Can't (and don't) really consider this to be a fault, but its certainly a pain in the a**e. Past couple of days I've been having to dry the windows when I get into my car, morning and night. It's only going to get worse as the sun disappears up here pretty quick.
Crashandburn,
Make sure that your heater is not in the recirculating mode, as this will make it almost impossible to get the windows clear even with the defroster/defoger.
You need fresh outside air to make the defroster work it's best, as benggolf said cracking a window open helps a great deal also.
Andy.
Liquid Yellow Cooper S. Sunroof, Mulifunction Wheel, Climate Control, Heated Seats, DSC, Fog Lights,Xenon Head Lights, Trailer Hitch.
My MINI, even with the aircon off, mists up less than any car I've ever driven. I also live in Scotland - its often cold, and often wet, and yet I've NEVER used the rear screen demister except when its iced up.
I suspect your car may have got damp for some reason...
Also - the main reason I got aircon was for the pouring wet days we get here when 2 warm people with wet coats get in the car, I just love it when the aircon completely demists the car in seconds... I've never had it before and this alone makes that button worth £600!!
benggolf - warm air had the ability to hold more moisture than cold air, and therefore WARM not cold air with A/C will be the best combination to demist the car quickly.
A Little Early Morning Mist...Yes. A Science Experiment...NO!!
If it's been raining hard for a few days and stopped and just about everything else around you has dried up except the inside of your car you could have a leak. But I'm not talking a little leak, I'm talking soaked, ecosystem thriving behind the front seats leak.
...it's also the kind of leak that's hard to miss. Just make sure your windows (and sunroof) are lining up nice and tight.
This is where the CLimate control comes into its own. You just hit one button and it does all the rest, sets fan to max, directs all the air to blow at the windows and unlike the BMW air con that does the same it even turns the rear demisster on aswell! Longest its ever took to clear for me is 2 mins!
The problem with any air-con is that at around 4.Celcius, it switches off. I think it has something to do with freezing the compressor if not.
Therefore, on a cold frosty morning air-con will not function, also on the drive home from work when outside temp hits 4celcius it turns off and 'dumps' all that moisture onto the interior windows.
Not sure what the fix to this is, other than not turning the aircon on in the first place if the outside temperature is dropping.
- Red/White Cooper, Silver wheels, Climate Control, Chili Pack, heated mirrors, CD Boost, Alarm, Heated seats, Factory Tint Windows. Now gone (but not forgotten)
been following most of the tips recommended, even cracking the windows open! (And as I'm sure Rob'll vouch, that can often let more moisture in around here ).
I have noticed an improvement if I make sure that all vents are closed and I've set the heater controls to my feet whenever I leave the car, but I suspect Rob's right and I've just managed to get a damp interior somehow.
Its just kind of embrassing you know? When you get to your car in the car park and it takes 5 minutes mopping the inside of the windows before you can drive off, whilst colleagues in beaten up fiestas get in and go.
Not £1200 + labour kind of embarassing though - ouch!! Double ouch if its going to cut out at the normal early morning and evening temperatures we get.
MINIs dont get condensation. If you have set all the controls to demist and you still have water dripping off the windows then take your car to a dealer and MAKE THEM fix it.
They will need to check that fresh air is reaching the windows. Perhaps a foreign object is blocking the inlet, or perhaps the air recirc flap is malfunctioning? Who knows? If it is a leak, then I guess you would have heard a squelch by now.
Also it is important to check that the air is also ventilating out of the rear of the car. Some cars use a one way rubber flap in the boot. Does anyone know where the MINI stale air exhaust hole is? Perhaps it is stuck?
I had a car that had a recirc flap actuator motor drive shaft snap off. This left the car in permanent air recirculation. About this time of year, when it got colder and wetter, my car was just like yours. It would take ten minutes to clear the screen. If you had a wet coat on and a passenger too then it wouldn't clear at all. Drips of water would fall from the back window. Even the electric demister could not cope.
Once the air recirculation motor was fixed I had no more problems. You can tell if the air recirc flap is functioning correctly as the air speed will slow when fresh air is being drawn in through the pollen filter. in recirc mode the air speed will be faster as there is no resistance. You may hear a motor whir, but that is no proof that it is doing anything.
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), but, alas, 'twas only the once. 
2009 Honda FiT - Sports Pkg. 
2007 Honda 250 Reflex 
replaced a 2001 BRG/White Cooper 
