A110 - rear window condensation

[Maxym]

Anyone else had this? I dried it all off today but I'll be interested to see if it returns. Just maybe something to do with the transition from warm-ish to colder weather?

But the other day I noticed drips of water from the top of the window on to the engine cover. Maybe it's a window/window aperture seal that's not sealing.

Have you had similar?

Edited by Maxym on Friday 5th December 10:37

[MaFue]

Yes, I noticed it last week when I left my car outside in the rain.

Put it back in the garage and opened it up for a look, and the seal which runs around the edge of the window had come away from the glass down one side.

The rubber hadn't split so no need for a new one, looks like it is held in place only by some double sided tape which had come unstuck, it isn't very clever.

Easy job to clean it all up and reattach, but only when it's dry..

Also poked some plastic strimmer cord down the drain holes in the channel underneath to ensure they're clear as we head into winter. I had noticed some dampness in the rear boot last week too, I think both of these issues were linked.. might be worth checking that on your car.

[Maxym]

Thanks for your reply. Fairly heavy condensation again this morning and again dried off. Light condensation returned quite quickly but disappeared as I was driving. I’m guessing it will return but I’m a bit puzzled; can’t see anything amiss and car has been in heavy rain, driving and standing, before without problem.

Car new in March this year.

[Top Banana]

Having condensation inside rear window around this time of year is completely normal on a 110....it's not a sealed engine compartment so any moisture under car or in the air will condense on inside of glass if conditions are right..

Some cars have suffered issues with rubber seal coming away from window but even with perfect seal if the car is outside then the condensation will occur

[Maxym]

Top Banana said:

Having condensation inside rear window around this time of year is completely normal on a 110....it's not a sealed engine compartment so any moisture under car or in the air will condense on inside of glass if conditions are right..

Some cars have suffered issues with rubber seal coming away from window but even with perfect seal if the car is outside then the condensation will occur

Thanks, I did wonder the same.

[Rob_RCF]

It's normal. Warm humid air will condense on cold surfaces. You have the heat from the engine and then cold glass directly above it. It just takes a little while to warm up (use demister) and then it should go away completely.

You're right that the seal is not particularly effective either - if you wash the car with a pressure washer water tends to get inside when spraying around the edges of the glass panel. I guess because it's not an interior space, the seal hasn't been as well designed as say a tailgate seal.

[Maxym]

Rob_RCF said:

It's normal. Warm humid air will condense on cold surfaces. You have the heat from the engine and then cold glass directly above it. It just takes a little while to warm up (use demister) and then it should go away completely.

You're right that the seal is not particularly effective either - if you wash the car with a pressure washer water tends to get inside when spraying around the edges of the glass panel. I guess because it's not an interior space, the seal hasn't been as well designed as say a tailgate seal.

Sorry, I don’t really buy that. Dry rear screen and then heavy condensation after rain without using the car; it has just stood on my driveway. Dealer is to fit a new rear screen seal. “We have done quite a few lately.”

[LE62NDE]

It's not a rear window in the same way as a hatchback, though. Think of it more as a glass bonnet -like the one on Greased Lightning in the film Grease- with greater fluctuations in heat and humidity. I don't deny that the seal may have failed, or isn't much use in the first place, but the open nature of the engine compartment makes condensation more likely. The HRW isn't wonderfully effective either -driving the car, getting the engine hot and air circulating, often demists the glass quicker than the electric element.

[Colin P]

It’s typical of mid engined cars.
Don’t worry about it, the engine heat alone will clear it in no time.
I don’t even bother with using the rear heated screen, the engine does a better job.

[Maxym]

Colin P said:

It s typical of mid engined cars.
Don t worry about it, the engine heat alone will clear it in no time.
I don t even bother with using the rear heated screen, the engine does a better job.

This isn't mist, it's heavy condensation that makes a towel wet when I dry it off. The heated rear screen would take an age to clear. I dried it all off again the other day and had a good look for anything around the rear window that might be amiss; couldn't see anything.

But I took a few photos. Is there anything here that doesn't look right?

[Top Banana]

Nope...that looks exactly like my car and probably all the other A110's out there

As pointed out in previous post the engine bay is not sealed...there are openings at bottom and also possibly through the driver's side window vent...this allows condensation to form on inside of glass, and this can be quite heavy condensation if the atmospheric conditions are right.

At this time of year I quite often have to pop glass up before heading out for a drive especially if car has sat for a week or more... cleaning it means that the heated window+ engine heat soon gets rid of any remaining moisture.

If you are really concerned then I suppose you could put some of the dessicant bags on the engine cover and remove them before use but they may also not cope with amounts of moisture that can be generated.

I'm pretty sure many other owners have similar condensation on inside of their rear screens....

[Maxym]

Thanks for the reply TB. I’m half reassured and half disappointed. Maybe if I used the car every day it wouldn’t be anything like as noticeable. Pity the car lives outside and not in a garage.