Windshield won't defrost..

[Gotz Cb7]

So, gonna try and be as detailed as possible.

Just got a new engine installed in March. Problem for the install, was a blown head gasket on the other. I put at least 5 bottles of Bar Leak in the radiator (with the old engine, so I could make it driveable until I get the new engine), but I don't really think that could be the issue with this. I've got my thermostat in (brand new), bought the most expensive one Advance has. Car warms up normally, heat is HOT after about 20-25 minutes. I mean, it warms up normally...but after 20-25 minutes, it gets...HOT. When I try to defrost my windshield......just doesn't work. It's a brand new windshield. It's like, it's trying to defrost....the bottom of the windshield clears, about 4 inches, and I gotta bend down to see the road. I just drove to...and from wal mart, 35 minutes..and it won't defrost. I smell a little bit of anti-freeze here and there, and my dad had an issue with this before, which was a lot worse (smoke coming through the vents..anti-freeze), but my uncle (owner of a 92' accord), told him to put something in the radiator, and it fixed it. I know something's wrong with the heater-core, but I've never really had a problem with it. Never clogged up or anything. Heat's always been hot. I'm not gonna go and replace something that difficult to replace.....if it's not really giving me any heat issues. Even when I turn the A/C on to defrost the windshield, that doesn't work either. Usually that clears it up pretty quick when it's warm outside, and rainy.

edit: No sign of another blown head gasket. Anti-freeze level stays the same. Doesn't smoke. Nothing in the oil. Exhaust has no scent of anti-freeze (been through a blown head gasket before, so I'm 110% positive that isn't what this is). Temperature of the car stays in the middle. Car's warm, cause heat is warm/hot.

[lokuputha]

try Rain-X.

you said you got a new windshield; maybe the glass was not treated to be water-repellent.

this on the inside of the windshield,



and this on the outside:



also, check and see if the "re-circulation" button is stuck; either that or the re-circulation valve is stuck in position. Ideally, you want to get cool outside air inside since it is usually dryer than air inside the cabin.

[Losiracer2]

when you put those COUGH 5 bottles of stop leak, did you also flush out the radiator after you installed a new engine? and made sure that none of that is clogging any of the ports for coolant anywhere? This is what happens when you put that stuff in your cooling system. I would HIGHLY avoid that at all costs, it causes a nightmare and leads to overheating.


^^T stat housing on my H22 that one guy put bottles of that stuff in

^^T stat


^^coolant ports in the head


^^^see where I'm going?


^^^water pump housing


^^water pump impellers

[YK86]

^Wow......

Anyways, I was going to say the same thing but those pics just further proved what I was going to say. I had people bring over their cars that had no heat. The heater core was clogged from using stop leak stuff.

Also, does your blower run properly? Like when it blows out the vents, does it come out weak or with good force? My own car felt kinda weak, turned out the AC evaporator had a bunch of pine needles and stuff that got sucked in from outside blocking the passageway. This requires the heater motor box to be removed to clean.

[Maple50175]

when you put those COUGH 5 bottles of stop leak, did you also flush out the radiator after you installed a new engine? and made sure that none of that is clogging any of the ports for coolant anywhere? This is what happens when you put that stuff in your cooling system. I would HIGHLY avoid that at all costs, it causes a nightmare and leads to overheating.


^^T stat housing on my H22 that one guy put bottles of that stuff in

^^T stat


^^coolant ports in the head


^^^see where I'm going?


^^^water pump housing


^^water pump impellers

every time i see those pics i wanna puke lol.

[Gotz Cb7]

Thanks for the replies guys. Um, lemme squeeze all this in. The rain-x sounds like a good idea. I'm not sure if the windshield was treated or not. This has happened ever since I got the new windshield, but at the same time...it JUST started gettin' cold out when I had it installed.

I've flushed the radiator out and stuff, looks clean as can be. Actually replaced a few hoses and have the waterpump replaced during the install, also. The heat comes out strong. People in the back can feel it from the front vents. I've put my hands up near the vents on the dash, and it blows some pretty decent heat. I'll try the rain-x ordeal inside first, and let ya know how it goes. I'm thinking it was from cleaning my windows with Windex, when it was like, 30 degrees outside, that could cause this? Cause even my door windows fog up really bad. But yea, I'll try rain-x on the inside of all the windows, and reply back. Thanks!

[Gotz Cb7]

also, check and see if the "re-circulation" button is stuck; either that or the re-circulation valve is stuck in position. Ideally, you want to get cool outside air inside since it is usually dryer than air inside the cabin.

And yea, I have the SE with all the button controls.

There's 2 that control the recirculation and all, and when I press the left one, it's real quiet, and when the right one's pressed, it sounds like a shuttle's about to take off, so it's opening and closing, or whatever it's supposed to be doing. Heat gets a lot stronger when the right one's pressed, but it seems like it defrosts a tad bit better when the left one's pressed.

[Gotz Cb7]

rah rah rah. One more reason to hate the cold, and god DAMN is this pissing me off.

So, did the windshield rain-x stuff, no dice. Whatever's causing this, is causing my entire car to fog up (all windows), as if..condinsation(?) is gettin' inside the car.

So, every morning I wake up, I start the car. I let it run for about 15-20 minutes to get warm and stuff. I set it on ONLY the windshield defrost setting. Before this, every night I drive the car, I take a towel and wipe off my window (takes forever to get the windshield clear, cause whatever's on the windows isn't water. It just smeers when I rub it off. Takes about 5 minutes to get it off my side of the windshield). It just keeps getting worse and worse. Now, after driving 30-45 minutes, the top half of the windshield fogs back up. I get home, turn it off. Wake up the next morning, fogged right back up completely. It even takes forever for my rear window to even TRY to unfog. My heat blows warm, on every other setting, but seems to have trouble blowing out the dash (defrost). I mean, it blows..but not as hard as it should, but this should have no reason for my windshield always fogging itself back up.

My reason for this, is possibly anti-freeze comin' through my vents, causing this. It did this shit before when my dad owned the car, and smoke would come through the vents, and he dropped a bottle of bar leak or whatever in it, and it stopped. Now it's acting back up again. Floor board's never had any sign of liquid on it. My heat blows warm, but why the hell would anti-freeze be coming through my vents?

When I made this post, my windshield would actually defrost (same way it blows now, and even then it wasn't as strong as it should be, but came out as if I had the fan setting on medium), but it would take a bit. Now, when I wipe my windshield, it just slowly fogs back up. I can't see out of ANY of my windows they're so fogged up. When the car gets warm, you can actually see water dripping down the INSIDE of my windows. (dry outside, hasn't rained in a few days. no water gets inside my car except for the trunk a TINY bit, but I have my back seat closed).

So, anti-freeze comin' outta my vents. Ideas? Other reason for this, is my anti-freeze level is slowly..slowly..sloowwwllyyy going down. Say, after 2 weeks, I gotta add another tea cup size of anti-freeze back in it. No blown head gasket, car only smokes when cold, and once warm, no smoke at all. No scent of anti-freeze out the exhaust. This shit's coming through my vents.

[TypeG]

sounds like the heater core. later.

[visualpoet]

Unless you and everyone else in the car are driving around breathing through your mouth, only one thing gives you both heat and moisture in the cabin.

You're getting heat, you're getting moisture, you're getting a new heater core.

Skip the bars leak fix. (If you absolutely ever have to temp fix a leak, use silver stallion - it looks like a tube of glitter. In an absolute emergency, an egg and or black pepper will stop a small leak as well) But I have to recommend a new heater core for you on this one.

[honda_kid]

sounds like the heater core. later.

thats about all it can be

[Gotz Cb7]

Yea, my dad said something about his mechanic saying he needed a new one, but I was tryna get around that cause I get heat, and there wasn't really any sign of the heater core bein' blown. I normally don't replace anything until it's screwed, and I guess this bad boy is on it's last limb.

I did a little search, and haven't found anything that involves replacing the heater core. My dad's mechanic said it'd be 600 to replace. um, if there's a possibility that I can do it myself, that's the road I wanna go. Any thoughts?

[Gotz Cb7]

wow, just went on Advance's site, and they've got 2 kinds. $55 and $60. Doesn't look like it'd be too difficult to replace, and I know it's on the engine's side of the firewall, but not exactly sure where. Haven't looked yet. (raining).

But, bump. Anyone attempted to replace one of these yet? Be nice to get some tips before I go and get it, and to know if I can actually do it.

[Gotz Cb7]

Alrighty.

Forgot I had a Haynes manual. Seems as if I'm taking my entire dash off to complete this process. Doesn't seem too difficult. Shouldn't be too bad, but the cold won't help any. I just wanna be able to see out my damn windows. . I'll let ya'll know the results. Definitely isn't a 600 dollar job, so there's no way a mechanic's gettin' anywhere near this bad boy.