving may help. I just got mine in July so no idea. I park outside as my slot car track takes up my garage

 

With regards to the vent, I did indeed have it open so it was drawing in outside air...

And parking outside defeats the purpose of the garage

 

My car stays garage at night and we have some really cold days during the winter. I normally pull it out of the garage and run the defrost on low and crack both front windows. It seems to help some but yes it is a constant problem because we have much more glass sitting there than the normal car would have plus the way it sits in the car seems to make the condensation a bit more of a problem.

Cat :x

 

LMAO Cold in WV? Sheet come up here for cold. When you get in and there is NO suspension travel then it is cold.

I suspect you garage pussys are sucking in a lot of moisture while in the garage.

My Fit will be in this slot. The Caravan on the right protecting it from the West winds. Taht is my slot track in garage.


My neighbour using my snowblower



I hope I don't lose my Taffy.

 

Here's a swell article detailing the causes and how best to overcome the problem:
Avoiding Frost & Fog on Windshields

This MAY be helpful for your situation too:
The Container Store > Dry Out® Dehumidifier

I put those in my old car, because it wasn't as air-tight, and I'm in a moist, coastal area. I put them in cup holders, and we in our Fits certainly have plenty of those.

Tips on using that product in a car:

Remove most of the product, leaving 1/2 to 1 inch in the bottom. You can store the extra product in a zip-lock baggie.

Do NOT drive with the lid off, you do NOT want that product to spill. The moisture that accumulates becomes kind of "greasy" water. It's really weird, and it doesn't want to wipe up with paper towels.

I drilled several holes towards the center of the lid to allow some air inside to help remove moisture. And kept the lid on, so if there was accumulated water inside, sudden braking didn't cause sloshing over the edge, or out the holes.

Another option, and far less messy, are the silica gel products. Like this:
EVA-DRY Mini Dehumidifier

I used silica gel for drying flowers, and after it absorbs moisture, the moisture is removed (for my flower product) by baking in the oven.

It's like a towel for the air. It absorbs, gets damp (inside), and then you dry it, and it's ready to go again.

It has many uses and is available in all kinds of sizes and containers:
SILICA GEL DEHUMIDIFIER 40 GM Moisture Protection Unit - eBay (item 330319544583 end time Sep-30-09 12:03:57 PDT)

Nothing to turn on or off. And you've seen it many times before. It's in your medications, vitamins and minerals in a small packet. Or maybe your shoes or boots when you buy them at the store.
DryPak Industries - Packaged & Bulk desiccants

The last option is "Do not breathe in the car". Along with "Do not bring any moisture or snow into the car on your shoes, boots, or clothing".

Those are really hard to do.

 

The alarm system is not JUST an alarm, it's a car locator device!

Whichever mound of snow makes the most noise is the one to start digging into.

 

Thanks for all of the tips, folks! I've never run into this issue with other cars and assumed it was either the large surface area of the wild shield. Hopefully these tips get me through the coming onslaught!

 

I posted somewhere...maybe it was in my blog.

When you shut off your engine switch to the vent from top vent mode. I think wats happening is when you shut it off in defrost mode (including def+foot), the heat from the engine seeps into the car onto the glass and causes condsensation. I don't have scientific data but give it a shot.

 

I should say BEFORE shutting off your engine cause the hvac needs a few seconds to configure the actuators electronically...

 

This is a tag onto the first question. I too am an Newbie to FitFreak and a brand new first time Honda owner. What are the pro's and con's of using a car cover during the winter? I know it will save time scraping snow an ice off my car, but is it worth it over all?