Windows fogging up in humid weather with auto climate… anyone else?

It seems like every time it’s humid outside, my windows fog up when I have the auto climate control on. Anyone else dealing with this?

Turn off the recirculation.

zendaya said:
Turn off the recirculation.

Exactly! Recirc off, and make sure the AC is on.

I’m always surprised this isn’t covered in drivers ed.

Ronald said:

zendaya said:
Turn off the recirculation.

Exactly! Recirc off, and make sure the AC is on.

I’m always surprised this isn’t covered in drivers ed.

I didn’t know this until I had an Elantra in the winter and noticed the AC light came on when I hit the defogger. Thought it was a bug, but turns out it’s supposed to do that.

Even if it’s cold outside, the AC helps by removing moisture, so you can still have warm air blowing while the AC is running.

Ronald said:

zendaya said:
Turn off the recirculation.

Exactly! Recirc off, and make sure the AC is on.

I’m always surprised this isn’t covered in drivers ed.

Was thinking the same thing!

zendaya said:
Turn off the recirculation.

And remember to turn it off again after going through any tunnels, or disable auto recirc if that’s an option.

Try cleaning the inside of the windshield. Newer cars can get a film on the inside from the plastics off-gassing, and that can make fogging worse.

Yeah, it’s a known issue with the auto setting. It eventually catches up, but the sensors take some time to adjust.

I’m new to this car, too. I’ve noticed it happens more when I try to mess with the climate controls manually. Seems to work better when I leave it on auto.

EDIT: I still get fogging with both recirc and AC on. Haven’t had this problem with other cars.

@jabali
You want recirc off for sure.

zendaya said:
@jabali
You want recirc off for sure.

But with the AC on, recirc shouldn’t be an issue, right? It’s worked fine that way in every car I’ve driven since the '80s.

jabali said:

zendaya said:
@jabali
You want recirc off for sure.

But with the AC on, recirc shouldn’t be an issue, right? It’s worked fine that way in every car I’ve driven since the '80s.

Every car I’ve had fogs up with the AC and recirc on when it’s cold out.

Yeah, I’ve had it happen too, especially on the outside of the windows. It’s the temp difference, but it seems to be worse with this car compared to my wife’s hybrid.

Try using Rain-X Anti-Fog spray. It’s helped me.

Leave it in auto mode and set your preferred temp. The system will keep the windows clear, but it can be a little slow to react at times.

Make sure the AC is on, even if it’s cold. The AC helps pull moisture out of the air, which will help defog the windows.

My smart ventilation kicks in every couple of minutes after I finish a workout. If your car has that feature, make sure it’s turned on.

I drive in Eco mode most of the time, but it definitely struggles more in cool, humid weather. Once the fogging starts, it takes a bit to clear up, even after switching out of Eco. First step is always to make sure recirc is off.

Over time, you’ll figure out what weather causes the most trouble, and when that happens, I recommend using Normal or Power mode. Also, make sure your windows are regularly cleaned on the inside and keep the car closed up when parked.

I had similar issues with my old Prius, especially during winters in Iowa. I even had frost inside the windows sometimes! I’d keep silica packs in the car and swap them out when they got too wet. It helped a bit. I don’t have those issues as much with my garage-kept EV6, thankfully. The basic steps I mentioned earlier usually take care of it, and I don’t have to use the extra tricks I needed with the Prius.

If the fog is outside, just wipe it off. If it’s inside, turn off outside air intake. If that doesn’t work, check your carpet or cabin air filter for moisture.