Another cold wet season is here and Once again my car windows are fogging up. I took the car to a convertible top shop. They re-aligned the window and adjusted the convertble top frame. They performed a rain bath to test for leaks and they couldn't find any.

That was in April 2014 and the car didn't show any signs of leaking and was dry on the floor mats and seat bowls. In the late week the weather has been cold and any window that is exposed to the side which the cold wind is blowing fogs up. What is more puzzling is the rear seat (once you lift up the seat pad seems to collect wetness.

Will bring it to a shop again to see but I am getting done with this and don't know what else to try other than let her go.

 

Coolant leak going threw car...maybe heater or some coolant line....just throwing ideas out there.....

 

Sorry Jako...That sucks. I have no experience with a Cabrio other than my Wife's Boxster S, which I have not had this issue with?

Good luck figuring it out though...

DC

 

Thanks for the ideas. I'll have the shop look at the heater core. I did put thought into that but I heard you would have a film of coolant on the windows or you would smell coolant. The condensation on the windows appears to be clean water and however the moisture is depositing itself onto the rear seat bowls is also clean water.

I did have a bodyshop adjust the door striker so that both doors would closer tighter. As first I thought it was too tight but it closed really solid but perhaps it's too tight and thus preventing any airflow?

I checked the weather forecast and the air is 94% humidity at 4 degrees celcicus. I was going to pick up some of the moisture absorber to see if that helps

 

Did you have an aftermarket stereo installed by chance? You may want to check your firewall grommets.


If your dealer performed a true pressure test, you should never experience this unless you bring moisture "snow by foot" into the car and use "recirculate."


This may sound stupid but, does this happen in the morning? If so, do you shower and head to work? The moisture from your body and hair will easily make this effect happen in colder weather.

 

Thanks. The stereo is stock. I only added the dension module and didn't need to penetrate the firewall.

I brought it to a place that specializes in locating leaks. They adjusted the passenger window to stop a leak. When I started experiencing the fogging of the windows they claimed they took apart the interior panels and performed a rain bath? They couldnt find any leaks. Can you tell me what a pressure test is and what that will show?

It only happens after I've driven the car and park it. Within 20 minutes or so, the windows start misting up. By morning, the windows are clear and the moisture that was on the windows appear to settle on the carpet underneath the rear seat pads. This only seems to happen when it is cold (50F or colder) and humidity is on the high side.

The recirculate is off and I started to drive with the air conditioning on to dry out the cabin. I am so stumped.

 

Jako,


I guess I was referring to moisture already in the car, if possible, moisture that was brought in the car prior to driving it.


Does your car stink like mold? Having the air on doesn't necessary mean the Recirc is off. Most A/C unit turn this on for efficiency. I cant recall what my car defaults too.


Do you have photos of the precipitation on the rear seats? Depending on the amounts of precipitation may change what we percept.


BTW, referring to pressuring the cabin and blocking off the exit or exhaust vents that would allow the air to escape. Conducting a test like this may help explain a small leak during a very small pressurized cabin test.


I would first investigate the major source of moisture intrusion first.

 

All spring/summer I was checking for moisture after rainfall or car washing, nothing. The moisture on the rear seat carpet only seems to appear after the windows have fogged up and cleared up in the morning. The amount of moisture is enough to get a paper towel lightly damp.

After the passenger front window was adjusted, there doesn't appear to have an intrusion of water. All I can think of is the possibility of the fabric of the convertible top holding moisture after a rainfall?

There is no musty or mould smell. That's even with the AC on.

 

Clogged drain holes

 

Could be. I thought the convertible top shop would've cleared the rear drains. Bringing it to the dealer today to talk to the shop foreman and see what he can recommend

 

Have you considered putting some kind of desiccant bags in the car under the front seats? I think this might really help with your issue. Griot's Garage sells them.

My 911 had a serious window fogging issue when I lived in the humid midwest. Now that I live in a low humidity climate in the mountains, it never happens.

 

Thanks, I did order some. But I am beyond a bit of moisture now. The passenger is getting about an ounce or so of water. I brought it to the dealer today and the shop foreman ran water down both rear drains and its fine. He noticed the bottom of the passenger door is wet. So he suspects the shop that adjusted the window punctured the vapour shield. He can't figure out why the rear seat bowl is collecting water I am thinking there is something wrong with the rear drain behind the passenger rear panel? Maybe there is a leak there too, and that is what's feeding the water into the rear seat? He said to start with pulling apart the front door to first and if the barrier is damaged and replace or repair.


Its going in this Thursday, so, i'll let you guys know and thanks for all the suggestions.

 

you might have a leak along the back part where the top goes in the body. It might be the drains but check there as well. It could be some dry rot or issues with those seals

 

Got the car back from the dealer. They pulled the passenger door panel off and found the metal membrane pryed up in several places. When the previous shop adjusted the window, they used a wedge long the membrane to get access to the adjustment holes versus using the two adjustment access points.��

They found the interior of the door completely soaked and spent time cleaning and drying it out. As for the water on the rear seat bowl, the shop foreman mentioned a process something called capillary "blah blah" to explain the water travel up the interior carpet sponge to the rear seat bowls.

$600 later... I hope this all works out. I feel like calling the other shop to tell them what they did the first go when they adjusted the window. And yet they charged me 3 hours more on the second visit to find out where the leak was, which, they caused.

 

I hope they fixed it but I would be surprised if it is....sounds like the dealer fixed one issue but there is no way for the water to get from the door membrane to the rear seat bowls....especially in that quantity