I have a 2008 Jaguar X-Type estate, and no matter how I set the air (to auto, or to defog, or whatever), the whole car will fog up to the point where I have to pull over if it is raining outside.

On the motorway the other day, it started to pour, and while the spray from the road was terrible, of far greater concern was the fact that I lost vision through everything, including my rear-view mirror.

Other than the fact that I know my air-con needs re-charging, can anyone say why this might be happening? I have never had it happen in any other vehicle. I could always just put the defog on full blast, and things would clear up pretty quickly. But not now…

You’ve (possibly) got a leak 🙂

You’ve said it – air con needs recharging. With air con, the systems need to be working. I leave mine on all the time as it dry’s the air. Great when 4 wet MTB’ers get in the car (like last weekend).

If it’s broken, it will be damp, and possibly un-healthy – mould growth.

Yep, check the mats. Bet one or more of them are wet. Or there’s water swilling about in the boot.

Check the pollen filter(s).

Open the window

Open the window

Done. Except fogging was so bad, it had no effect save to have left me and my passengers very wet.

Solved it in an admittedly old heap of car of mine by removing the pollen filter. I could have replaced it, but I don’t have hayfever and was too tight 😀

Yep, check the mats. Bet one or more of them are wet. Or there’s water swilling about in the boot.

I got a bit of a shock today when I looked in the wheel well and found a couple of inches of water… Incidentally mine fogs up too!

Also check the cabin [pollen] filter. They can become saturated, so don’t pass much air and what they do pass is humid.

Pollen filters.

Pollen filter

x 8 for pollen filter. Had it on my first scooby.

Nothing much to add – other than agreeing about A/C system check & re-gas, replace pollen filter and check for water ingress through rear wheel arches.
Suggest you lift the inner seal on tailgate and clean out the accumulated crap – there will be plenty of it.

Mostly what they said. Left field alternate diagnosis; stuck on recirculated air. Had this, did this.

The only thing I know of that makes the whole car steam up is recirculating air on.

Pollen filter wouldn’t be the problem if there was still air coming out, I’d guess. Also, if you have a rain leak that tends to cause the car to fog up when it’s parked – usually air flow clears that up.

Pollen filter wouldn’t be the problem if there was still air coming out,

Pollen filters can get damp which causes then to add moisture to the air… Cue misted windscreen when damp air hits rain-cooled windscreen.

Our work Alhambra does it. Despite protests of it being dangerous nothing ever seems to get done about it.

Pollen filter wouldn’t be the problem if there was still air coming out, I’d guess.

Depends. On mine the fan is on the car side of the pollen filter. If the filter gets really plugged up the fan will pull car air past the not-very-sealed seals on the car side of the filter, essentially recirculating car air.

Coolant issue? Leak or not circulating through the heater core (have you tried getting the car stupid hot so that even if it isnt dry air it is hot air, which will hold more moisture?)

Since you say the rearview mirror is fogging, not just the windows, I’d be checking for puddles, or stuck on recirc, or filter is wet or puddles in the air intake system (leaves in the intakes at base of windshield, e.g.). The windows will fog partly because the rain cools them off. That shouldn’t happen to the mirror, it should be warm therefore the relative humidity is too high.

Sounds like kit car ownership type issues – my heater lives on max for most of the year to attempt to dry the interior out (or the roof comes off when sunny/warm enough) and the windows get opened to the correct amount to control the temperature. Don’t have a carpet or anything that can get wet really, just holes in the floor to let the water that come in back out the bottom! Have been driving in the snow before with heater on max having a blizzard coming in the window but that being the only method to stop fogging!

Cue misted windscreen when damp air hits rain-cooled windscreen.

Yes, but the entire car and the rear view mirror?

Cromoly’s post reasonable though.

I could take a look, @SaxonRider?

We might be right:

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x-type-x400-14/03-xtype-windows-fogging-up-65550/

Is your passenger footwell damp?

If so google for blocked AC drain pipe.

I had this recently on my Freelander – turned out to be blocked drain and pollen filter that hadn’t been changed for years.

Also check the scuttle panel drain – this often gets clogged and the scuttle panel pond can find it’s way into the cabin resulting in what you describe

I have a 2008 Jaguar X-Type estate,

Theres yer problem… 🤪

Aircon needs sorting, you’ve got water ingress somewhere so go check the footwells and boot and under the seats etc.

Then go onto the X-Type FB page and ask that lot what he heck it all is…

It’s condensation from you breathing. Simply hold your breath for the duration of the trip and you’ll be fine.

If damp air is coming through the heaters it’s the heater matrix thats gone.

Sounds like the heater matrix has gone. It’s easy to tell. Is the car using up coolant?

A new matrix is dirt cheap. Having it fitted, however…?

It’ll be located in the most inaccessible place imaginable. On a VW the whole dash has to come out. It’s a full day’s job

My subaru suffered from chronic condensation. I put a load of silica gel in cloth bags in it. Worked a treat. It’s the silica cat litter one from wilcos at about 3 quid a bag.

Heater matrix is leaking, good luck

When I read this yesterday my immediate thought was pollen filter, but someone had already suggested that so I didn’t add to the thread, (though yours sounds worse than that actually). Now I’m sitting here pondering my van’s annoying habit of misting up a bit, and am thinking, I wonder if the pollen filter has ever been replaced? 🤔

Except the first million hits for ‘fogging up X-Type’ are the recirc flap motor breaking, so I’d guess it’s likely to be that.

Pollen filters are a few quid in Halfords or ECP and usually a 2 min job to fix.

After yesterdays realisation that my cabin filter might not be in tip-top condition….🤢

Had the windscreen replaced recently? Could be a gap in the seal and water is getting in…I had that on a brand new Kia Rio…took 15 months to get it found but new windscreen and all sorted.
On the Partner I’m going to get something to grab the humid air…I’m too tight to use the air con and I tend to have damp kit in the car frequently – biking kit, trailbuilding kit and sweaty shoes – all of which don’t help.
I have wind deflectors fitted so windows down a bit and it helps, but not on cold days.

I’m not the OP. BUT I Immediately bought a new pollen filter too (mine fogs up too). And tomorrow I’m checking my scuttle drains (I had to Google that word).

Love the randomness of this forum, learn all sorts.

Had this twice. Old Pug 206 famous for heater matrix corrosion and pissing out coolant into passenger foot well. Caused foggy windscreen with heater on. Though not specific to rain but often heater would be on in rain when colder. Other in the Civic when the air con pump died. No air con, just moist air, more so in wet weather.

Check the drain holes in the scuttle panel under the windscreen. If they block, then rainwater comes into the car & into the ECM, which, IIRC is mounted in the passengers footwell.

+ again for pollen filter. Not only can they get damp but the very thing they are defined to do can, when they get dirty/loaded also i have had leaves in mine.
The name that the car industry use i.e. pollen filter is incorrect as the primary function is to keep your condenser for the A/C clean not to keep pollen, which in terms of airborne particles are quite large. Without one you will find that the condenser blocks up and your fogging issue will return and get worse.