Hi all

don't know if anyone knows the answer to this one but i got in the car this morning and there was a large amount of condensation on the front screen I started the car up and the front screen cleared itself I didn't physically switch on the heated screen is it normal when the it gets cold for the car to do this? it was 6 degrees according to the car and it was the heated window that cleared the screen not the heater if that makes sense?

Craig MY 2012 HSE LUX
MY 2010 XS

the blowing air from the vents is heated by a electric ceramic heater, this will start automatically and aid clearing the screen Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

Thanks Nick I appreciate that but you could physically see the lines down the screen, I don't know if the car turns on the heated screen below a certain temp?

Craig MY 2012 HSE LUX
MY 2010 XS

im not aware that the FL2 automatically turns the heating screen on, it didn't on my MY10, but not noticed it doing it on my MY14 HSE Lux

are your sure you didn't press the prog button of anything, which switches the heating on both screen etc Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

Condensation on your screen can be an indicator that either your cabin air filter is in need of a change or you have moisture \ water getting into the vehicle somehow. Are your floor mats wet or do your A pillars show any signs of water ingress.

A previous car I had started suffering from windscreen condensation, then the A pillars started getting damp patches, this was due to a screen I had fitted some years early starting to leak slightly. 
Hung like Einstein, smart as a horse.

npinks wrote:

im not aware that the FL2 automatically turns the heating screen on, it didn't on my MY10, but not noticed it doing it on my MY14 HSE Lux

are your sure you didn't press the prog button of anything, which switches the heating on both screen etc

Quote:

Condensation on your screen can be an indicator that either your cabin air filter is in need of a change or you have moisture \ water getting into the vehicle somehow. Are your floor mats wet or do your A pillars show any signs of water ingress.

A previous car I had started suffering from windscreen condensation, then the A pillars started getting damp patches, this was due to a screen I had fitted some years early starting to leak slightly.

so the condensation was outside, a morning dew by the sounds of it

im puzzle why you think the heated screen cleared it, my normally cleared the whole screen, no lines etc Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

So condensation was on the outside, when you started the vehicle, the condensation then had lots of lines through it before disappearing?

Certainly sounds like the heated screen came on, did you hit the Prog button as thats effectively defrost mode and would turn the front and rear screens on. 
Hung like Einstein, smart as a horse.

Hi because it cleared within about 20 secs of the car starting and looking at the screen its self after it had cleared there was a perfect line of of condensation down the middle of the window where there are no heating elements running through window.

I think my main concern is i don't want the heated window being on all the time! when i purchased the car it had to have a new screen in due to a chip/crack I negotiated this as part of the deal with the vehicle.

As i say the climate control was in auto the only thing i could suggest is either the screen is powered all the time... it comes on when the temp drops or the switch is not working right

Craig MY 2012 HSE LUX
MY 2010 XS

Well the way I would check that is with an IR Thermometer. Put a bit of dark tape on the screen, take a temp reading, start the vehicle up and see if the temp rises. Other way is a bit more fiddly, voltmeter on the windscreen cables. 
Hung like Einstein, smart as a horse.

An explanation from Pilkington Glass on the causes of external condensation.

The phenomenon is a natural and predictable event caused by the outer pane of the glazing being colder that the glass that it replaced. With single glazing and older style double glazing a larger proportion of heat was lost to the outside through the glass. With modern low e glass products more of the heat is kept inside and the outer pane is not heated as much. Moisture condenses out of the air onto a cold surface that is said to be below the dew point. The dew point varies with the air temperature and the amount of moisture it contains. In spring and autumn in particular the glass temperature can fall to a low level during the night and the dew point can be comparatively high in these seasons. The glass is more often likely to be below the dew point in these conditions and the moisture condenses onto the surface. MY 09 GS manual in Lago Grey, Wood Co arm rest and side bumper strips - now sold.

MY 15 SD4 SE Auto Orkney Grey with colour coded Bumper Door Mouldings

sounds to me like your screen is on all the time,

you could always test it by misting up the interior or the screen, boiling water in a bowl on the seat will quicken it up, then start the car, (i wouldn't risk the bowl on the dash, lots of expensive electric things below if you spill it) Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

Thanks looks like we will have a simlar night here weather wise so ill see if it does the same tomorrow MY 2012 HSE LUX
MY 2010 XS

Get your phone and film it, then we can see what happens  Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

Looks like a simple case of RTFM.

According to page 50 of the MY12 manual.
Page 52 MY13
Page 57 MY14

HEATED SCREENS. Press button to operate the required screen heater. The screen heater(s) will operate for a predetermined timed period before automatically switching off.
The screen heaters will be automatically switched on if defrost mode is activated or if the external air temperature is low.