Window fogging / defrost

[jblackburn]

epcotbob-

You are not the only Minnesotan with this problem. My Fiancé has a 2011 Cruze LTZ that she purchased used in August of 2012 with the same problem. For the last month I have been reading the other threads that people have started here regarding this issue, in hope that I could figure out a solution. Everything that I have tried has not helped so her car is going into the dealer at 7 a.m. tomorrow. There is no sign of an antifreeze leak present.

With her situation you cannot have the “mode” on anything but full defrost or the driver and passenger windows will completely fog up and the windshield will start to fog (the rear door windows always completely fog regardless of what we've tried). A fan speed of less than 5, with full defrost on; will also result in the driver, passenger, and windshield fogging up. It's been tolerable with only a driver in the car and downright miserable with a passenger. I should mention dangerous as well...

Thanks to the information I gathered from the other threads, I tried cracking a window, varying the temp setting, and turning the a/c on. The only thing that seemed to help was cracking a window. It helped reduce the amount of moisture in the driver/passenger windows but that was it. It would not totally clear them or help clear the rear door windows.

Below are some picture that I took for the dealer after a 2 hour drive with full defrost on, the fan speed varied between 5-6, and the temp varied between 74-80. It is always worse at night and on this particular night cracking a window did nothing. It was just my Fiancé and in the car this night. The windows literally had ice on them. The picture of the passenger side window did not turn out because my garage wall is white but it looked the same as the driver side.

I will report back with what the dealer finds.

That looks like a bad heater core.

[Airfooter]

That looks like a bad heater core.

With a bad heater core would you end up with an oily mist/film on the windshield or not always? I ask because I've taken a dry microfiber cloth and made small pass on the inside of the windshield and no track was left.

[jblackburn]

With a bad heater core would you end up with an oily mist/film on the windshield or not always? I ask because I've taken a dry microfiber cloth and made small pass on the inside of the windshield and no track was left.

Yes, antifreeze would definitely leave some kind of oily mist. I've had a bad heater core on other cars though, and they do end up looking very much like that in the winter...but it should leave some kind of streak on the glass.

I wonder...on fan speed 1, car off...heater control somewhere in the middle, and on a regular vent setting. Push the recirculate button and listen closely for some kind of motor movement behind the dash. A stuck recirculating door or bad HVAC control unit (mine was shorted out) could cause the car to only recirculate air already in the cabin...air that carries a lot of moisture and only the AC evaporator could remove.

There are also vents at the rear windshield to keep fresh air flowing through the car.

Don't be surprised if the dealer tells you they couldn't find any issue. I've had to use my own knowledge of things several times to convince mine there has been an issue with my car. There's clearly something wrong with yours.

[Airfooter]

Yes, antifreeze would definitely leave some kind of oily mist. I've had a bad heater core on other cars though, and they do end up looking very much like that in the winter...but it should leave some kind of streak on the glass.

I wonder...on fan speed 1, car off...heater control somewhere in the middle, and on a regular vent setting. Push the recirculate button and listen closely for some kind of motor movement behind the dash. A stuck recirculating door or bad HVAC control unit (mine was shorted out) could cause the car to only recirculate air already in the cabin...air that carries a lot of moisture and only the AC evaporator could remove.

There are also vents at the rear windshield to keep fresh air flowing through the car.

Don't be surprised if the dealer tells you they couldn't find any issue. I've had to use my own knowledge of things several times to convince mine there has been an issue with my car. There's clearly something wrong with yours.

I have listened for noise when pushing the recirculation button and have heard nothing. When I made the appointment at the dealer last week a technician happened to be standing close by and threw out the idea of unhooking the battery, leave the car sit for 1hr, and then hook the battery back up. He thought that this might reset the HVAC doors. I did exactly what he had said and when I started the car I heard no door movement at all which surprised me. Maybe this was not the proper process to reset the doors though? The only door movement that I can hear is when I change the mode from full defrost to something else and then back to full defrost again.

I hope that the dealer finds a defective part such as the heater core or something wrong with the HVAC unit so that we can put this problem behind us. I have plenty of pictures that I've taken for the dealer and I've documented everything that I've tried so I'm going to hope for the best!

I appreciate your insight!

[grs1961]

When you take it to the dealer, insist on taking the vehicle for a drive with a mechanic or service rep in the car to show them the problem happening.

Not only can you then be sure they know something is wrong, if they try any sort of, "Oh, it happens with all Cruzes," bullshit, you can drop them off in the middle of nowhere and go find another dealer.

[AaronR1074]

In wintertime I've been blasting the heat.. and the windows would fog up. I'd deal with it until it's nice and warm in the car then I'd go into circulation/front window defrost mode. Boom.. problem solved. If I keep it on defrost for most of the trip with the heat on the car tends to stay warm. Although I haven't tried this on a longer than 20 min car ride yet. When it gets a little warmer in the garage this week I'm going to try to windex the inside of the windows to see if that helps.

[blk88verde]

One thing I noticed recently - is the rear window defroster does not clear ice and snow like other cars I have owned. It does clear fog - so I know the element works. I had read the glass on our Cruzes are thicker to reduce outside noise. Wondering if thicker glass is too insulating and not getting warm on the outside. I noticed on other Cruzes on the road with iced up rear windows during the storm we had on 12/26 driving through Northern NJ.

[Pete in PA]

As near as I can tell this is the first GM car I've owned that didn't turn on the compressor to dry the air in defrost mode. You can turn it on yourself. Also new cars have a lot of outgassing of the interior plastics which fogs and coats the windows.

[epcotbob]

epcotbob-

You are not the only Minnesotan with this problem. My Fiancé has a 2011 Cruze LTZ that she purchased used in August of 2012 with the same problem. For the last month I have been reading the other threads that people have started here regarding this issue, in hope that I could figure out a solution. Everything that I have tried has not helped so her car is going into the dealer at 7 a.m. tomorrow. There is no sign of an antifreeze leak present.

With her situation you cannot have the “mode” on anything but full defrost or the driver and passenger windows will completely fog up and the windshield will start to fog (the rear door windows always completely fog regardless of what we've tried). A fan speed of less than 5, with full defrost on; will also result in the driver, passenger, and windshield fogging up. It's been tolerable with only a driver in the car and downright miserable with a passenger. I should mention dangerous as well...

Thanks to the information I gathered from the other threads, I tried cracking a window, varying the temp setting, and turning the a/c on. The only thing that seemed to help was cracking a window. It helped reduce the amount of moisture in the driver/passenger windows but that was it. It would not totally clear them or help clear the rear door windows.

Below are some picture that I took for the dealer after a 2 hour drive with full defrost on, the fan speed varied between 5-6, and the temp varied between 74-80. It is always worse at night and on this particular night cracking a window did nothing. It was just my Fiancé and in the car this night. The windows literally had ice on them. The picture of the passenger side window did not turn out because my garage wall is white but it looked the same as the driver side.

The AQS and recirculation buttons have been off. Maybe fresh air is still not able to get in?

I will report back with what the dealer finds.

Wow, it looks like yours is fogging quite a bit more than mine. Mine fogs more in the beginning of the drive, requiring running defrost at level 5, but then clears and I can reduce the fan speed and go to mixed floor/defrost after a while.

For me, I'm now thinking it's just me getting used to a smaller car.....yours looks like a real problem that needs fixing.

[Airfooter]

For me, I'm now thinking it's just me getting used to a smaller car.....yours looks like a real problem that needs fixing.

I picked up the Cruze 3 hours after dropping it off at the dealership this morning. They found that the gear on the inlet actuator had fallen off. I drove it 1 hour by myself this afternoon, a 1/2 hr with my Fiance this afternoon, and so far so good. I really enjoyed being able to have heat on the floor and not having to roll down the windows to switch lanes!