'99 v70R AWD foggy windows

I picked up a nice v70R AWD a couple of months ago and now that it's
getting cold in the morning I'm having a trouble with foggy windows.
The *right* side of the windshield and passenger doors fog up when the
heater is on. If the AC is turned on it defrost mode it clears it up.
There is also a bit of a funny smell that I associate with using the
heater. It doesn't exactly smell like coolant so I'm hoping there is
another explanation than a leaky heating coil in the climate control.
I'm not looking forward to the 12hr job pulling the dash apart if that's
the case.

Maybe I'll be lucky and the drain is plugged for the right side. Where
is it and how can it be cleaned out? Anything else to check before
tearing the dash open?

-K

 

I would strongly suspect a leaking heater core, what's the smell smell like?

 

It is the heater core that is causing your problem it is not a 12 hour
job the dashboard does not get removed @ most 3 hours
Glenn

--
"*-344-*Never Forgotten"
Is for the New York City Firemen who lost their lives on September 11,2001.
The official count is 343, but there was also a volunteer who lost his life
aiding in the initial rescue efforts. And I will never forget them as
long as I live,
nor should any American.

 

It's hard to describe. Waxy. Not what I think of colant smelling like.
Sounds like I should investigate the heater core though... I read it
was a massive job somewhere and that the whole dash had to be
dissambled. Glad to hear it's only a 3hr job.

-K

 

It really depends on the car, in some it truly is a massive job, in
others it's not so bad. It's never easy though.

The fog pretty much gives it away, remember also that the coolant may
mix with other stuff when it leaks which can make it smell different.

 

When the air outside is cold, DON'T use recirculate. Even cold foggy
outside air is dryer than the warm inside air and letting outside air
come in will eliminate the fogging problem.

When the outside air is not cold, you must use the AC when the defrost
is on. This is normal. The AC will dehumidify the air.

This can be caused by shutting the car off with the AC on. Volvo's
solution on newer models is to have the AC/heater fan kick on after the
water has drained out of the AC housing. They do have sprays they can
use to eliminate the smell. They are anti-fungal sprays.

This is also a problem. You usually get water on the passenger floor
mat and sometimes the passengers legs when the drain is plugged. Usually
the dealer can put it on a lift and clear it in a couple seconds. I
haven't figured out where it is.

 

But he said only the vent on the right side is fogging the windows, I
suppose there could be another explanation but it sure sounds like a
heater core to me.

 

It sounds like a loose duct hose to me. The heater core leak should
affect the entire cabin.

 

It's not that there isn't airflow, just that the airflow is obviously
very humid on the right side. It's probably is a leaky core. I was
worried about the misinformation I'd picked up that it was a 12hr job
otherwise I'd have already opened it up.

-K

 

Heater core for sure - just had my new-to-me '99 XC done.

Luckily I found this when my shop told me the whole dash had to be taken
apart:

http://www.volvospeed.com/vs_forum/index.php?showtopic=9717&hl=Jeater

Looks so easy that if it hadn't been so cold, I'd have done it myself,
but as it took the shop only 2 hrs (they said they'd get it down to 1.5
with more practice with this method) it wasn't a bad deal at all at a
little over 200 bucks inc. the core.

 

Mine was worse on one side too, but definitely was the core - I think
it's the dual climate control that causes uneven fogging.