1998 Dodge Caravan Logo
Posted on Dec 13, 2008
Answered by a Fixya Expert

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Heater works but defrost fills inside with fog.

Today, after driving a couple of hours, interior warm , all fine, then windows fog up and cannot make any adjustments to clear windshield.
Engine runs fine, heater works, just when I switch to defrost windshield, interior fills with fog.
1993 Dodge Caravan 3.3
Thank you in advance for your assistance
Regards
Van Scott

  • vanity93 Dec 13, 2008

    Thanks for the response...I drove the van down to a shop and the attendant there said the same thing. Heatert core. I am waiting now for a phone call from them with regards to the repair and the cost.

    There is no good time for this but it couldn't be worse for timing...Yikes.

    I know nothing about mechanics but thought I would google some info for my own satisfaction.. This is a great format...Thanks again.

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1 Answer

s60six

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  • Posted on Dec 13, 2008
s60six
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Joined: Dec 12, 2008
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Your heater core has probably sprung a leak.does the fog smell kinda sweet?....check the floor in the front where the floor mats are for moisture or even puddles of antifreeze.(the replacement of a heater core can be very expensive as the entire dash usually needs to be removed to access the heater core)also look under the engine near the firewall for antifreeze drips.

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2000 honda accord heater mode ? auto mode works, defrost mode does not

Is the a/c compressor turning on? When you turn the defroster on, the a/c compressor turns on to help remove moisture from the interior of the vehicle which in turns clears the fogging from the windows. If the a/c doesn't work, the defroster won't either.
tip

Tips for operating Air conditioning system on Toyota Hilux and someother...

To cool off your Toyota after it has been parked in the hot sun, drive with the windows open for a few minutes. This vents the hot air, allowing the air conditioning to cool the interior more quickly.

Make sure the air intake grilles in front of the windshield are not blocked (by leaves or snow, for example).

On humid, do not blow cold air on the windshield. The windshield could fog up because of the difference in air temperature on the inside and outside of the windshield.

Keep the area under the front seats clear to allow air to circulate throughout the vehicle.

On cold days, set the fan speed to high for a minute to help clear the intake ducts of snow or moisture. This can reduce the amount of fogging on the windows.

When driving on dusty roads, close all windows. If dust thrown up b the vehicle is still drawn into the vehicle after closing the windows, it is recommended that the in intake be set to FRESH and the fan speed to any setting except "OFF".

If following another vehicle on a dusty road, or driving in windy and dusty conditions, it is recommended that the air intake be temporarily set to RECIRCULATE, which will close off the outside passage and prevent outside air and dust from entering the vehicle interior.

HEATING

For best results, set controls to;
Fan speed ---- Any setting except "OFF"
Temperature----Towards WARM (red zone)
Air intake ---- FRESH (outside air)
Air flow ---- FLOOR
Air conditioning ---- OFF

For quick heating, select recirculated air for a few minutes. To keep the windows from fogging, select fresh after the vehicle has been warmed.

Press the "A/C" button on for dehumidified heating.

Choose floor/windshield air flow to heat the voltage interior while defrosting or defogging the windshield.

AIR CONDITIONING

For best results, set controls to;

Fan speed --- Any setting except 'OFF"
Temperature --- Towards COLD (blue zone)
Air intake --- (outside air)
Air flow --- PANEL
Air conditioning --- ON

For quick cooling, move the air intake selector to recirculate for a few minutes.

VENTILATION

For best results, set controls to;

Fan speed --- Any setting except 'OFF"
Temperature --- Towards COLD (blue zone)
Air intake --- (outside air)
Air flow --- PANEL
Air conditioning --- ON

DEFOGGING

The inside of the windshield

For best results, set controls to:

Fan speed --- Any setting except 'OFF"
Temperature --- Towards WARM (red zone) to heat; COLD (blue zone) to cool
Air intake --- FRESH (outside air)
Air flow --- WINDSHIELD
Air conditioning --- ON

The outside of the windshield

For best results, set controls to:

Fan speed --- Any setting except 'OFF"
Temperature --- Towards WARM (red zone)
Air intake --- FRESH (outside air)
Air flow --- WINDSHIELD
Air conditioning --- OFF

On humid days, do not blow cold air on the windshield. The windshield could fog up because of the difference in air temperature on the inside and outside of the windshield.

DEFROSTING

The outside of the windshield

For best results, set controls to:

Fan speed --- Any setting except 'OFF"
Temperature --- Towards WARM (red zone)
Air intake --- FRESH (outside air)
Air flow --- WINDSHIELD
Air conditioning --- OFF

To heat the vehicle interior while defrosting the windshield, choose floor/windshield air flow.
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Heater & defroster works fine but inside car windows keep fogging

So you have the vent settings to blow out of the windshield vents and still have fogging?

You can dry out the air more quickly if you use the air conditioner setting. It sounds backwards, but this is exactly what the manual in my older car said to do. (Some cars are electronic control and won't let you do this however - or they do it automatically with the defrost vent settings).

For the older car, I would set the heat to the hottest setting and press in the a/c button. The a/c dries out the air, but it does not have to be set to run cold.

Another thing that could help is to make sure that you do not have the vents set for "recycling" the air. The picture should look like a u shapped arrow. Make sure it is not pressed in.
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If it still fogs when the vents are set properly, you may have a leaky heater core. The heater core is a small radiator that is located under the dash that the heater system blows air through to heat the inside of your car and provide heat to defrost the windshield. The fog may be coming from the heater core leaking hot coolant steam that's being circulated through the defrost system. If this is so, you will need to replace the heater core.
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My windows started to steam up do the moisture outsides and the rain,so I turned on the window defrost button and blast cold air,bu the windows kept fogging up further, I used the windshield wipers to...

to clear the interior of fog you must put the fan on recirc and #3 fan position.with the a/c on HOT.it will clear as soon as any heat from the engine is allowed to the heater matrix to dry out the interior.if you allow fresh air into the car with fogged up glass,they will get worse as the temp is warmer inside the car than out.(they collect condensation).
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leaking heater core. The coolant level may be low also. What it is doing is fogging up the window with the steam coming from the hot engine coolant that runs through your dash board when the heater or defrost is on. This should be under some kind of warranty on an '08.
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