2017 LC windows fogging up, dealer can't find the problem. *****UPDATE*************

[Bigwood]

Hi, this has been going on for 6 months or so now, car was bought new and has 25k miles on it. I leave the system on auto , which allows the a/c to run. After the car warms up, everything foggs up- all windows. the only way to keep it clear is to run the front defroster in high. The air intake is set to fresh not recirculating. All the carpets are completely dry, I even left a electric heater in it for 3 days but that didn't help. Original windshield and no stains or anything in the headliner.
The dealer called and wanted me to pick up the car and drop off their loan car, I said no and I wouldn't take the car back until it was fixed. That was 4 days ago and I have not heard from them since.
Any ideas what might be the problem or how to handle the dealer?
PS-this is the same LC that got a new transmission at 10k miles....
thanks for any help or ideas!!!!

 

[jeproks]

Are you sure the AC is working properly? Not sure where you are were you can test the temp coming out of the vents aince it’s winter. Have them do a pressure test on the AC system. I’m guessing it’s low on freon.

 

[SteelRain]

Static vents working correctly? Are we certain the AC is fully charged and the compressor is cycling? When the moisture forms, is it easy to remove, like water, or does it seem to stick(i.e. leaking evap core)?

The Dealership should keep you informed, daily. That being said, you cannot simply keep the loaner car indefinitely and the Dealership has recourse if you don't bring it back.

Ask them to escalate to Toyota's technical help to see if they have any suggestions. Obviously, water entry or moisture accumulation would be suspect, but it seems like you already checked. Have they removed the interior floor coverings to check for body leaks? I've also seen coolant migration from engine/body wiring cause this, but that's usually accompanied by an odor.

Something else to check is a visual confirmation that the fresh intake air close out door is actually moving when the fresh air control switch is pressed to fresh/recirculate.

Please advise.

 

[TonyP]

Does the '16+ have a similar recirc door setup to the '08-'15?
Might be something to look at as they've been known to break from neglect.
This can cause fogging.

 

[KLF]

Ya I would pop open the cover in the glove box and watch the fresh/recirc damper while you push the buttons (engine running), makes sure the damper is working properly. It might be stuck in recirc mode.

 

[Bigwood]

Thanks guys, I am going to the dealership tomorrow. I’ll run these ideas by them!
Btw-I was kidding with them that I going to keep the rental car

 

[Yotafan1981]

Bigwood, I myself just purchased a used '13 a few weeks ago and am experiencing the same problem. I live in WI so you can imagine this is a big issue for me with the weather we have here, especially the last month! The dealership I purchased it from has a Toyota dealer and also a Lexus dealer.....the folks at the Toyota dealer said the same thing you mention...."come pick it up, there is nothing wrong with it". After I insisted that there was and will not keep the vehicle unless it is fixed, they offered to let their Lexus team look at it....I'm not certain the problem is fixed as it is still at the dealer being diagnosed, but it was said that they are thinking it is an a/c compressor module (behind the glove box as another person here had mentioned) or the a/c compressor itself that is faulty. I don't have that great of details on it as of now as they are still working on it, but I will send update as soon as I know it was fixed. Hopefully by this weeks end. They've had it for over a week now and it sounds like it's been very tedious and they had to put one of their top notch trouble shooting techs on it, but I was told they are very confident they are going to be able to fix it. My fingers are crossed!

 

[Sandroad]

My bet is on what @TonyP brought up. Someone at some point changed the cabin filter behind the glove box, forced the filter door open because it was not in recirc mode and broke the linkage. So now it's stuck open in recirc mode and fogs thing up. Do the check he described by looking at the filter door when operating the recirc mode switch and I'll bet the door doesn't move. Lots of posts on here about dealer techs not knowing how to change the filter and breaking the linkage.

 

[Sinister]

My bet is on what @TonyP brought up. Someone at some point changed the cabin filter behind the glove box, forced the filter door open because it was not in recirc mode and broke the linkage. So now it's stuck open in recirc mode and fogs thing up. Do the check he described by looking at the filter door when operating the recirc mode switch and I'll bet the door doesn't move. Lots of posts on here about dealer techs not knowing how to change the filter and breaking the linkage.

That’s what happened to me.

 

[m3fan]

Recirc flap for sure. Exact symptoms. You can have AC working + flap broken and the windows will fog every time.

 

[Cruisin911]

Someone definitely broke your recirc flap. Mine was broken by the previous owner and i didn't realize it until i couldn't keep the windows clear when it was cold out. You can check this in about 10 seconds. Just empty the upper glove box and pull off the little door. Then cycle the recirc button and if the flap doesn't move, there's your problem.

 

[ArnieC]

I know recirc flap is an obvious issue - but something else to chew on is residual moisture inside the vehicle.

My wife and I drove our new to us 2015 home from Atlanta to Wisconsin over a weekend with some pretty heavy rain and snow. Then it got cold, like negative double digits cold. When the temps are that cold the A/C does not work so no drying when the HVAC runs and the extreme cold makes windows fog quickly.

Windows fogged up during a quick commute for about the first week after we got it home. I credit it to 16 or so hours of two people breathing in the car straight, we were not running the HVAC a lot because it was super nice weather right until it wasn't.

Also, until I triggered it after the very cold, my A/C was not turned on during the "auto" mode. Go into the climate menu and make sure the A/C button is illuminated when you are running on Auto or Defrost.

About a week after the extreme cold, we got some more temperate weather, I was able to turn the A/C back on in Auto, and the truck dried out nicely. No problems since.

We have been having a real poop sandwich of weather in Wisconsin recently, would not surprise me that either your dash vents are blocked with snow or ice, or you have a lot of tracked in moisture on the carpets and floormats the system is having a hard time removing, or the A/C button is off even in auto mode.

As far as the OP with a warranty, lemon law that stuff if they can't get it fixed to your satisfaction.

 

[Bigwood]

****UPDATE***
ok- so the dealer calls me in today and lets me know that they can't find a problem. I asked to speak to the tec working on my LC . I took him outside and we looked at the trapdoor behind the glovebox and wouldn't you know...the filter was jammed in there and the mechanism wasn't working! I went ahead and forwarded him the notes that I took from this thread to review. He said that the "quick oil change" guys at his dealership are not educated in these cars and probably did it. Needless to say, they are working on the repair now. I am not upset with them, I understand that stuff happens. I just want it fixed! I am sick of fogged windows.
BUT, I wanted to give a huge shout out and THANK YOU!!!!!!!! to the people that helped me here do diagnose the problem. The shop had the car for over a week and couldn't figure it out and you guys troubleshooted it in a few hours. Again, I can't express how much I appreciate this site and the people on it. Thanks again.

 

[Markuson]

Thanks for following up with the result. Always great to hear the END of these stories.

 

[TonyP]

You can PayPal me the diagnosis fee
Glad you got it figured out.

 

[bloc]

They will learn that this will most likely require removal of the dash and replacement of the blower assembly box. Not a cheap mistake. Hopefully this teaches them the lesson and they make it a point to train their oil change guys on cruiser cabin filters. This problem is VERY common, even among dealer-service-only trucks.

 

[zmf]

Just wanted to say thanks, I now know why my windows fog up. It happens so rarely I figured it was just perfect circumstances or something, but still very annoying. I went out and checked, and my '14 only works in one direction. I'm not sure if it's worth trying to fix it, but at least I know the problem now. So thank guys - appreciate it.

 

[Yotafan1981]

*UPDATE
ok- so the dealer calls me in today and lets me know that they can't find a problem. I asked to speak to the tec working on my LC . I took him outside and we looked at the trapdoor behind the glovebox and wouldn't you know...the filter was jammed in there and the mechanism wasn't working! I went ahead and forwarded him the notes that I took from this thread to review. He said that the "quick oil change" guys at his dealership are not educated in these cars and probably did it. Needless to say, they are working on the repair now. I am not upset with them, I understand that stuff happens. I just want it fixed! I am sick of fogged windows.
BUT, I wanted to give a huge shout out and THANK YOU!!!!!!!! to the people that helped me here do diagnose the problem. The shop had the car for over a week and couldn't figure it out and you guys troubleshooted it in a few hours. Again, I can't express how much I appreciate this site and the people on it. Thanks again.

Wow, the same exact thing happened with my '13 today! After reading this thread last night and more comments this morning regarding the recirc flap, I called the dealer mine was at for over a week with them trying to diagnose, and wouldn't you know, within 3 hrs they called me to say it was now fixed....they found the recirc flap was stuck on mine too! Same as you, much thanks to all who posted here on thread and had problem figured out faster than a "highly trained master tech" ! Much thanks. But now I gotta take it back in again since all of the sudden none of the outside cameras are working.....FML

 

[bloc]

For the record.. on some of these the linkage just comes loose, but on many (including mine) the flap itself breaks at the pivot and so far I haven't seen a good way to repair it. Someone (Markuson maybe?) was looking at pulling the blower box but said they'd have to cut a crossmember then find a way to reattach it. I may go this route with mine eventually. For now I just have the flap resting in the fresh air position.

 

[Yotafan1981]

I already have an appointment to take mine to another toyota dealer next week that is not affiliated with the one I bought from and have them evaluate to make sure it was done correctly. I'm assuming that since they were able to fix it on the spot it was just the linkage as bloc suggests.