ice inside of windshield

I own a 1994 SVX LS (front drive) with 62000 miles. It is now a "second car"..My problem is that in winter, I am getting ice on the inside of the windshield. ANyone else have this problem? Dealer suggests I turn off all vent/heat/AC before leaving car. But I have never had to do that in the past. Outside of that car runs very well...actually thinking of selling since I hate to leave it outside in winter.

[dcarrb]

Does your defroster work?

dcb

[Earthworm]

Does your A/C work? A/C is used with the defrost as well as when you first start the car when cold out (in Auto mode). Try to stay away from using Econ and Recirc for a while.

The main issue is moisture in the car. Check all the carpets for signs of water (not caused by tracking in snow, etc). I had a plug missing from one of the frame rails under the car causing water to enter through the floor.

I also would get water in the trunk from the sunroof drain hoses being out of place and poor sealing taillight gaskets.

[intelisevil]

I had that happen for a while. For me it was the back window and the rear side windows.

My wife had knocked my coffee mug out of the cup holder, (plastic device slipped between center console and rear seat). By the time I discovered it, about 12 oz. of coffee had spilled out and soaked into the carpet.

I drove around for a few days with the rear windows down and the heater on until the condensation stopped forming on the inside of the glass.

Long story short, (too late . . .), check your carpets and mats for a source of moisture. Maybe pull your mats out of the car till everything dries up.

I will check for moisture. I never had a problem with it before. I can sometimes notice what looks klike condensation where the defrost vents are along the windshield. But as I said I never turned anything off before stopping the car. Guess she is geting OLD.....really should give her up to someone who will take good care....thanks

what are the sunroof drain hoses? I did have the sunroof replaced about three or four years ago. It seems there is more wind noise from it now. I asked the dealer if it is normal for it to pop up and down (like when slamming the door shut) they said YES.....I really should advertise to sell since I don't have the time to devote to her anymore and hate to leave it outside in the winter. It has been pretty much trouble free except for little quirks....(or BID ones like the sunrooe...Subaru paid me $600 toward the $900 it cost to replace it though)

[Earthworm]

Originally Posted by johnvvs

what are the sunroof drain hoses?

There are 4 drain hoses for the sunroof. They are located in the A and C pillars. All the hoses are inserted into larger hoses. This is where I had the problem.

The front hose-in-hose is found behind the kick panels behind the wiring.
The rear hose-in-hose is found behind the trunk side trim.

[dcarrb]

The AC compressor runs with DEFROST to dehumidify the cabin air, but only down to 45 degrees F ambient, I believe.

dcb

[Earthworm]

Originally Posted by dcarrb

The AC compressor runs with DEFROST to dehumidify the cabin air, but only down to 45 degrees F ambient, I believe.

Can someone else confirm this? Going by my idle speeds I would say the A/C runs w/defrost at much cooler temperatures.

[dcarrb]

David, I don't remember where I got that number in my head, but I'm pretty sure it's industry standard for a car's AC compressor to disengage at a temperature at which the need for heat from the defroster outweighs the benefit of dehumidifying the air... that is, somewhere above freezing.

All the owner's manual has to say is: "The air conditioner compressor will not operate when the external temperature is extremely low." Yeah; that could be 45, or minus 45.

dcb

My Forester's manual says the AC compressor will operate down to 32 degrees. Not sure about the SVX but I imagine it's close to this.



Dave