This is a problem we've had since we bought the car (9000 CSE auto lpt with climate control) in 98. Is it a common problem? Nobody has been able to fix it? If the outside temperature is 4c or below the car windows start to rapidly steam up. I realise the compressor doesn't come on at those sorts of temperatures. The only fix I have is to put the blower on full pelt directed up to the windscreen the moment I get in the car. This only works with one or two people in. Any more and we get steamed up anyway. If I forget within half a mile we're steamed up and it won't clear. I've had a replacement heating matrix but no Saab garage has been able to sort it. Has anybody else had this problem, and if so have they found a solution?
Firkin
IMHO it is one of two things:
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[*]1) The recirculating control is not functioning and you are not drawing in any fresh air, but recycling the stuff in the car - you'd be surprised how quickly it can steam up.
[*]2) There is water trapped in the heater plenum chamber and you are continually drawing in damp air.
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HTH
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[*]1) The recirculating control is not functioning and you are not drawing in any fresh air, but recycling the stuff in the car - you'd be surprised how quickly it can steam up.
[*]2) There is water trapped in the heater plenum chamber and you are continually drawing in damp air.
[/list]
HTH
Hi Firkin
Another possibility is like what happened on my 9k.Lift the back seats up and feel the carpet underneath them to see if its wet!!!
What happened on my car is rain water was overwelming the rear boot seals and was seaping into the boot.Because I park on a slopped drive the water ran through the boot under the back seat and into the rear foot well .
when I got into the car the water would start to dry up the evaporation resulted in steamed windows (same principal as the heater matrix leaking).
This is a quick fix job if thats the route of the problem
Another possibility is like what happened on my 9k.Lift the back seats up and feel the carpet underneath them to see if its wet!!!
What happened on my car is rain water was overwelming the rear boot seals and was seaping into the boot.Because I park on a slopped drive the water ran through the boot under the back seat and into the rear foot well .
when I got into the car the water would start to dry up the evaporation resulted in steamed windows (same principal as the heater matrix leaking).
This is a quick fix job if thats the route of the problem
I dunno about saabs as I am new here but...
I once had a carlton that did the same thing. It was caused by the aircon condensor being stuck on (or off I cant remember) anyway the result was a really cold surface made by the refridgeration part of the aircon and when it met with the heater it condensed all the water in the air onto the heater, which in turn blew it around the car as steam. In the case of mine it was to do with the Aircon not having been used (due to a [expletive deleted] summer) and it materialised when the weather got cold and i started usign teh heater part of the climate control more and more. I solved it by running the car withthe aircon on for an hour ( I didnt sit in it as it was pretty cold). I dont knwo if you can do that in a saab with its climate control system, maybe be you can overirde a therostat somehwere. My mate who is a mechanic said all this was impossible but he told me to try it anyway. It worked for a few motnhs and then i had to do it again. Eventually teh aircon just packed up all together but so did the rest of the car so it was off to teh scarp heap in the sky. I dont knwo if this will help at all but there you have it
Good luck I hate steamy cars so I hope you solve it.
Tom
I once had a carlton that did the same thing. It was caused by the aircon condensor being stuck on (or off I cant remember) anyway the result was a really cold surface made by the refridgeration part of the aircon and when it met with the heater it condensed all the water in the air onto the heater, which in turn blew it around the car as steam. In the case of mine it was to do with the Aircon not having been used (due to a [expletive deleted] summer) and it materialised when the weather got cold and i started usign teh heater part of the climate control more and more. I solved it by running the car withthe aircon on for an hour ( I didnt sit in it as it was pretty cold). I dont knwo if you can do that in a saab with its climate control system, maybe be you can overirde a therostat somehwere. My mate who is a mechanic said all this was impossible but he told me to try it anyway. It worked for a few motnhs and then i had to do it again. Eventually teh aircon just packed up all together but so did the rest of the car so it was off to teh scarp heap in the sky. I dont knwo if this will help at all but there you have it
Good luck I hate steamy cars so I hope you solve it.
Tom
I have played with the non-climate and the full ACC systems and found a couple of points may help with diagnosis:
Hot blow: lots of condensation on the windscreen on a cold day. If its cold outside, it's going to be dry air also... take advantage of this and try to replace the cabin air which is going to be comparatively very humid.
Alternatively using a cold - warm mix on recirculation: I am presuming that with the non-climate control system, the crude mixer control allows the similtaneous operation of the compressor and cold air feed with a hot vent mix from the heater core. On recirculation, the cabin air complete with moisture content in part passes over the cooling section and causes the moisture content to condense. Releasing 'dry' air back into the mix. Try pure cold on a cold day - although not a freezing day!
I am assuming that on recirculation, once the cabin temp is very high, selecting a lower temp will activate the cooling system, so the attained high moisture content (warm air carries more moisture) can be stripped over the cooling section.
If as suggested, the problem is that condensate is not being vented, the front windscreen should eventually yield to clear with the effect of warmed glass, but throughout the rest of the car, very steamy windows will develop quickly.
On a long hot journey, the cold recirculation is so good, I believe it could be detrimental to driver concentration, please be careful out there!
These patterns have been observed and used with good results, but are not guaranteed to be generally effective.
Hot blow: lots of condensation on the windscreen on a cold day. If its cold outside, it's going to be dry air also... take advantage of this and try to replace the cabin air which is going to be comparatively very humid.
Alternatively using a cold - warm mix on recirculation: I am presuming that with the non-climate control system, the crude mixer control allows the similtaneous operation of the compressor and cold air feed with a hot vent mix from the heater core. On recirculation, the cabin air complete with moisture content in part passes over the cooling section and causes the moisture content to condense. Releasing 'dry' air back into the mix. Try pure cold on a cold day - although not a freezing day!
I am assuming that on recirculation, once the cabin temp is very high, selecting a lower temp will activate the cooling system, so the attained high moisture content (warm air carries more moisture) can be stripped over the cooling section.
If as suggested, the problem is that condensate is not being vented, the front windscreen should eventually yield to clear with the effect of warmed glass, but throughout the rest of the car, very steamy windows will develop quickly.
On a long hot journey, the cold recirculation is so good, I believe it could be detrimental to driver concentration, please be careful out there!
These patterns have been observed and used with good results, but are not guaranteed to be generally effective.
Whoa hang on!! "alternatively using a cold - warm mix on recirculation:" Could you be a bit more specific so a dunderhead like me knows exactly what to do?
PS can anybody explain trollbooster's suggestion "there is water trapped in the heater plenum chamber and you are continually drawing in damp air." and what I can do about it?
Many thanks
PS can anybody explain trollbooster's suggestion "there is water trapped in the heater plenum chamber and you are continually drawing in damp air." and what I can do about it?
Many thanks
Sorry, been away for the weekend
The heater draws in air through the grille under the windscreen, there is a chamber here that can hold water - I think it is sometimes referred to, somewhat irreverently as "the aquarium". To access this, remove the cover between the base of the windscreen and the false bulkhead. It is possible that the drain holes are blocked. Poke these through and the water should drain.
Do a search on 9000 for "aquarium"
The heater draws in air through the grille under the windscreen, there is a chamber here that can hold water - I think it is sometimes referred to, somewhat irreverently as "the aquarium". To access this, remove the cover between the base of the windscreen and the false bulkhead. It is possible that the drain holes are blocked. Poke these through and the water should drain.
Do a search on 9000 for "aquarium"
It's not sufficient just to look in the aquarium. You need to look in the heater box itself. The easy way is to remove the ACC fan speed controller which fits through the top of the heater box, but make sure you have the ignition turned off and disconnect the wiring loom to the speed controller before you remove it as it has a 12V supply to the external surface (no I don't know why either!).
Shine a light through the hole and you will be able to see the fan on the nearside and a drain in the bottom. The drain pipe bends on exit and so tends to block up with gunge. If there's water there, clear the drain and the water will drain into the aquarium. There are then two drains, one pointing forward, one backward, from the aquarium down above the steering rack.
By carefull with the ACC speed controller, it's about £130.
Shine a light through the hole and you will be able to see the fan on the nearside and a drain in the bottom. The drain pipe bends on exit and so tends to block up with gunge. If there's water there, clear the drain and the water will drain into the aquarium. There are then two drains, one pointing forward, one backward, from the aquarium down above the steering rack.
By carefull with the ACC speed controller, it's about £130.
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