gav525

The windows keep steaming up on my car (MY94 WRX) and i was wondering if there could be anything wrong? There was no moisture or anything in the car, it just started doing it all of a sudden?

Cheers in advance, Gav

EddScott

Have you knocked the air circulation lever to inside rather than outside (if you get me). That can cause steamy windows.

orbix

Stop sh@gging the missus in the car

funkyspider

could be a small leak in the heater matrix, is the passenger footwell damp ?

555Rob555

Have you fitted speakers in the summer? If the membrane on the doors is damaged, the car will steam up.

If you still get a problem, turn the aircon on. It drys the air.

powerwrx

iTrader: (11)

what does it mean if the passenger footwell is damp

Yamarashi

It usually means the cars internal heater matrix is leaking and you gradually loose your coolant into the front footwells.... or ..... your passenger could have spilt their bottle of water of course

powerwrx

iTrader: (11)

would i need to replace it or can it be fixed, and at what cost

Yamarashi

I would think replacement is best as its a fairly big job to get it out of these as far as I'm aware .. so probably a fair few quid.

Make sure you are actually loosing coolant first, then you can check if the leak stops by turning the heater to cold as this should isolate the matrix (probaly difficult to do now the winter is here though!)

Also check and make sure if you have air con that the drainage pipe is routed properly out of the car as condensation drips out of this as it takes the moisture from the air in the car. If the pipe has gone back into the car for some reason and its not dripping out of the car it drips into the footwell on most cars so I assume its the same on Subaru's.

gav525

Cheers guys, i'll look in the footwell in the morning.

Deffo been no sh@gging going on in the car(or at home come to think of it) and nothing spilt in there yet as only had the car 3 days!

I'll let you all know how i get on.

Gav

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Check for damp elsewhere too. All carpets, the boot, etc etc.

This time of year, the car sits in the sun all day, the inside warms, (greenhouse effect), and the air sucks up any moisture.

Night falls, so does the temperature, air CAN'T hold that much water any more, so it condenses on the coldest bits, the glass.

Mine is doing it too. It helps to dry windows with paper towels first thing.

I run with the heater full on until I can barely stand it, then open the windows all full to let out the damp air. Cooler air is drier

Alcazar

Oh and if your heater matrix is leaking, you often get a smell in the car a bit like curry when the car is warm........

weemac2000

where do you buy your curries??????????

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

I don't, I just eat the carpets out of old cars with heater matrices gone

About as much goodness as in a Vesta curry, anyway

Allegedly

Alcazar

gav525

Well.........passenger footwell was a touch damp in places, not too bad, just a touch. Went for a drive, had a little bit of steam again. Put heater on cold which cleared it..THEN...back to hot and i'm surrounded by steam!!! Every window steamed up and couldnt see a thing!!!

Heater matrix i'm thinking?? Any ideas how much and how easy/hard it is to do???

Cheers, Gav

bubble arch

I seem to remember reading somewhere that the pollen filter can cause steaming up if it's worn out. It might be worth checking that out .I believe its inside the glovebox area. Do a search and you'll find it mentioned quite recently .

Soapy Sam

...only had it 3 days?

Was it valeted just before you bought it? That would explain the steaming

gav525

Nah it wasn't valeted mate. Drove it 450miles back from Birmingham ok, so i think it's just a case of bad luck. Definitely the matrix as just had a proper mechanic have a look over it.

Just going out to pull the dash off and give it a go myself.

jasonius

iTrader: (1)

cabin/pollen filter can be a cause for this..!

gav525

Would that make the carpet a wee bit damp too mate?

gav525

Also, just been back outside an started it up again. It's fine on cold but when i turned the dial to fully hot steam just billlowed from every vent! Smelt a bit 'musty' to, an the mechanic said this is a symptom of the matrix failing.

Gav

hmhaga

IDCN Photo Gallery :: heatcore

Have fun....
The very first part they place on the assembly line is the heater core. Then they start building the car on to the heater core

adrianp

I can sympathise with you there...

When I bought my FTO, the heater matrix went less than a week after buying it...

Typically with Mitsubishi though, they placed the gearbox ECU directly under the heater so when it leaks you can guess where the water goes...

And yes, it's almost a dash out job to do it on an FTO too...

I was lucky and it happened in the summer so bypassing the heater for a week or so wasn't a problem.

Hope you get it sorted soon.

Ady.

funkyspider

Just for peace of mind - and Im not scaremongering so dont panic - do a coolant gas contamination check before you start the work. Most garages should have the kit and it takes 30mins or so. A failing cylinder head gasket can overpressurise the coolant system and the heater matrix can be one of the components that gives way under the additional pressure. It costs next to nothing to do the test and will give you peace of mind. Of course the heater matrix can just fail all on it's own, but for the cheap price of the test at least you know.

gav525

OK cheers lads!
Was at East Coast Customs yesterday morning an head gasket and everything else was ok, so ruling out the head gasket. Have got hold of a heater matrix for cheap enough so i'll have a crack at it!

Any advice at all is much appreciated!!!!

every1sgottablue1

Apparently you can stick rad weld in them to seal leaks, but i wouldn't know where to put it?

L66bad

Help yourself to any of the pdf's here, they might come in handy...

Http://www.ringtones4all.org

There's no ringtones, only good solid info.

Derek

gav525

Brilliant source of info there, cheers mate!!!

One question though....i need to flush and renew my coolant anyway, and was wondering if its possible to flush the pipes leading to and from the matrix? Should i just wait til i get the new matrix on?