So, I was just listening to today’s archived show and heard the frustration in Andrea’s voice - she also has a Honda that has an extraordinary amount of moisture inside her car which makes it so cloudy, it is hard to see. In the last few weeks of extreme cold, the moisture has actually frozen inside even though the defroster is on full blast, and both the fresh air and recirculate settings have been tried. Please note: I am a middle-age driver and have owned many cars - most of them Hondas, however this is my first (and likely last!) Honda Fit. This is absolutely the first time I have experienced this problem to this extent. Can there be another reason that this particular car has so much internal moisture? A leak, a seal, something? PS - I do not enter the car soaking wet or practice heavy breathing while driving!
I’ll say right now I didn’t listen to today’s archived show
Anyways, do you have a sticky film on the front windshield?
If you do, your heater core’s leaking
If it’s just condensation, here’s a possibility
The front windshield needs to be resealed . . . that is, removed, resealed, and reinstalled
You need to put the HVAC system into “fresh air” mode and leave it there. It may take some time to dry things out. Leave the windows open a little when you park it for the night to encourage the process.
As db4690 said, if there’s no greasy/sticky film on the windshield, the moisture is from rainwater getting in from the outside. And there are many places it can leak from in addition to bad windshield seals. I’ve had water come through the firewall where body panels were improperly sealed, and through a pinhole in the roof gutter sealant.
After a rain check your floor carpets for wetness to see if you can find where it’s coming in. Then peel back carpets and remove plastic panels and trim if necessary. Unfortunately leaks like these can be extremely difficult to track down. But it can be done with persistence.
You didn’t say what year your Fit is. But here are other Fit owners with leaks and your Fit may have the same issue:
On a very cold say, your breath is adding to the burden of moisture on the inside. On a rainy day, as you and your wet clothes warm up, same thing. You should be using fresh air, A/C on (will probably be on automatically in defog mode), and the warmest setting you can without cooking yourself.
If you have a “maple syrup” smell in the cabin and everything is fogging up, you may have a heater core leak, which will make it nearly impossible to clear the windows and is probably not too healthy to be breathing in.
Also, some cars definitely have more powerful ventilation systems than others. Not sure how the Fit’s rates.
Kicking the snow off your feet before you get in, opening a rear window a bit, leaving on defrost, and as mentioned above making sure recirculate is not on are things I have found helpful in dealing with moisture problems not due to a leaking heater core.
Some cars seem more prone to frosty inside windows than others.
Make sure the intake is clear of snow.
Since we started getting a little snow in Minnesota that is tracked into the garage and melts, the moisture level inside the car is quite a bit higher. So when I drive it a short distance and park it for an hour or so such as for church, I come out and the windshield and inside windows are full of frost. I need to run the defrosters for 5-10 minutes to be able to see to drive again. So increased moisture in the winter time is normal and unless you drive it for a while to dry it out, you’ll get fog or frost.
Assuming you’ve got a good set of heavy rubber floor mats that capture all the water on yours and passenger’s shoes.
The dampness must be coming from somewhere. See if you can temporarily pull up the carpeting in various areas, front seat and back, notice any dampness under or on the carpeting or underlayment? Do the same in the trunk area, especially look carefully in all the low spots, like where the spare tires goes.