Plain misty for me

It was recently time to trade in our faithful 11 year old Rover. As a regular reader of your column, we replaced it with a 2008 Honda Jazz 1.4 SE that had done 4,000 miles and was in immaculate condition. We are generally very pleased with our choice. However, we cannot understand why the windows and wing mirrors mist up outside with condensation in certain wet or humid atmospheric conditions. We usually keep the air-conditioning on and direct both air vents to the sides and of course use wipes to keep front and rear screens clean.
When we went back to our Honda dealer they were unable to offer any explanation or solution. Have you any suggestions on how we can deal with this disconcerting, not to say dangerous, problem apart from opening and closing the windows while driving which surely can't be necessary?

Asked on 31 October 2009 by

Answered by Honest John
You should never need wipes on any interior glass in a modern car. The vents should clear the glass and wipes will only leave residues that dry and obscure the glass. So there's either something wrong with the ventilation and a/c or you are doing something wrong. First thing, when was the pollen filter last changed? If that's bunged up or sodden, then no external air will reach the interior and that might be the culprit. Second thing, make sure you switch the vents to admit external air, not simply recirculate. Third thing, if it's damp outside and you have the a/c on cool you could get misting outside.
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