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  #1  
Old 07-05-2019, 07:50 AM
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Exclamation Windows fogging up in cold weather

I’m having some issues with condensation on the inside windows, but this only happens on cold days (45 degrees and lower).

I’ve to the A/C set to “auto”, the snowflake is “on”, and the recirc is on the “circle with arrows” mode. After a while all the windows start fogging up.

If I turn ON recirculating (i.e. allow outside air into cabin) then the fogging reduces and eventually disappears. I don’t like letting outside air in because of the awful smell and exhaust fumes from other vehicles. I don’t allow this in my other bmws an they don’t seem to have any trouble.

I’ve replaced the cabin air filter recently, I didn’t notice any issues. As far as I can see no drainage holes from above are blocked.

What gives? Car is a 2005 E53 4.8is
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  #2  
Old 07-05-2019, 08:49 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FourPointEight-is View Post
I’m having some issues with condensation on the inside windows, but this only happens on cold days (45 degrees and lower).

I’ve to the A/C set to “auto”, the snowflake is “on”, and the recirc is on the “circle with arrows” mode. After a while all the windows start fogging up.

If I turn ON recirculating (i.e. allow outside air into cabin) then the fogging reduces and eventually disappears. I don’t like letting outside air in because of the awful smell and exhaust fumes from other vehicles. I don’t allow this in my other bmws an they don’t seem to have any trouble.

I’ve replaced the cabin air filter recently, I didn’t notice any issues. As far as I can see no drainage holes from above are blocked.

What gives? Car is a 2005 E53 4.8is
Couple of ideas.
One, the drain may be blocked at the other end, so good to try to check it all out.
Two, a good quality cabin air filter in these cars will get most outdoor smells out - not a skunk (polecat here) but certainly diesel exhaust. I can really tell a difference in this between my X5 (and all of the other BMWs I’ve had with the cabin air filter) and my Dodge Durango (2016 R/T). The Dodge stinks and filters nothing!
Three, you may have moisture in your carpets, or other areas inside (sunroof drains could be a culprit) that you’re not seeing. Running the AC for an extended drive (with a working drain) might dry it out, or I suppose the heat might do that, too, if the moisture isn’t too bad. Else park indoors and leave all windows and sunroof open, with a fan to move air.
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Old 07-05-2019, 09:32 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FourPointEight-is View Post
I’m having some issues with condensation on the inside windows, but this only happens on cold days (45 degrees and lower).

I’ve to the A/C set to “auto”, the snowflake is “on”, and the recirc is on the “circle with arrows” mode. After a while all the windows start fogging up.

If I turn ON recirculating (i.e. allow outside air into cabin) then the fogging reduces and eventually disappears. I don’t like letting outside air in because of the awful smell and exhaust fumes from other vehicles. I don’t allow this in my other bmws an they don’t seem to have any trouble.

I’ve replaced the cabin air filter recently, I didn’t notice any issues. As far as I can see no drainage holes from above are blocked.

What gives? Car is a 2005 E53 4.8is
You have recirculation concept backwards. You should normally have the recirculation set to automatic (light lit on left). Recirculation ON (right side) means keep air inside don't use outside air.

When you recirculate air, (the choice you describe as preferred) this is the normal method to reduce humidity when the AC is running.

The recirc button has three modes: Auto recirc (left light), only recirc (right light) and outside air (no light).

I'm quite sure you are using the control incorrectly from your description above. The automatic mode (left light) is designed to shut off outside air when needed (to help AC reduct humidity and to keep car smells out). Keeping the car on recirculation mode can not work to always keep out car smells FYI; it keeps them in as much as it keeps them out and fresh air is what removes the smells that are in the car, so I leave mine on auto almost always.

From your description you have inside/outside air backwards and have been fogging up by having too much outside air and inadvertently turning on recirculation mode thinking you were turning it off.

The left light (auto recirculation mode) should work to keep down the fogging and to keep out car smells when the AUC sensor notices them, but to force inside air, make sure the right light (recirculation air) is lit.

Oh also, the AC will only run when cold if you have defrost picked as the output mode and the temp is high enough above freezing. If you are fogging up and have the heat on you either need to run defrost to use the AC evaporator (example I run AC and heat always when it's raining out to keep the humidity down in the cabin). Also, OPPOSITE of when you are using AC in summer, when running heat and NOT AC in winter or when cold out, recirculating air will tend to cause the windows to fog because the humans are adding moisture to the air inside the cabin. Sit inside a car in the cold for a while and all the windows will be foggy from the breath of the people inside.

When not using AC/defrost you can't use full recirculation air in any car when it's cold outside or you will fog the windows. So, probably all you need to do is get the left light lit on the air control switch and it will fix itself… if that doesn't work you may have a problem with the AUC system or in/out flap though i doubt that based on your description your in/out air is working you just have it backwards how it functions.
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Last edited by andrewwynn; 07-05-2019 at 09:43 AM.
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Old 07-05-2019, 10:53 AM
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I would add to Andrew's full explanation the following observation: The only time I ever had a fogging problem turned out to be a low charge problem. Everything sounded like it was working but no actual air was blowing because the evaporator had iced up and blocked flow. You could hear the fan but not feel the airflow.
A simple recharge returned normal operation and the AC shop did the whole purge, leak check, oil/refrigerant recharge for $95.
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Old 07-05-2019, 10:57 AM
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Except this is a case of not when hot… evap won't be running unless the defrost is on. I think this is a simple case of using recirc with heat when cold and human breathing inside the closed space of the car. outside air is required to prevent fogging when cold.
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Old 08-02-2019, 06:25 PM
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Another 4 hour drive today in low temperatures and I had to deal with unpleasant fumes the whole way to keep the interior unfogged.

With the compressor running, and then the cold air being passed over the heater core should remove the humidity from the air, which as condensation is then evacuated through the drain. But in my case it seems like the humidity isn’t being removed which is why I must open the vent to accept fresh air from outside.

I just did another trip (ambient air about 8 deg C which is about 45 deg F) and I tried setting recirc on “A” and also setting reirc to fully open (I.e. no LEDs lit on the recirc button). Both keep the car warm AND don’t fog up the interior but both let unpleasant odours into the cabin.

Every other car I’ve owned (including my E82), I never had to do this. I keep the vent closed and climate control on auto, compressor on and don’t have any problems with fogging.

It’s almost like the compressor/ evap won’t engage, and the air isn’t being “conditioned” - just cabin air being heated via the heater core then being blown through the cabin with humans breathing - which increases humidity and leads to fogging.

Ive also noticed this to be a problem on longer trips as well. Shorter trips like 45 to an hour this is not a problem, it’s only when I’ve been driving for more than an hour.

So the only thing I can possibly do is to invest in a quality activated carbon filter? Even then I’m very sensitive to smells and I highly doubt that the filter can fully remove all unpleasant smells from the environment.

Honestly, it seems like something is broken. However if I press the defrost button, it opens the vent, puts the fan speed to max. But then we’re back at square 1 with unpleasant smells invading the cabin.
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Old 08-02-2019, 09:20 PM
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Unless the requested temp is cooler than ambient there is no reason for the compressor to kick on unless defrost is requested.

On other cars that didn't fog up means they didn't have a very tight recirculation. Outside air or compressor running are the only way to avoid fogging when the dewpoint is higher than the temp in the car.

Look for a higher grade cabin filter the X5 has a huge filter I could see it possible to find a filter that will help.

Look at the house high efficiency filters that take out smoke particles you can maybe make your own.


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Old 08-02-2019, 09:23 PM
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Sadly the defrost button will kick the fan to full power but did you try to turn down the speed after hitting defrost?
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Old 08-03-2019, 12:33 AM
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The defrost button maxes out the fan but it opens the vent.. puts it on “A” which lets unpleasant odours into the cabin. If I close the vent manually it kicks off the LED on the defrost button.

I’ll look for a carbon filter. I just got the cheapest nastiest air filter they had over at Pelican because I never use the “fresh air” option (which is a bit of a misnomer - there’s no “fresh air” out there. It’s diesel and petrol fumes!)
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Old 08-03-2019, 04:31 AM
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Here ya go...

https://www.sparesbox.com.au/vehicles/bmw/x-series/?Category[0][0]=Filters&Category[1][0]=Cabin%20Filters

Several activated carbon options there....
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