is this normal?

[gpk99]

It's -20 here in the Great White North and after work I walked up to my Vibe....got in......and the windows were all frosted up.....got my scraper......went outside and ACK!!!!!!!!!.....most of the windows were frosted INSIDE the car.what the heck??????Is this normal??? Kinda shocked to see that.If this isnt normal how the heck do you stop this or can you?Does this have something to do with that button just below the A/C button?

[Mase]

Run your defroster blowers on hi for a couple minutes before you reach your destination. The defroster setting has a built-in de-humidifier. Also, don't leave any cups of hot cofee, hot cocoa, etc in the car when you get out.

[kostby]

Modern cars, like modern houses are pretty tightly sealed. The AC compressor runs on most cars when you use the DEFROST settings: In winter, once the moisture has been removed from the passenger compartment air (mainly by condensing it onto the (cooler) surface of A/C heat exchanger under-dash) the moisture has no where to escape to when you turn the car off and leave it completely closed up. Then the sun shines, the car interior warms slightly, and the moisture re-condenses on the cold(er) inside surfaces of the windows. When it gets dark and cools again, voila, FROST on the inside.The same thing happens in the summer, except that the much higher ambient temperature is enough to evaporate a lot more of the moisture still in the cabin air, so you don't notice it condensing onto the windows, UNLESS THEY'RE EXTREMELY DIRTY on the inside. If you turn off the AC and just run the blower on a summer day, you'll notice how much more humid the air feels until most of the moisture is re-evaporated off the heat exchanger. So, how to deal with it???In winter, I turn the fan on high, set the control to one of the vent settings (NOT either of the two right-most Defrost modes), open my front windows a bit (1/4 to 1/2 inch) when it isn't raining/snowing hard to let that moisture escape and the cool dry air into the car during the last mile or so before I park it. If it's a very sunny day (with no sudden weather changes anticipated), I leave the windows open a bit for the same reason in very cold weather. It also helps prevents the inside-icing problem.I also try to brush as much snow as possible off the outside of the car, particularly above the doors. The Vibe seems prone to letting loose snow into the interior, particularly the seats, when you open the doors.Anyone else have suggestions?

[Stang2Vibe]

Quote, originally posted by kostby »I also try to brush as much snow as possible off the outside of the car, particularly above the doors. The Vibe seems prone to letting loose snow into the interior, particularly the seats, when you open the doors.This is very, very true.kostby, it sounds like you've really got this system down!