2008 Versa Windows Fog Up Even With AC On

[PaulKH]

I live in Maine and own a 2008 Versa. Condensation interior to the car is so severe it causes the windows to fog even with the AC on. I have been driving with a window cracked open (very cold). I have not noticed any change in the coolant level either (no leaks). I have left my Versa in a heated garage several days to dry out the interior and the problem repeats within a few minutes after driving. I have noticed the same issue occurring with other Versa owners. Does anyone know of a fix or if Nissan is addressing this safety issue?

Thanks,

PaulKH

[srellim234]

Do you have your air select lever on bringing outside air in or is it recirculating the inside air?

Also, does your straight a/c blow a/c cold air or is it just blowing air like a vent? (not that you could really tell whether the a/c was on or not in Maine's weather Having coolant doesn't mean the a/c system is actually working. Something else in the system may be failing.

[Andrews Chalmers]

Do you have your air select lever on bringing outside air in or is it recirculating the inside air?

Ditto! I learned that the hardway!

[rwanttaja]

Do you have your air select lever on bringing outside air in or is it recirculating the inside air?

Bingo. Most people think the term "Air Conditioning" means "Cold," but it isn't true. It's conditioned air, which means that both the temperature and humidity are controlled.

So when most folks see the lever position marked "MAX AIR," they think it just means maximum cold. Not true. The "Max Air" position cools down the car faster by recirculating the cooler cabin air rather than bringing in warm outside air to cool.

Unfortunately, folks forget that "Air Conditioning" removes moisture from the air, too. The amount of moisture air can hold depends on its temperature; warm air can hold a lot, cold air holds less. That's why the measure of moisture in the air is relative humidity; it's relative to the maximum amount of moisture the air can hold at its current temperature rather than a absolute measure of content. Once air reaches a 100% Relative Humidity, any attempt to add more moisture just causes the moisture to condense. That's why you can see your breath outside on a cold day.

On a cold day, the major source of moisture in the air inside the Versa is the people breathing. So, if you've got your Air Control level set to "Max Air," the moisture from everyone's breath gets recirculated, too. The air conditioner is taking some of the moisture out of the air, but when the windows are cold, it doesn't take much for the air near the windows to reach 100% relative humidity; hence the moisture condenses on the cold glass and your windows fog up.

Like srellim234 and Andrew say, don't have the Air Control level in the "Max Air" position...have it bringing in that dry outside air, instead. This diagram shows the proper position:



The only time you should run with the lever in the "Max Air" position is on hot days.

Mind you, EV provides advice completely opposite to mine...he feels the "Max Air" position is better for eliminating fogging. It's weird, because we live in the same area....

Ron

[PaulKH]

The Air-Select Lever is positioned so as to bring fresh exterior air (not circulating) and the AC is at its minimum setting.

My plan is to leave the Air-Select lever in the Fresh-Air position and experiment with the AC setting (MIN-MAX). Our location may very well be the issue. My wife is using the Versa to commute from the Berwicks to Kennebunk. She is going from low humidity to extreme humidity, and just the opposite on her return trip.

Good point about the AC. If my experiment fails then it may very well be an issue with the dehumidification capability of the AC. As you know it is difficult to determine if it is working during this time of year with our unseasonable cold weather. However, I expect our 4 days of Summer are just around the corner. I will follow-up on the AC with the dealer's service department. I wanted to eliminate the possibility of Operator-Error" before pestering them with an issue I haven't tried to resolve with a little understanding.

The feedback has been excellent and I truly appreciate everyone's comments, advice, and recommendations.

"Common sense is a gift from God" Author Unknown

PaulKH

[rwanttaja]

The Air-Select Lever is positioned so as to bring fresh exterior air (not circulating) and the AC is at its minimum setting.

In that case, try EV's recommendation: Put the air lever in recirc. :-)

When you say, "AC is at its minimum setting," did you mean the fan setting or the temperature? The fan should be at least "1", and my personal preference is to set the temperature to high in an attempt to warm up the inside of the glass (so it's less likely to condense). The "AC" light should be on when defogging...in fact, when you set the control to the Defroster position, the AC should automatically turn on.

There can be another cause. I had the heater core develop a leak on a Nissan pickup, and the first indication was the windows fogging up. In this case, though, there was an antifreeze smell and eventually visible seepage.

Another thing to check is to put your hand over the defrost vents at the base of the inside of the windshield and ensure they're pushing air out. Finally, check the air intake screen area on the outside of the car in front of the windshield. If snow or leaves pile up there, it can block new air from coming inside.

A final issue...did you have any problem with water leaking in and soaking the carpet? If you've got wet carpet inside the car, that can produce enough moisture in the air that it'll mess up your defog capability.

Good luck!

Ron

[blockmachining]

My 08 Versa has the same tendency. Even with the recir switch placed in the outside air (fresh air) position, it will still fog up. I have found turning the fan switch to the #2 position or even higher, will help the situation. By doing this, you are moving more air from the outside of the car, through the car and finally out the rear of the car from the rear quarter panel vents. You can't see these two vents unless you remove the carpet from over the spare tire. Something else will happen as the car ages. Right now, the car is really tight. As it gets older, some of the seals on the doors and windows will gradually develop small leaks. This will allow more air to seep through the interior of the car and reduce the inside moisture. Of course, turning on the A/C, either from the vents or from the defroster position, will help to reduce or even eliminate the fog/moisture. Hope this helps.

[rwanttaja]

My 08 Versa has the same tendency. Even with the recir switch placed in the outside air (fresh air) position, it will still fog up.

Well, I'll grant you that the Versa is about the fourth-worst car I've ever owned, for windshield fogging. When you consider that #1 and #2 didn't HAVE defrosters or heaters, and #3 was a VW "Thing," that's saying quite a bit. Though mine clears fast enough, it does seem to need the defogger/AC going much more than any previous "modern" car I've owned.

Two parting shots of advice: Run the fan switch in the higher settings, and open the driver's side window a crack.

Ron

[powergrip]

Bingo. Most people think the term "Air Conditioning" means "Cold," but it isn't true. It's conditioned air, which means that both the temperature and humidity are controlled.

So when most folks see the lever position marked "MAX AIR," they think it just means maximum cold. Not true. The "Max Air" position cools down the car faster by recirculating the cooler cabin air rather than bringing in warm outside air to cool.

Unfortunately, folks forget that "Air Conditioning" removes moisture from the air, too. The amount of moisture air can hold depends on its temperature; warm air can hold a lot, cold air holds less. That's why the measure of moisture in the air is relative humidity; it's relative to the maximum amount of moisture the air can hold at its current temperature rather than a absolute measure of content. Once air reaches a 100% Relative Humidity, any attempt to add more moisture just causes the moisture to condense. That's why you can see your breath outside on a cold day.

On a cold day, the major source of moisture in the air inside the Versa is the people breathing. So, if you've got your Air Control level set to "Max Air," the moisture from everyone's breath gets recirculated, too. The air conditioner is taking some of the moisture out of the air, but when the windows are cold, it doesn't take much for the air near the windows to reach 100% relative humidity; hence the moisture condenses on the cold glass and your windows fog up.

Like srellim234 and Andrew say, don't have the Air Control level in the "Max Air" position...have it bringing in that dry outside air, instead. This diagram shows the proper position:



The only time you should run with the lever in the "Max Air" position is on hot days.

Mind you, EV provides advice completely opposite to mine...he feels the "Max Air" position is better for eliminating fogging. It's weird, because we live in the same area....

Ron

Sorry but to clarify. When you say "max air" do you mean "max A/C" ? Or is there a max air button/switch/whatever somewhere I missed? U used thee term max air a lot and I can't find why,

[bikeman]

Sorry but to clarify. When you say "max air" do you mean "max A/C" ?

Correct. It's "max air" labeled as max A/C.

David