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Condensation Inside Vehicle

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by Friendlyx, Jan 12, 2019.

  1. Friendlyx

    Friendlyx Member

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    Hey everyone! A few months ago i posted this on here and people helped me figure out that somehow water was getting into the Prius 2015 from the car-wash. I was getting the most "premium" car wash which included the undercarriage wash too, and i checked and the only place that was wet was the floor. I even checked all the rubber around the doors and stuff and nothing looked ripped or anything. I could only assume it got in through the bottom of the floor at that point. I let it go because i let the carpet dry and left the windows down for 3 days and everything seemed dry.

    However, recently I've noticed that the car gets condensation on the inside, particularly on the windshield. I notice it more in the mornings and usually more when i don't drive the car for a whole day. One time i parked the car for two days and when i got into the car the next morning it had so much condensation on the inside that the car took a few minutes to get it down so i could see. Could this mean the car is still wet somehow? I've never had any condensation on my 2006, so i'm worried about there being water still in the car. I live near Sacramento,CA so it doesn't get that bad, but like i said I've never had this much condensation inside the two other cars before, and i made sure the windows are fully rolled up at night too.

    Thanks in advanced!


    Post in November: Condensation under Husky Floor Mat - Prius 2015 | PriusChat
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i get a lot of condensation on the windshield, maybe it's a gen 3 phenomenon. are the carpets still dry?
     
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  3. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    Our 2010 gets a fair bot of condensation :(.

    Requires the front defrost to be on most of the time I'm driving:cool:.

    Hopefully it doesn’t speak to an over abundance of hot air from the driver:oops:.

    Id say it is somewhat normal for the area especially since the fog has been rollin in recently indicating a high moisture content in the air(y).
     
  4. Threej

    Threej Member

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    I haven't seen this talked about here much, but my opinion is the Gen 3 has a bit of a problem of water leaking into the trunk.

    My anecdotal evidence of this is that when I was Prius shopping, 5 of the 5 priuses I looked at had puddles of water in the trunk, after my friend advised me to check due to his own water he found in his.

    To check, take out the false floor in the trunk, and remove the spare tire. See if any water has gathered in the wheel well, and also in the container for the 12volt battery.

    I'd be curious if you find anything down there contributing to your condensation.
     
  5. Friendlyx

    Friendlyx Member

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    I just checked again for giggles, and the rear carpet is wet again. I don't understand how it's getting wet. I fully dried it and left it even a couple more days to air out afterwards. The front seats aren't wet (yet). The truck isn't wet or even where the tire is at. I don't know where the water is coming from if it wasn't even rained that bad lately here. Any thoughts?
     
  6. Friendlyx

    Friendlyx Member

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    Hey! I checked in the rear and it isn't wet surprisingly with my luck. I still don't know the cause of what is causing my carpet to get wet though.
     
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  7. Friendlyx

    Friendlyx Member

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    Yeah! I've seen the fog too especially in the morning, but i don't think it should be causing my carpet to get wet again, so the mystery is on still as it's going to ruin my car eventually and i don't even know what to do.
     
  8. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    I’d put the car up on stands or inspect all components that seal for signs or wear.

    If the carpet is wet, that is not normal. It could be many things, but there is an explainable cause. Just need to investigate.
     
  9. Friendlyx

    Friendlyx Member

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    I've inspected all the seals around the doors and the hatchback and they all look brand new to me. I'll lift the car today and see if i can see anything under the car.
     
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  10. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    I’d check in the rear wheel well too as there could be a crack or intrusion point there.
     
  11. Friendlyx

    Friendlyx Member

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    I checked where the tire is at and i found patches of this, could this have anything to do with it? It's harden though, not like soft in the picture What is it?

    [​IMG]
     
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  12. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    Here’s a pic from the outside of the rear wheel well on our 2010:

    B6DA5A8C-43BE-4900-9E99-F6EE416B3491.jpeg 543C5991-BA8A-422C-85F8-88C6E59E29E0.jpeg

    Look for gaps or cracks there.

    Maybe something had been hit as road debris along the way and you have your water intrusion point.
     
  13. Friendlyx

    Friendlyx Member

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    [​IMG]
    Hey! So i went and checked and they don't look like yours, mine seem to have cracks in them? Could that be the cause? I am so confused because when i was going through the car wash, it would have like foamy water (soap water) in the bottom of the front seat too, so did the water travel that far from the rear to the front? [​IMG] I took a few pictures, let see what your take is on it.

     
    #13 Friendlyx, Jan 13, 2019
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2019
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  14. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    Seeing that and having water in the cabin on the floor, I’d take the interior apart and examine the inside of those surfaces.
     
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  15. Friendlyx

    Friendlyx Member

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    Do you know anyone who has done anything similar or where to start?
     
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  16. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

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    Water can get into the back of the Gen 3 through the tail light mounting area. There are body seams behind the lamps, so either they aren't sealed correctly or the seals between the lamps and the body may be leaking. It could be something as simple as loose nuts holding the lamps onto the body.
     
  17. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    I’ve taken apart the back several times in our 2010, most recently for rear shocks;).

    A couple of bolts and clips and the trim is off:).

    But investigate and let us know what you find(y).
     
  18. BZzap!

    BZzap! Senior Member

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    For foamy water to get into the rear floor area there is probably a door that’s not sealing. The best thing you can do is to sit in the car and observe while someone takes a water hose to the door gaps and the windows. It’s a 2 man job to look for water leaks. Too bad the car wash place won’t let you sit in the car when it passes through the blower dry faze. The interior gets pressurized under those conditions.
    P.S. Has this car ever been in a collision?
     
  19. Kenny94945

    Kenny94945 Active Member

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    FWIW...sometimes seals/ weather-strips look good but are not tight enough against
    the panel.

    To test one can take a stripe of paper, close the panel, and see if the paper is tight
    or is removable.

    There are multiple techniques to tighten the weather-strip tension to the panel.

    Good luck.
     
  20. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    have you owned the car since new? any accidents?