Fog
- Thread starter Nikko508
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ClarityDoc
Active Member
Perhaps you have an interior moisture problem?
KentuckyKen
Well-Known Member
Haven't noticed that in mine and I’ve been through 2 winters. You might want to check that the AC drain is not clogged up and dumping condensate onto your carpet making it wet. One poster had this problem. If you can’t find any source of moisture in the car, then preconditioning might help if the temps are within the range for it to activate. Otherwise it’s time for the battery hogging, range depleting defrost or defog. So far in KY, I've only had to do that once or twice all year (exclusive of running the AC in the heat).
Mowcowbell
Well-Known Member
Surprised noone else mentioned it... have you verified your climate control is set to Fresh instead of Recirculate? Checked to make sure no leaves/debris is clogging the intakes near the wipers?
Everything is clean. I tried both settings and no change It's weird because only the front and rear windshields fog up not the doors.
I have noticed the exact same thing occasionally. It shows up particularly on really cool days when it is drizzling or raining. The last time it happened the front and rear windows were noticeably more fogged up than the surrounding cars. It was almost opaque from the outside, except for the outline of the rear view mirror and camera.
It appears to be it is mostly because of the aerodynamics of the car and the shallow angle of both of those windows. You are looking through a grazing angle of the glass so more of the fogged up droplets on the glass fall within the field of view. Same reason why on average there seem to be more clouds along the horizon than overhead. The windows on the door are more vertical.
This is consistent with the issue of fogging up due to apparent volatiles on the rear glass that is sometimes discussed here. I doubt that the material used in this car is particularly different or more volatile. But any effect of material settling on the glass and condensation on it likely appears worse because of the shallow angle of the aerodynamically optimized glass surface.
It appears to be it is mostly because of the aerodynamics of the car and the shallow angle of both of those windows. You are looking through a grazing angle of the glass so more of the fogged up droplets on the glass fall within the field of view. Same reason why on average there seem to be more clouds along the horizon than overhead. The windows on the door are more vertical.
This is consistent with the issue of fogging up due to apparent volatiles on the rear glass that is sometimes discussed here. I doubt that the material used in this car is particularly different or more volatile. But any effect of material settling on the glass and condensation on it likely appears worse because of the shallow angle of the aerodynamically optimized glass surface.
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Sandroad
Well-Known Member
That’s the important clue. I bet you have a light coating of the plasticizer that off-gasses from the dash and rear deck on the inside of the front/rear glass. Moisture is attracted to the film and fogs up the glass. Use a good glass cleaner generously and clean the glass twice. I like the 303 cleaner (not the protectant).
See some similar complaints about Teslas, Volts, Priuses etc. forums on the web. Probably most obvious to the folks who are inclined to not run the defroster as often to preserve range. Most answers are similar to here about volatile material and cleaning more often. While that may be the proximate cause, it is likely not a coincidence that the cars with the most emphasis on the aerodynamic profile, and windshields at shallow angles exhibit this.
https://forums.tesla.com/forum/forums/foggy-front-window
https://forums.tesla.com/forum/forums/foggy-front-window
Dan Albrich
Well-Known Member
If one lives in Western Oregon (like I do) and I presume Alaska would be even worse, imagine large numbers of contiguous days of rain. Usually not rain all day (although that happens too), but some rain every day for say 30 or more days at a time. We also get a lot of drizzle. The stuff that coats a windshield, but I'm not sure it can be called rain. It's like little droplets condensed in air.
So yep, condensation and water-mania where I live.
David Towle in this forum was kind enough to tell me how to turn on front dash air without AC to reduce the electric hit. I've used this technique with some success but I'd add there are *many* days where I live where the only fix is full-blown defrost including AC turned on. For me, it's a basic visibility issue, and not a convenience. And yes, this may well be due to water getting inside the vehicle, but in winter in Oregon, one is constantly wet. So when you get in your car with your wet hat, coat and rain pants, all that water does drop somewhere inside the vehicle. And yep, one is running their defrost full bore even if they'd prefer not to... [The only real fix is to move somewhere that doesn't rain nearly constantly.]
So I get over my concern about running defrost pretty quickly, and so too, get lower EV estimated range than many in these forums. My winter range is like 25 miles, and that's just what it is. And yet I will see up to about 47 (even 52 once) in the summer.
BTW: If you don't know what rain pants are, imagine ski pants, worn over your normal pants. They are common here. Not very expensive. You shed your rain pants when you get to work (and yes one ends up doing some changing in the rest room).
So yep, condensation and water-mania where I live.
David Towle in this forum was kind enough to tell me how to turn on front dash air without AC to reduce the electric hit. I've used this technique with some success but I'd add there are *many* days where I live where the only fix is full-blown defrost including AC turned on. For me, it's a basic visibility issue, and not a convenience. And yes, this may well be due to water getting inside the vehicle, but in winter in Oregon, one is constantly wet. So when you get in your car with your wet hat, coat and rain pants, all that water does drop somewhere inside the vehicle. And yep, one is running their defrost full bore even if they'd prefer not to... [The only real fix is to move somewhere that doesn't rain nearly constantly.]
So I get over my concern about running defrost pretty quickly, and so too, get lower EV estimated range than many in these forums. My winter range is like 25 miles, and that's just what it is. And yet I will see up to about 47 (even 52 once) in the summer.
BTW: If you don't know what rain pants are, imagine ski pants, worn over your normal pants. They are common here. Not very expensive. You shed your rain pants when you get to work (and yes one ends up doing some changing in the rest room).
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Dan Albrich
Well-Known Member
Nikko508- yes, sorry didn't mean to leave that out. Press the big Climate button. Manually press the AC OFF- then Select the furthest rightmost option that shows vents and feet.
I haven't verified this piece: I think if you simply re-start the system by pressing the big on/off button, and *not* ever pressing FRONT, I think it keeps. Also it may also keep things fine without AC if you start the system by pressing fan up/down. i.e. avoid pressing FRONT for subsequent re-starts.
And yep it saves power (helps EV range) but the AC on of course does help remove moisture and it does defrost faster when you need it. I was really excited at first because I found with AC OFF, I could simply turn up the temperature, say to 74 and turn on blower and still get the windshield defrosted. As our Fall has progressed and we're getting really heavy and persistent rain, I'm not able to avoid keeping AC on. I mean in a practical sense, my most important need is being able to see, and when it's really, really, wet here, I seem to need everything the system has just to see, including blower on max, AC on, heat on, etc. Also I do realize this also has to do with one's patience. If you leave AC off, but let blower run long enough you'll likely do OK, but I normally don't have a several minutes to wait before each drive (or I'm simply not that patient).
One last thing- my other car is a 2004 Tundra, way up off the ground. Love it on the interstate with lots of rain. My old Subaru Outback was also higher off the ground, and visibility was much better than Clarity. Clarity is awesome car, but in winter, being really low to the ground means visibility on the highway takes a big hit. Way worse than any truck or mini-van. You're simply lower to the spray from other vehicles-- 'Dishwasher' effect. Anyway, it makes me feel like I need the clearest possible view given that I don't have the luxury of being higher off the ground.
(if you are catching everyone elses spray directly, tolerance of even a little window 'fog' isn't there).
I haven't verified this piece: I think if you simply re-start the system by pressing the big on/off button, and *not* ever pressing FRONT, I think it keeps. Also it may also keep things fine without AC if you start the system by pressing fan up/down. i.e. avoid pressing FRONT for subsequent re-starts.
And yep it saves power (helps EV range) but the AC on of course does help remove moisture and it does defrost faster when you need it. I was really excited at first because I found with AC OFF, I could simply turn up the temperature, say to 74 and turn on blower and still get the windshield defrosted. As our Fall has progressed and we're getting really heavy and persistent rain, I'm not able to avoid keeping AC on. I mean in a practical sense, my most important need is being able to see, and when it's really, really, wet here, I seem to need everything the system has just to see, including blower on max, AC on, heat on, etc. Also I do realize this also has to do with one's patience. If you leave AC off, but let blower run long enough you'll likely do OK, but I normally don't have a several minutes to wait before each drive (or I'm simply not that patient).
One last thing- my other car is a 2004 Tundra, way up off the ground. Love it on the interstate with lots of rain. My old Subaru Outback was also higher off the ground, and visibility was much better than Clarity. Clarity is awesome car, but in winter, being really low to the ground means visibility on the highway takes a big hit. Way worse than any truck or mini-van. You're simply lower to the spray from other vehicles-- 'Dishwasher' effect. Anyway, it makes me feel like I need the clearest possible view given that I don't have the luxury of being higher off the ground.
(if you are catching everyone elses spray directly, tolerance of even a little window 'fog' isn't there).
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Teslawannabe
Active Member
I have noticed it here in Florida with the high humidity and the A/C is always on.
Kerbe
Well-Known Member
Here in MS - where the humidity level is usually over 70% (it's been over 90% for the past week...) I just run the AC all the time. We've had a few cool nights lately when the temp has dropped into the 50s and condensation formed on the exterior of the front and rear windows - but wipers and rear defrost cleared it quickly. My 2018 sat on the dealer's lot - in the hot Louisiana sun - for nine months so the windows were thoroughly coated with off-gassing residue. I used a "Magic Eraser" followed by isopropyl alcohol followed by an automotive window cleaner and microfiber cloth and they've stayed quite clear and clean for the past two months.
You have to lower the temperature to Lo also, right? Otherwise the heater will work hard using lots of battery, way more than the AC would. When I tried this, often times outside is just too cold, and sometimes I do precondition so I like to keep it at 70F.
I’m also in west part of Oregon. I wonder if I can keep the air recirculation mode 99% time without causing any AC stink later on.
Oh, I don’t think this will help with windshield defogging, but I keep a Eva moisture absorbing device in my car, refresh it maybe once a month.