windshield frosted on the inside..brrrrrr!

[osprey]

I have a question about my windshield..its been very cold here the past few nights I have noticed that the inside of my windshield is frosted over,it also takes about 10-15mins to defrost completely. Is this a common problem or not?
Question 2.
When I turn on my lights the radio and buttons below, where the rear defrost is located light up. The heat/ fan control dials do not. The dials only light up when the fan is on. Electrical prob? Could this be why it is taking so long for the windshield to defrost?
I am taking my car in for an oil change on Friday and wanted to get some input/advice for the experts out there before I go.
Thanks

[FineExampl]

I know i don't have the problem, but then again, i don't have Canadian winters here. I find the windows defrost rather quickly, even in the coldest of weather. You have moisture inside the car?? that doesn't sound right.

[Lnzbug]

Do you have it on fresh air or recycled? Recycled will give you frost.

[callisto9]

mine will frost on the inside occasionally. and mine seems to take forever to defrost, too. where's the knob / setting for fresh vs. recycled? have i missed that one?

[Lnzbug]

It's to the right the picture of the bug with an arrow inside forming a U is recycled the one with the arrow coming in the car is fresh. It's a button not a knob

[callisto9]

Originally Posted by lnzbug

It's to the right the picture of the bug with an arrow inside forming a U is recycled the one with the arrow coming in the car is fresh. It's a button not a knob

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! yes! that one. OK. i know what you're talking about now. thanks.

[Lnzbug]

okelee dokelee

[Deserion]

The wedge bulb that's behind the fan speed knob is bad. If you replace it, then the lights for the HVAC will work properly.

-Des

[osprey]

I have looked inside my beetle to see if I have a button or knob with a bug on it with an arrow or U and I cant see one. So I dont know if the air is on recycle or not.
Do you think the moisture from my floor mats could cause all that frost on my windshield? Also why would it take so long to defrost the windshield 15mins?
Thanks everyone!

[FineExampl]

the recycle button is right by your ac knobs. right next to the AC button. it's a little arrow going in a U shape. I only use that in the summertime. same with the AC button. I get heat faster without them i think. anyone wanna conform?

[bluebubble]

yes the moisture on your floor mats will frost up the inside of your windows. last winter mine did this really bad until i took my mats out and hung them to dry for 2 days in my basement. its doing it again this winter (only one day so far) but yea it does take a while for the actual frost on the inside to unfrost....especially with the -4 temps we had here in buffalo on tuesday!! good luck, and definately dry out your mats!

[rcy]

Originally Posted by FineExampl

the recycle button is right by your ac knobs. right next to the AC button. it's a little arrow going in a U shape. I only use that in the summertime. same with the AC button. I get heat faster without them i think. anyone wanna conform?

You should run your A/C for about 10mins a week in the off season. This circulates the oil in the system with the refrigerant which helps keep the seals from drying out and also keeps some oil in the pistons of the compressor. In a lot of other cars (mostly domestic, but I see a lot Japanese doing it now) the A/C will come on by default when defrost is selected. Not so in our cars.

If you have fog on your windows, it's the extra moisture in the air condensing on your windows (it's snowing/raining out and damp in the car, or you have just come in from sledding and are soaking wet). Selecting 'defrost' and then turning on your A/C on will take the moisture out of the air (like in the summer when your A/C removes humidity) and you'll find your windshield clears up way faster than without the A/C.

Just be aware that at really cold temps (I 'think' the Beetle is set for around 2 celsius) the A/C will NOT come on regardless of the switch being pressed in order to protect the compressor. Dunno why, but at colder temps the compressor can be damaged if it's allowed to operate.

Oh, and the recirc button should always be in the 'fresh' mode (button out, not in) during the winter. If it's in recirc all the moisture from your breath, body, clothes, wet dog, wet carpets etc. will build up and you WILL get fog on you windows, which WILL turn to frost when the car is turned off and everything cools to ambient temp. I see this all the time (mostly in older Honda's and Toyota's and the odd Mazda) as some uninformed driver tools around town with the recirc button on and enough frost on his or her inside window to make driving downright unsafe.

I just realized something about our cars. If you push the recirc button in (so it's in recirc) and you then turn your mode dial to defrost, the recirc button is automatically defeated. However, you can still be driving around with the mode to floor or vent and the recirc on which is bad.

My gawd...what a long winded post.

[Bananarama]

I was gonna give a simpler solution....stop having "hanky-panky" in the car and foggin up the windows so they dont frost over...

[osprey]

Originally Posted by rcy

You should run your A/C for about 10mins a week in the off season. This circulates the oil in the system with the refrigerant which helps keep the seals from drying out and also keeps some oil in the pistons of the compressor. In a lot of other cars (mostly domestic, but I see a lot Japanese doing it now) the A/C will come on by default when defrost is selected. Not so in our cars.

If you have fog on your windows, it's the extra moisture in the air condensing on your windows (it's snowing/raining out and damp in the car, or you have just come in from sledding and are soaking wet). Selecting 'defrost' and then turning on your A/C on will take the moisture out of the air (like in the summer when your A/C removes humidity) and you'll find your windshield clears up way faster than without the A/C.

Just be aware that at really cold temps (I 'think' the Beetle is set for around 2 celsius) the A/C will NOT come on regardless of the switch being pressed in order to protect the compressor. Dunno why, but at colder temps the compressor can be damaged if it's allowed to operate.

Oh, and the recirc button should always be in the 'fresh' mode (button out, not in) during the winter. If it's in recirc all the moisture from your breath, body, clothes, wet dog, wet carpets etc. will build up and you WILL get fog on you windows, which WILL turn to frost when the car is turned off and everything cools to ambient temp. I see this all the time (mostly in older Honda's and Toyota's and the odd Mazda) as some uninformed driver tools around town with the recirc button on and enough frost on his or her inside window to make driving downright unsafe.

I just realized something about our cars. If you push the recirc button in (so it's in recirc) and you then turn your mode dial to defrost, the recirc button is automatically defeated. However, you can still be driving around with the mode to floor or vent and the recirc on which is bad.

My gawd...what a long winded post.

Thanks for the info..my recycle button is in the off position..must be the wet mats and the very cold nights. I took my mats in last night and it wasn't quite as bad but again it wasn't as cold as the night before! I was also thinking that it takes me about 15mins to get to work and usually the cars temp goes out mid way..so my car just starts to warm up and I shut it off again, probably the frozen moisture in the mats has unfrozen causing the vapor/condensation to start again.
Thanks again will try the ac.