28 replies to this topic

[robminibcy]

Hi, As im sure most people are well aware minis like to steam up on anything other than lovely sunny days.

Has anyone got and diy cures for this? Ive been thinking about getting a dehumidifier like caravans have in an attempt to reduce how much moisture they seem to be able to hold!

[Owsty]

just wind your windows down and freeze to death   or i got some dehumidifier bags and put one on my parcel shelf my mini still steams up but its not as bad 

[DEXISWOLF]

icey and windy drive home for me usually

[Lennyliverpool]

I also got some dehumidifier bags from ebay and though not perfect does help somewhat

[lyndseyp27]

wind deflectors and window down a tiny bit :)

[DomCr250]

Make sure the fresh air inlet hose to the heater is sucking air from outside and not inside the car - makes a big difference. 

 

It's a mini and 'windows down' is a must - where else can you rest your arm.

[Down&Out]

Dehumidifier is probably your best bet. I dehumidified my entire interior, carpet the lot, while it was out, and did the inside of the car too but it still steams up!

[Harrison541]

I drive everywhere with the window down slightly, works much better than any demister. 

 

I just have to wear two coats when it gets cold...

[mrbridger]

Try a bag of cat litter in the rear footwell.

[AVV IT]

As above, make sure that your heater fresh air intake duct is attached and isn't leaking, also make sure that the air vents at either end of the dash are open, and check the condition of the ducts under the wings to make sure you're getting maximum fresh air/ventilation from the front of the car.

Failing that, just buy yourself a hat, gloves, and a scalf and drive with the window down all winter! (Which reminds me, having just had to drive thirty miles with the window down, in near freezing temperatures this evening, I really must get rid of that air lock in my heater circuit!)

[puggered]

I think all minis leak, some more than others lol. I have taken my wife's 1992 cooper off the road because its leaking live a sieve and replaced it with my 1977 mini 1000 as the leaks on that are minimal. Once I've dried her car out and found exactly where its leaking from I'll try and seal it then put it back on the road again

[HarrysMini]

Misting is usually because of the fact Minis leak. Moisture builds up in the carpets and gets on your windows.

 

If you strip your carpet out and put it out to dry/let it air for a bit it will probably improve the situation, you might want to check all the seals and replace where necessary as well.

 

Some rubber mats in winter or where your feet are more likely to be wet are a good idea, then the moisture just sits on the mat and doesn't soak into your carpets. Then just use an old towel to dry up the rubber mats when they get wet.

 

Dehumidifier bags are good as well. I have three; one in each door pocket and one on the parcel shelf. They only cost a few quid but work surpassingly well.

 

As AVV IT said, give your heater and ventilation system a good service as well. Duct tape all the joints in all the ducting to make it air tight and brush out your heater unit and matrix (matrix might even need replacing). The foam seals in the heater unit can break away causing air leaks. It's a good opportunity to give your cooling system a flush and fluid replacement as well.

The reason why Mini heaters/demisters don't seem to work well is because all your air is just leaking out all of the joins, then by the time it gets to the window vents there's not much left.

[JimminyBob]

I coated my windows with a thin layer of undiluted washing up liquid and it actually improved things a lot, had to be topped up every now and again though.

[puggered]

I coated my windows with a thin layer of undiluted washing up liquid and it actually improved things a lot, had to be topped up every now and again though.

I used to use this old trick many years ago on the buses, shaving foam or a bar of soap done the same job when your demisters didn't work lol

[AVV IT]

One year I bought some of that anti mist stuff from the motor show, that you rub on a cloth and polish the inner surface of the windows with. It worked really well too and when I got in the car the next morning, my screen and windows were crystal clear! The trouble was that damp trapped air will always condensate somewhere, and I'd forgot to put the stuff on the inside of the sunroof, which I soon discovered as soon as I drove over a speed ramp and it started raining inside the car!