Archived foggy instrument panel glass???

[hmickelson]

Early morning start up starts right up as soon as the panel says I can turn the key, but????the instrument panel glass is foggy on the inside. Perhaps a leak to the interior of the dash or some other source? I know it is not the heater or a coolant leak. this goes away after running about 15 miles. It is outside and has been in heavy rains about three or four weeks ago. Haven' washed it lately. Oh, I had the top refinished after taking it down to bare shiny metal(rust removal).



Has any one had an experience that may help Hugh

 

[jrollins]

I bet that in those resent rains the truck just got very damp, with a truck of that age it could be a thousand reasons, and I really wouldn’t worry about it too much. Basically the humidity inside the truck was very high probably and some water vapor condensed in the panel, that’s what’s causing it and it may take a while to evaporate all the condensation. why it only does it in the morning is because the temp inside the truck is more consistent with the dew point temp after the truck has set overnight (i. e. : this is why u usually have fog outside in the morning). It may take a while to dissipate the condensation on the inside of the glass due to it being a mostly sealed unit, plus it doesn’t take much water vapor to fog up that small area. Basically the way I see it u have 2 choices, either live with the problem until the moisture does completely evaporate or tear down the panel and dry all the internal surfaces.

 

[Sticks]

You could also put one of those moisture collectors that you find in a bottle of Aspirin/Vitamins. Jus tape it in a corner of the instrument panes behind the glass if it is easy to get to. Then remove it after a couple of weeks. Just a brain storm.



If you do tear it down completely, make sure you get a good seal around everything you close in so you don't have additional moisture humidity/seepage. I would guess that the trick is to seal it up in a LOW humidity environment. If you open it all up, dry it, and seal it all back up while the ambient humidity is high, you won't accomplish much.

 

[fest3er]

If the display is a single unit and you are desparate to clear out the water, you can try a novel approach.

Buy a quantity of Drisorb (clay used to absorb oil spills in garages). Heat your oven to 225 degrees, and fill a large baking sheet with the clay. Put it in the oven for, oh, an hour to bake out all the water. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Once cool, pour it into a trash bag large enough to hold it and the panel.
Wrap the panel in a lightweight cloth, put it in the bag with the clay, then seal the bag.

Let it sit overnight. By morning, the clay should have absorbed most or all of the moisture. Re-install the panel. You should be good to go.

Fest3er

 

[Ron Bissett]

Check for water under the floor mats ,use a small fan on low speed to dry out under the dash over night . water vapor could be comming from wet boot/shoes or leak in rear window or cargo stop light . Heat will take some time to remove water from under the carpet and under the dash could take some time . Ron in louisville Metro? KY

 

[BillGotthelf]

If you live in Fla. where we get afternoon t-storms every day in the summer (swamp) you learn about Damp-Rid. It is sold everywhere (cheapest at Home Depot). It comes in plastic containers and it will dry out your whole truck overnight. Buy the large cannister and place on floor by brake pedal, in the am remove and dump out water.

 

[Ben Rumson]

Leave your windows down a bit

Cold winter air is very DRY - much drier than warm summer air.



Leave your windows down a bit when you park your truck and give the evaporating moisture some place to go. Mother nature will do the rest. If you can, roll them all the way down and let the truck sit in the sun somewhere. Just the dry air passing through the truck will help wick the moisture away suprisingly well.



Keeping the windows up will turn your cab into a tererrium (sp?).



Any time I get lots of snow and slush on the floormats or wet clothing on the back seat, I ALWAYS leave the windows down a bit when I shut it down for the night or park it while we go hunt up another gully or two.



It's gotta have a place to go.

 

[hmickelson]

Thank You All for posting you thoughts about the moisture. Will take all of your suggestions except the dismantling of the dash. You Deiselers came through like gangbusters as usual. H