Windows steaming up/condensation, etc.

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CycleSi

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I know that the weather has changed and it is wet & damp, but l'm finding the rear window and rear side windows 'seem' to be permanently steamed up. I always have the climate control on and the windows are all closed properly. Admittedly l don't have it hot inside the car as l don't feel the cold much (climate control is set to 'Auto' 20.5).

Am l imagining l have a problem or do others have this problem at the moment - it's just that when l look at other cars parked next to mine their windows are clear.

Maybe I need to let it get really warm inside and dry out, or drive around with the windows open for a while?
 
Check if any of your carpets or the boot is wet. A guy I know at work had this problem with his S3. Turned out to be a leaking rear washer hose causing the damp.
 
Make sure its not on recirculation, otherwise what moisture that is in the car stays in.
Take the recirc off and it will mysteriously be fine!
 
Try and cut down on the dogging with the bird that might help and you can check the carpets to
 
Rev-head said:
Try and cut down on the dogging with the bird that might help and you can check the carpets to
Click to expand...

That's what stopped mine steaming up :icon_thumright:
 
I'm thinking of 2 problems here, either your aircon part of the Climate control is knackered or needs a regas(I take it that the ice symbol is lit up right?), which is why it's not clearing the screens of moisture. Or you have a water leak of some sort allowing water in and when the temps go up, it evaporates and goes onto your wondows as condesation, so check your pollen filter and see if it's sittng properly, it's under the scuttle panel on the passenger side.
 
Yes either your condenser is knackered on the aircon or you've got a leak, probably from blocked drain holes under the windscreen wipers. Check under your carpets, they can appear dry to the touch but have 5 liters of water sloshing around underneath.
 
jojo said:
I'm thinking of 2 problems here, either your aircon part of the Climate control is knackered or needs a regas(I take it that the ice symbol is lit up right?), which is why it's not clearing the screens of moisture. Or you have a water leak of some sort allowing water in and when the temps go up, it evaporates and goes onto your wondows as condesation, so check your pollen filter and see if it's sittng properly, it's under the scuttle panel on the passenger side.
Click to expand...


Thanks for your replies.

If l do indeed have a problem (as l'm not totally convinced anything is actually wrong bearing in mind the windscreen and door windows are fine) then l've narrowed it down to the following having checked everything else:

1. Knackered condenser - how can l tell?

2. Blocked drain holes under the windscreen wipers - how can l check these?

FAO jojo - The other question l have is clarification on this "needs a regas, l take it the ice symbol is lit up?"

What ice symbol? Where is it? Am l just being plain stupid here?

Cheers everyone.....
 
My question was whether the aircon was on: the climtae control might be set on 20 but with the aircon off. It's on the bottom left. If it doesn't show, then the aircon itself is not on. Just my thought.
 
audi upgrades
CycleSi said:
FAO jojo - The other question l have is clarification on this "needs a regas, l take it the ice symbol is lit up?"

What ice symbol? Where is it? Am l just being plain stupid here?

Cheers everyone.....
Click to expand...

I'm not sure which ClimateControl system you have, as you havn't stated the year of your car, but if it's anything like my one(T99), there should be an round ice symbol on the left hand side of the red display to tell you that your aircon(compressor) is on. This will flick on automatically when you hit the 'Auto' button on the CC unit anyways.
Please also take note that the compressor will not work when the outside temps is less that 5DegreesC, no matter how many times you hit the Auto button, it will not show you the Ice symbol, it helps your compressor from freezing itself over, so doesn't damages it.
 
abdus said:
My question was whether the aircon was on: the climtae control might be set on 20 but with the aircon off. It's on the bottom left. If it doesn't show, then the aircon itself is not on. Just my thought.
Click to expand...

He's mentioned that he sets it to "'Auto' 20.5", which I presume means he sets it to 20.5 and hits the 'Auto' button, which would flick the aircon on automatically.
 
Yes; that's how l normally have it.

It's a 2002 225 bhp model so assume it has the 'later' climate control.

Although l haven't checked yet, l can't actually remember there being an ice symbol. Will check in the morning whilst sitting in the traffic !

P.S. Had a new pollen filter fitted at its annual service last month and the carpets don't seem wet.
 
jojo said:
He's mentioned that he sets it to "'Auto' 20.5", which I presume means he sets it to 20.5 and hits the 'Auto' button, which would flick the aircon on automatically.
Click to expand...

just a quick question though: what 'if' the 'auto' button doesn't flick the aircon on automatically?
 
Recirc. has never been on. Neither is 'econ'.

In other words l've checked all the numpty stuff.

Are we saying that on 2002 later S3's there is no "ice symbol"?
 
AndyMac said:
It's a snowflake symbol and all Audi's have it.
Click to expand...

There is a snowflake symbol on the dashboard when it is 5 degrees or colder.

Can't see an ice symbol on the climate control display.

Can anyone post up a photo showing the symbol please as l'm still not sure what some of you mean.

Sorry to be dim but l'm getting contrasting replies.
 
audi upgrades
CycleSi said:
My climate control doesn't look like yours.

My S3 is a 2002 which might be a 'later' model perhaps?
Click to expand...

but you can still see the symbol in yours. The 'ice/snowflake' symbol in the bottom left of the pictures I posted
 
That is indeed what we need assuming there is an ice symbol on the facelift climate control?

As l've said all along, l'm not certain there is even a problem but if there should be an ice/air con symbol then that could explain why the rear windows/rear screen are misting up (sometimes).
 
CycleSi, just following this. I had this problem too, the recirculation was off and "Auto" pressed on the CC unit. It used to trip out itself to Recirc also. The "Ice" thing from others comments shows in the DIS below 4/5 degrees of outside temp and had nothing to do with my problem.

Whether on Auto or not the windows used to steam up. I ended up buying another compressor and now all is well. It was £303 + vat from Cheltenham Radiators. Brand new, not a refurm. This was £300 less than another supplier.

The magnetic clutch on the compressor was knackered, so it didnt matter what buttons you pressed on the cc, the compressor pump never engaged or dried the air.

HTH.
 
Audi replaced the compressor under warranty in January so l assume it is still under warranty even though the warranty on the car ran out 2 weeks ago.

How can l actually test it to see if it is all working properly? Should l take it to an air con specialist?

l was hoping someone could actually confirm the confusion over the ice/snowflake symbol on the facelift climate control.
 
confused.com

does it look like that:

[picture removed]
 
Isn't the snowflake symbol just the warning about it being close to freezing ie ice on road?
 
blimey this is getting complicated... The snowflake appears in the DIS display to show that the temperature is 5 degress or below. I also have a 2002 S3 and have never seen a snowflake anywhere - other than in the DIS. Anyway, the snowflake is a red herring...
 
There is no snowflake symbol in the climate control screen of a facelift S3.

There might well have been in earlier versions.

Facelift's started around X reg.
 
CycleSi - if your rear windows are steamed up but the windscreen itself is clearing fine then it sounds like your CC might be ok, but there might be some damp in the rear? If your windscreen is a pig to clear as well then maybe a closer look at the CC is required.

Have you checked that the washer pipe isn't leaking, and also that your rear-wash wipe hasn't corroded at the centre pivot as I've read that's a problem with A3/S3's - that might be leaking moisture into the boot. Then there's the boot seal itself, if that's not water tight (dirt etc) then it might also let water in.
 
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