Rear window always ices up when car is left out even for a short time

[Bean]

Could this be a problem with the sealing around the rear window. I dont think this is normal. Car is a 2007 GS with 24,500 km on it and car is parked in a garage overnight.

[SonicBoy]

icing up like that normally is a sign of too much moisture in the car. Have you checked the carpets to see if possibly there is a leak somewhere?

Check the trunk too to see if there is standing moisture there. You could have a bad seal somewhere allowing water to pool.

[Bean]

I have not seen any links anywhere aside from the water that is brought in thanks to the wonderful snow. I am taking the car in on February 6 for the 24 km service so i will mention it to them then.

[jaM3ican]

When i purchased my 3 the sales rep told me that 5 min before i get home to run the A/C in heat mode. It will remove the moisture form the air to prevent the moisture from forming on th inside of the glass.
If i am not mistaken it helps all the moving parts lubricated and working to prevent them from seizing.

i have never had any problems with window icing up usiing this method

[Bean]

Okay. I will try that. Funny, no one ever told me that before. Thanks for the advice :)

[SonicBoy]

As Bean mentioned and from the Owner's manual.


q

FoggyWindows

The windows may fog up easily in humid
weather. Use the climate control system to
defog the windows.
To help defog the windows, operate the
air conditioner to dehumidify the air.
NOTE
The air conditioner may be used along
with the heater to dehumidify the air.

Here's also a Note posted further down in the manual:


One of the functions of the air
conditioner is dehumidifying the air
and, to use this function, the
temperature does not have to be set to
cold. Therefore, set the temperature
control dial to the desired position (hot
or cold) and turn on the air conditioner
when you want to dehumidify the cabin
air.

[OnkelHans]

The air conditioning in my old Honda came on automatically when using the Defrost for this very reason.

[Xerox]

When i purchased my 3 the sales rep told me that 5 min before i get home to run the A/C in heat mode. It will remove the moisture form the air to prevent the moisture from forming on th inside of the glass.

So when do you turn off the A/C? Do you turn it off 5 minutes before reaching your destination or keep it running until you turn off the car?
It it's the latter, I thought that it's not a good thing to keep the A/C running right up until you turn off the car. Something to do with causing a foul smell? (can't remember the exact reason).


If i am not mistaken it helps all the moving parts lubricated and working to prevent them from seizing.

Yes, according to the manual, running the A/C at least once a month is recommended. I don't think you have to do it every day 5 minutes before you get home though.

[Xerox]

The air conditioning in my old Honda came on automatically when using the Defrost for this very reason.

Yes, many cars included Mazda 3 does this. The Mazda 3 annoyingly turns the compressor on even on air flow settings other than defrost (ie. floor).

[jaM3ican]

So when do you turn off the A/C? Do you turn it off 5 minutes before reaching your destination or keep it running until you turn off the car?
It it's the latter, I thought that it's not a good thing to keep the A/C running right up until you turn off the car. Something to do with causing a foul smell? (can't remember the exact reason)..

Turn it on whenever you like, it was recommended that you turn it on at least 5min before you get to your destination. if you are worried about the smell. once you get to your destination you could always turn it off and then let the car run for a 30-45 sec to let everything cycle down.

[Flagrum_3]

I found when my vehicle was 'New' I had the same problem with condensation on the windows, but it eventually went away.Also I personally would not wait till 5 minutes before you reach your destination to turn the air on, reason being; it takes a couple of minutes for the fluid to circulate properly and running the system in 5 minute intervals, I don't think is a good practice...Why not run the system after you've originally started the vehicle and it has had time to warm to proper temps, you should run the system for atleast 10-15 minutes minumum at a time and then shut the system down aleast a couple of minutes before you reach your destination...this would 1. Allow for proper fluid circulation 2. Allow for proper bearing lubrication and 3.Allow enough time for proper shut-down and remove all humidity from the vehicle.

Note; this method pertains to winter use mostly.


_3


.