I have a 2008 GTI that I pretty much stopped driving when I bought my 335i. I'm about to sell it, but I've noticed that it has been developing condensation inside the car, on the windshield and sometimes the windows. I notice it in the morning, and I'm thinking it's probably gone by the time I get home from work. As a result the car is a little mustly smelling, and this problem has never happened before.

Since buying my new car, I have been parking the GTI on the street, and because of this the car does get hit with sun that it didn't when I parked in the driveway...maybe that's causing it?

Is there just moisture trapped in there that needs to get gone? Is it as simple as that? I tried running the AC for like an hour thinking that would bring down the humidity levels...but that didn't help that much. I can't detect and dampness/spills on the carpet....

Any advice?

3/11/2011 1:21:01 PM

Yeah you'll need to go through a check all of the carpet for any moisture. Check all of the door and window seals as well. Apparently golfs have also had a problem with the heater matrix causing condensation. In the meantime, you could just invest in some silica gel or something until you sell it.

3/11/2011 1:42:08 PM

Damp Rid from Wal-Mart + Air Freshener will do the trick.

3/11/2011 1:43:58 PM

next time its pretty sunny outside all day (and when you're around) leave the windows/sun roof open a bit.

3/11/2011 1:51:34 PM

^+1

even if you're not around, you can put the sunroof in the vent position.

check the pillars and headliner for moisture. earlier ones (mk4, 99-05) had problems with the sunroof drains.

i've also seen the condensation drain for the a/c get clogged and cause this type of problem.

haven't really dealt with this much on the mk5, so take it with a grain of salt. most of this advice is based on what i've seen with the previous generation.

[Edited on March 11, 2011 at 6:38 PM. Reason : you can always try vwvortex. i will ask my friend who had a mk5 tonight if he has any ideas]

3/11/2011 6:37:43 PM

^,^^,^^^,^^^^ thanks for the ideas. i've got the damp rid working now, and i'll try the sunny day windows down thing tomorrow...and probably the sunroof vent after that. then i'll start looking into problems with the car if needed.

3/11/2011 9:04:30 PM

seems too new to have a more major problem like a sunroof drain

3/11/2011 9:10:09 PM

weird thing is it came out of nowhere. once i stopped driving the car it started. it's related to the non-use or the place i'm parking it i'm guessing. hopefully nothings wrong with it.

3/11/2011 9:14:55 PM

drive around with windows slightly cracked, recirculate air turned off, and vent fan wide open

3/11/2011 10:51:50 PM

the drains don't break, they get clogged.

but, if this were the problem, the headliner would probably be damp after it rains.

[Edited on March 12, 2011 at 2:02 AM. Reason : .]

3/12/2011 1:55:50 AM

Ah the VW condensation!

I had a 2002 golf that did the same thing. When it would rain outside the entire windshield would fog up from the inside, every time, annoying. When it would snow, the entire windshield would ice over from the inside, annoying.

Anyways, I had the window and door 'rubber/sealant' replaced and it helped the problem somewhat, but not entirely. Im guessing the remainder of my problem was parking outside in Cleveland, year round, with ice and snow. I would have to yank the door open, and eventually, a tiny little bend in the door occurred down by the drivers front tire.

I would definitely check (i) rubber around windows, (ii) rubber/foam around doors, and (iii) sunroof.

3/12/2011 11:50:35 AM

On a somewhat related issue...02 Grand Cherokee and I have water getting into the drivers side floorboard somehow. When it has been raining hard and I open the door I see water sitting in the rubber weatherstripping. I think it is getting in from there but I can't figure out how it is getting to that point. Any ideas on tracking a leak down? I was thinking of dusting things with chalk dust to see if I can see where the water runs.

Edit...and I've looked at all of the rubber around where it could be coming in and nothing looks obviously messed up.

[Edited on March 13, 2011 at 9:19 AM. Reason : .]

3/13/2011 9:17:53 AM

op: is the car not still under warranty? if so, why bother... use the service you've paid for.

^many vehicles have drains in the cowl area. not sure about that model gc, but if they do i'd start there. also, some sunroofs drain through the A pillar and can leak. could be coming in somewhere around the windshield too. unless you're 100% positive it's rainwater, a/c condensate drain might be worth a look as well if it's on that side of the firewall?

[Edited on March 13, 2011 at 2:08 PM. Reason : .]

3/13/2011 2:05:12 PM