Anti-fog?

[Dan GTX]

On Monday we got quite a bit of awesome weather here and I was out and about pretty much all day. One major problem I ran into though: Windshield fogging. I've tried cleaning my windshield (as I was told just the inside of a windshield being dirty causes problems), but it still got pretty bad if I even got a little bit of water inside the truck. It was bad enough that I almost couldn't keep driving cause I couldn't see. Running heat only helped a LITTLE and made it very uncomfortable, and I don't have a working A/C yet. Trying to balance the temperature in the truck is tough enough...

What could I use on the inside to help stop, or at least reduce, fog buildup? I've read about Rain-X Anti-Fog, but many reviews say it increases glare during the day. Some say a simple white vinegar/water solution is best.

Ideas?

 

[joel ewing]

Hi Dan. You can ask my chase partners Doren Berge or Warren Faidley....I won't say I'm "anal" (because I hate using that word as a description) but I'm a REAL stickler for keeping any chase vehicle I'm associated with clean and orderly. For years I've used Rain-X's exterior windshield product for not only the windshield, but every window on the vehicle as well as all the headlights, foglights, backup lights, etc. etc. All you chasers who have core punched or been in some of the insane precip/flooding events we tend to get into know the value of having that moisture glide off of your windshield and headlights. I also use Rain-X's anti-fog product, and swear by it. I've never encountered the problems of glare during the daylight that you've heard. BUT....and I truly think this is the key....I always start out with a freshly-cleaned pristine surface, whether it be the inside or outside glass. As you can tell, I'm a bigtime believer in getting this done prior to EACH chase. It's a tiny bit of effort and a small price to pay for potentially saving your life when chase situations deteriorate.

 

[STexan]

All of the cleaning in the world isn't going to help much if you have no means to dry the air on the inside of the vehicle (a/c) and you're in/out of varying climate conditions. RainX-anti-fog can help for a time but getting your a/c fixed is the only thing that is going to solve your issue.

 

[Andy Jackson]

I would agree with STexan, usually the fogging occurs when you drive through temperature changes that are storm relative. Usually when you are located near the core and temps drop or when you change from core to inflow area. What works for me is just cranking the defrost fan up this can be set either cold or warm.

 

[Eric Whitehill]

For my windshield, I use the same stuff that keeps my hockey visor from fogging up.

It's similar to the stuff found here: http://www.hockeygiant.com/osfogspry.html

Hope this helps.

 

[Ryan McGinnis]

Echoing the "fix your AC" comments. The AC compressor is what makes your defrost vent setting work.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Another vote for the AC fix - I don't think I'd have ever made it through a single chase without the ability to defog the windows. Since window fogging has a tendency to happen so suddenly during a chase, I'd say it's a critical driving safety issue as well.

 

[Stuart Wilson]

Make sure your pollen filter is also fresh and isn't clogged which will stop the demister doing it's job.

 

[Dan GTX]

I am going to be getting the A/C fixed soon enough, probably within the next week or two.

@Joel: I use Rain-X on the exterior often and I love how well it works, I just kept hearing mixed reviews about it on the inside. I'm curious, now, as to whether or not those with bad experiences simply weren't using it right or something... lol

@Eric: I've heard a few people using that or something similar. I thought about it, but it seems like it may be a pricey solution (although, how pricey would it be if I couldn't see while driving...).

Thanks for the info, all. I tried the "old trick" of using white vinegar with water (as it's just a non-soap way of cleaning), and took time to re-detail all the glass inside and out, so I'll see how that works. If it doesn't, at least I have some other things to perhaps try. ^.^