Condensation problem

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Fox
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Condensation problem

Post by Fox »

Lately I keep going back to my car only to find all the windows steamed up! This usually happens after/during a rainy session. I don't know whats wrong and it's getting very annoying. I don't have an animal in the car or anything, and I can't find any wet patches anywhere and no obvious signs of leakage.
Any ideas?
Cheers.
PS: Found we've moved - wondered why there had been hardly any posts in the other forum, which I'd bookmarked. Doh :)
1994 Citroen Xantia SX 1.9 Turbo Diesel
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lozian
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Post by lozian »

Hi Fox,
You have definitely got an ingress of water some where. Finding it is going to be the problem. Some things to check - Do the windows clear quickly after heater comes up to temp.? (is heater working O.K.). Are you losing water from the cooling system ? (could point to heater matrix or other leak getting into car). If you have a sunroof, are the drain tubes all clear ? (a lot of info at this forum on this one) Could be a door or doors are holding water after a rainy spell (check drain holes on each door are clear). Check seals round all doors and tailgate. Check seal round windscreen. Hope this helps. Will be interested to hear any positive result
Lozian.
Why not try my website at http://www.lozian.co.uk
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Post by JohnD »

Hi Fox - I agree with Lozian, - without a doubt, you have water getting in somewhere. The same thing happened on our old 205 and I discovered that on wet days, water was getting into the hatch area. If you have a sun-roof, look at the drain tubes.
DLM
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Post by DLM »

Or, if you're feeling brave, try removing enough trim to see if you've got water UNDER the carpet - I've been getting this on my BX for a while on the front passenger footwell after rain, but still haven't 100% tracked it down, despite running arounf without trim and carpets for a while (noisy!).
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Post by Dave Burns »

Under the rear seats appears to be a common place for water to gather in the Xantia, on another list I read where someone had water coming in between poorly sealed panels from spray off the rear wheel's.
Dave
Fox
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Post by Fox »

Under the rear seats was the first place I checked - as dry as a bone. I do have a sunroof - how do I check the drain tubes?
Heater works fine. This is a very recent (in the last 7 days) occourance.
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allmond
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Post by allmond »

[quote]
I do have a sunroof - how do I check the drain tubes?
Hi Fox
Here's a post I've re-posted several times:
Whenever I have had a wet car, it's always sunroof drains. The sunroof is not designed to be watertight, it lets water through into a tray above the headlining. This then drains through usually four but sometimes six drain tubes. The normal four usually drain down the A and C pillars.
Open your sunroof fully, and you will see the tray if you look down from above. GENTLY pour some water into the tray at the four corners and look for it appearing out somewhere near the wheels. You will probably find one corner blocked. The experts will then tell you to remove your headlining etc. I have found in the past no need to do this. I just got a piece of wire (eg bicycle inner brake cable) and pushed it CAREFULLY from the bottom of the tube. There's usually a gurgle and then you can flush out the tube. It's usually a leaf or something blocking the tube.
Last week on my son's Escort (a year ago now - this is an old post!), the tube wasn't blocked, someone had managed to put a trim screw through the tube, puncturing it. We did have to take the headlining out!
Hope this helps.
Jamie
shaunthesheep
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Post by shaunthesheep »

simalar problem in my xantia, but i keep on getting moistre in the car, will look into checking the sunroof drain holes, as far as i'm aware all the rubber door & boot seals are ok.
if anyone has got any more ideas drop me a line on here.
dom
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Post by shaunthesheep »

i checked the sunroof drain holes today, <font face='Arial Black'>drivers side, front - ok, rear - bit slow, will look why, passagengers side front - bit slow, rear - also bit slow.</font id='Arial Black'>
will have to poke some wire up the drain holes, (eg bicycle inner brake cable) to see if this will do the trick, will let you all know the out come.
Dom
Edited by - shaunthesheep on 15 Nov 2002 22:27:44
davethewheel
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Post by davethewheel »

had a similar problem on my Xantia, has it had a replacement windscreen? mine had and it turned out to be the plastic trim on the base of the screen around the wipers was not sealed correctly and water was leaking past down through the heater motor and onto the passenger footwell dave :):)
shaunthesheep
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Post by shaunthesheep »

DAVE,
you asked if it has had a replacment windowscreen - no, but it has had a replacment rear heated screen, but the problem of condensation in the car was also present before the rear screen was replaced <img src=icon_smile_sad.gif border=0 align=middle> i put it down to 90% of the rear heater elements failing to work, despite trying to repair tehm with the electrcal silver paint.
so as you can imagine it's starting to get on my nerves a bit now, will look at the drain holes on sunday, will be removing the head lining to ensure that no pipes have came off, will also be checking to see if drain tubes are clear at the same time by using the inner cable from a biycle as a rod!
oh what a wonderful world we live in <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>
dom
shaunthesheep
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Post by shaunthesheep »

i removed the headlinning today, found conensation gathering on the roof, water marks on the roof side of the headlinning & water under the carpet of the rear seats.
will be cleaning out the drain holes on wedsenday of next week, will let you all know the out come.
dom
cjbcjb
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Post by cjbcjb »

Does the Saxo have these drain tubes, I can not see them?
Chris
wrinklet1
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Post by wrinklet1 »

Hi. I had a problem with water ingress in the front passenger footwell. I tried the usual things, sunroof drains, door seals... but afer hours of hair pulling and head scratching if found that the water was coming in from the bottom of the windscreen.If you remove the glovebox and feel the air vent tubing when its raining in may feel moist or even a water droplet on it. I pumped silicone sealant under the bottom of the screen. Remove carefully the wipers and the plastice trim that sticks to the screen, where the bare glass ends, run your fingers and you will feel the sealant that bonds the screen to the bodywork. You have to reseal that part with silicone sealant.Once you have done that you will have to re seal the plastic wiper trim to the windscreen than re fit the wipers. My car hasn't had a new windscreen, so who knows...good luck
Paul
shaunthesheep
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Post by shaunthesheep »

well i gave all the drain holes a good clean out today, drivers side front was 90% full of mud, the rest were ok.
folded down the passangers side rear seat, only to find water under the carpet, i'm now at a loss for the cause?? <img src=icon_smile_sad.gif border=0 align=middle>, has anyone else got anymore ideas?, might it this be caused by a wore door seal? or even a wore boot seal?
dom <img src=icon_smile_blackeye.gif border=0 align=middle>
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