Foggy guages?! Musty smell?!

[Matt Johnson]

We had first real big rains here in a long time, including a slight drop in temperature, and while they helped to extinguish the devastating wildfires that plagued S. Cal for the last two weeks, I'm wondering if they also brought moisture to my MM...

Yesterday morning when I got into the car, I noticed that both Autometer guages were fogged up! Also there was a musty smell to the car - which I admit could have been my damp wet-suit and fins in the trunk - but I can't rule out the rain.

Anyone else have similar rain/cold issues with the guages? I've only read about the headlights fogging (mine have not).

MJ

[Dr Caleb]

Never heard about the gauges messing up before, but I know my headlights get moisture in them when I pressure wash the car...

Musty smell has to be the wet suit. Or you have dead animals under the hood...

[martyo]

Do NOT use the car for scuba diving. It will definitely lead to fogged up gages!!

[dwasson]

I had a problem with a water leak. The alarm installer ran a wire from the cockpit through the firewall and left the grommet off. When the rain came in a few points off the bow the drivers side footwell would fill up with water. Look for wet carpet. You may have a leak. :help:

[cyclone03]

My aftermarket Autometer gauges would do this on very cold wet days,but my old hot rod was no way water tight.
Come to think of it I think the gauges in my Marauder did this once when I had wet towels in the trunk....

[Directedby]

Matt -

If your wet suit was in the car or trunk and it was wet, then the moisture from the wet suit would fog up the guages or windows.

This has happened to me with another car with my scuba wet suit, but it fogged up my windows.

Good luck,


Paul

[Bowman9]

I have noticed a mist or fog in my gages also, usally on a cold damp day. The first Marauder I test drove had fogged gages as well.

[SergntMac]

None of the internal gauges are sealed units, so, they will be affected by the weather of the day. BTW, dust will make it's way into the speedo cluster too, and that may be torn down for cleaning. Not easy, not hard, but if it's dirty...

[TripleTransAm]

Originally posted by Bowman9
I have noticed a mist or fog in my gages also, usally on a cold damp day. The first Marauder I test drove had fogged gages as well.


Noticed that my car had a hard time keeping the windows unfogged, while enduring the freezing rain / ice pellets on the way home this evening. Not impressed...

[RCSignals]

That's odd Steve. The heaters/defrosters in these cars usually blast the hot air out like nothing else.

[TripleTransAm]

The temperature was fine... it was the ability of the climate control to dehumidify the interior. I had to keep hitting the rear defroster every 4-5 minutes, if I recall correctly. Might be related to the tint, to be honest...

I was pretty stressed, what with my first drive through ice rain with this car. So perhaps I waited too long to kick in the defroster setting on the climate control.. dunno. Will keep an eye on it.

By the way, the parking lot at work was a complete ice field. Traction control worked marvelously! :up:

[Dr Caleb]

Originally posted by TripleTransAm
... it was the ability of the climate control to dehumidify the interior.

By the way, the parking lot at work was a complete ice field. Traction control worked marvelously! :up:

You can always tell people who own imports and don't read their manuals from others in the winter. They are the ones who have thick ice all over their windows, with a tiny viewing portal chiseled out with which to drive. All they have to do is switch from "Recirc" to "Fresh", to get air from outside the passenger compartment, rather than inside but they don't understand the little picture.

If you don't get fresh air into the interior, what happens is the moisture and condensation from your breath and the normal working of the heat exchanger builds up on the inside of the windows. On cold days, it turns to ice.

If I'm not mistaken, our MM's automatically set to "Recirculate" when it's set to either "Max Air" or "Defrost". All other settings are "Fresh". This is how it works on my Crown Vic, but can't test it on the MM. Try manually setting it to "Flr/Def" or just "Floor" to get the fresh (drier) air in. Just a theory...

I sympathize about the ice though, the only thing the parking lot here is missing are the goal creases and a face-off circle.

How 'bout them Oilers, eh! :lol:

[gilby04]

Dr Caleb,
Defrost, Floor/Defrost, & Norm A/C uses outside air...
Max A/C uses recirculated air...
I had a similar situation that TripleTransAm experienced and it dissipated very quickly when Norm A/C was selected.
Pages 24-25 in Owner's Guide book is fairly accurate.
The ' 02 CV Sport, I had prior to MM, worked the same, I think.