306 fogging up on me

r00sevelt

Got a problem with a 99 306 that hopefully someone can advise me on.

Everytime it's raining or damp weather the windows mist up. Also, driving around for a while with heat setting on cold - turn the heat up and turn the fan up from 1 to full - and steam (quite dank smelly steam) pours out of the air vents.

So it looks like there is water/fluid getting into the air pipes from engine to cabin? as far as i can tell there is no pollen filter - thus not blocked

What would be the best way to troubleshoot this under the hood?

I've also noticed the driver and passenger doorwell damp at times.

Could there be multiple leaks here? seals gone? V difficult to drive with a little patch of the windscreen wiped that fogs over every minute or so!

any suggestions? (i've already got the "don't buy a peugeot" thing)

ibanez

Check for wet leaves stuck in the air intake to the heater matrix.

AMurphy

You did not say if this has Air Con or not.

Assuming it does not, then the "smelly steam" you observe is probably Antifreeze, particularly as you indicate it occurs if you turn hot air on a cold glass. Is the glass oily or has a sheen as a result, then I'd certainly got for AF.

if you hav AC and the condensation drains are bunged up with gunk, dust, etc, then you will have a collection of condensate in the AC, then mold grows on it and gives it a dank smell, expecially when switched on for the first time.

Also, if you have very damp/humid weather and a very effective cold AC you can get "steam" out the vents, as the AC chills the damp air, however this does not coat the glass.

Are you having to add coolant?.

r00sevelt

No i don't have AC..

so you say it may be antifreeze - what do you mean? antifreeze leaking into somewhere?

and ibanez, where is the heater matrix?

sorry but i don't really know my way around under the bonnet

AMurphy

The Antifreeze is in the coolant water, about 50% of each usually. Teh coolant flows through the heater Matrix to heat the cabin air, it's really another radiator like object, save for heating the cabin, rather than cooling the engine, and it is right next to the cabin blower fan, wherever it is located, usually, above the passengers feet.
you can find it by locating he feed and return water pipes that go through the bulkhead/firewall.

anyway, if you have a tiny hole in it, a small amount of dampness will gather on the matrix when it is cold, ie stopped, then when it heats up it wil evaporate again, but immediately re-condense on anything cold inside the cabin, when that cold object happens to the the glass, it steams it up, just like the mirror in the bathroom when you run a long shower or bath.
the amount of water involved may be only a pint a month, but under such circumstances it will loose coolant. Typically, coolant/antifreeze is "sweet", mold/garbage/leaves/dust, stinks.

Eaasiest way to compare is remove the cap from the coolant reservoir and smell the warn coolant, then comare to whatever is exiting your heater vents.

Remember, do not remove the cap from a hot or just driven car as it will fountain out a shower of scalding coolant. . Tepid to warm or if you can hold your bare hand on the rad.

JohnCleary

I'll be cheeky and say.......

Stop ridin' in it

r00sevelt

Cheers amurphy - i'll have a look at that this evening

i had another mooch around yesterday and i noticed what i think might be a problem - the seal around the windscreen looks slightly tatty - if this seal was gone somewhere along the bottom then water could be getting in there - seeping down through the back of the dash?? - or am i talking out of my ass

thanks for the help

and JC - the leather upholstry not great for the aul ridin' too much slippage

Joeface

i think , the 306 has a pollin filter on the air vents , if this is gone that would explain the smelly steam and the poor window cleaning , there only about 15or 20euro ...

AMurphy

Sure, if you got any leak that is allowing water to collect on or about the heater matrix, it will also cause steaming of the glass, just the same as a direct leak. however, you still need to determine if it is a pungent foul smelling odor caused by collected dust/pollen/debris, etc or a sweet smelling coolant.

btw, the usual manner I clear out this mess on my filterless car is make sure the drains are clean and flood the (fresh) air intake are with a hose and flush them out. Allow to dry up and then, with the vents running at max, feed some Lysol/Dettol from a spray/mist bottle directly into the air intake and throught the heater matrix area.