Hi All,

I have been trying to get help on solving this issue.

Note: This is Major condensation. You swipe the interior windshield ever so slightly it will drip!

I am getting a frustrating interior / inside frosting condensation issue after parking my Truck during a sunny cold day while at work. It does not happen at night. It only happens when the sun warms up the cab.

I have been doing a lot of research on this issue so here are some points.

1. It has been to the dealer for a leak test. 3rd party checked under the carpets, brake light and such and could not find any leaks. I checked under the carpets, by removing the plastic moldings no leaks. Also they checked the A/C drain plug by running it, I saw it drip. Only question is there sufficient flow?

Carpets underneath NOT wet
Sound Insulation underneath NOT wet
3rd Brake Light, Re-Sealed Checked
Rear cub holes under Rear Seat NOT wet
A/C Drain hole tested. It was dripping.

2. I use window defrost with fresh air and A/C on (NOT Recirculate) in the colder months.

3. I do not have open Soda cups or slush / water / snow in my floor mats.

4. I have got the HVAC recall done. I have tested the actuators and they seem to working appropriately when the truck is running. I.e. recirculate / fresh air and defog / feet / etc. The Service manager also assured me the StarScan tool tested the actuators.

5. I only get this issue after parking in the sunny on a cold day. During the day it does not happen while the sun is on the CAB. Once the sun is not on the CAB it the condensation starts.

6. I do not smell anti-freeze, there is no oily residue. I have cleaned my interior windows.

7. I used anti-fog on part of the window. This is not a solution b/c the window is really wet on this side as well.

8. There is no mold / musty smell in the truck.

9. Also if there is enough of a Temp Change, this will migrate to all the other windows. To add sometimes I see some condensation / fog on my side window.

This does not happen on cloudy days. To me it seems that the interior cab warms up enough with the sun shining and there is always enough condensation to cover the windshield and it takes like 10 minutes to remove. But to me it seems like it has to be a large amount of water somewhere maybe in the Evaporation / Heater box?

I took out the glove box, and I noticed that my truck was parked and the bellow controlling the HVAC was on recirculate. I wonder if this is sealing my truck up so much to cause this issue. But I don’t know where all the moisture is coming from????

I took out the HVAC fan and felt around and I have not seen or felt any water.

The Truck
2010 Dodge Ram Hemi Quad SXT.
7000 KMS
I drive it every day 15 KM to and from work.



Here is the Large Image
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7024/6505733785_339329a805_b.jpg

Regards,
Anthony
PS also posted in ramforumz.com, I'm trying to get as many people to look at this issue as possible.

 

Seems fairly normal to me. I park outside all the time and in certain weather conditions I get a lot of frost on the inside of the windshield - its happened on pretty much every vehicle I've ever owned.

 

Were your seats ever cleaned or gotten wet from say after swimming? Just throwing it out there as there is probably foam inside them.

Using the window defrost should run the compressor which in turn will help to dry the air. Being that it happens only in the sunlight, it sounds like the heat causes something to warm and then dry out but looks like you covered pretty much everything it could be.

I take it this did not happen last year?

 

As you already know, it has to be moisture inside the cab for it to happen. The only time I see this on my truck is when I walk on snow or it has been raining and I track some of the moisture getting into the truck. Is it possible that your truck dries out and then get moist again so that when the dealer and others do the checking it's dry? Since you are at your wits end, maybe look into getting one of those humidity probes that wood flooring guys use to check for water leaks in the homes. The kind that has a needle on the end so you can poke it into materials without having to take things apart. I don't know what they cost but if they are expensive, maybe you can go to a flooring house and see if they take pity on you and let you borrow it to use in their parking lot. Good luck.

 

i'm right there with pedro, where the heck is moisture coming from inside, that is then evaporating or already in evaporation form to condense on your windshield.....? got me

 

Put some silica gel packets inside of your truck. They absorb moisture. Might help.

 

Put a humidity sensor in the cab. Something that will tell you how humid it is. I would check it a few times during the day. Like before you start the truck after it has been running etc. Something is getting the humidity up and unless there are huge swings in the amount of water in the air of the cab you should not get that much condensation on the windshield. Sure a small amount but at this time of year the air starts drying out. I get some frost in the morning on the inside of my '09, but not very often and not very thick. Most of the time I get anything is when it has been raining out and I get into the truck with a wet shirt or coat on. You are sure your not getting some type of fluid inside your HVAC duct work? All you need is a small leak in the door gasket or windshield gasket to get enough moisture in and you may not see it leaking. My wife's rav4 had a leak in the rear door and got into the third row seating area. Never could find the leak but it would get all condensated (?) up like your windshield is.