misty windscreen

[hondagee]

Hi, this is my first time on the forum so please be gentle with me!
I have a 'W' reg Bongo and when stuck in traffic for 10minutes or so I notice a smell of hot water/antifreeze and suddenly the inside of the window mists up.
Any ideas would be really welcome. If I am losing coolant it is only a tiny amount and there is no damp anywhere in the cab also the drains along the windscreen are all clear and running free.
Regards, Geoff.

[francophile1947]

Have you got your heater set to recirculate instead of drawing air from outside? This often causes the inside to steam up.

[rita]

Hi, this is my first time on the forum so please be gentle with me!
I have a 'W' reg Bongo and when stuck in traffic for 10minutes or so I notice a smell of hot water/antifreeze and suddenly the inside of the window mists up.
Any ideas would be really welcome. If I am losing coolant it is only a tiny amount and there is no damp anywhere in the cab also the drains along the windscreen are all clear and running free.
Regards, Geoff.

Hi,if you have a smell of hot antifreeze you have a leak.

Check the seams on your heater radiator seams/hoses/water pump etc.

[al & chris]

Our car does the same thing its in at the garage now. will let you know what ther say. Ours smells of wet sock though not anti freeze.

[Alacrity]

You may have a slight leak on the front heater matrix, that would give you exactly these symptoms.

When my rad started to leak around the top tank earlier this year I started to smell antifreeze, but mine has the winter pack on it & the heater intake was in the winter position which draws air in from under the bonnet as opposed to the grille area. Even after I had changed the rad I still got the smell (to a much lesser degree) which was I believe just spilt coolant under there. I moved the lever to the summer position & it stopped it! Perhaps that the way to sort antifreeze smells!! It doesn't leak now at though before you informed types start harranging me!

[missfixit70]

Are you losing coolant from the header/expansion tank under the bonnet?

[sparkymik]

Is the fan impeller turning?

[hondagee]

Hi and thanks everyone. I had my Bongo up on ramps and there is no leak to be seen anywhere and it hasn't happened since so fingers crossed. But your advice was important to me so thanks again. geoff.

[Northern Bongolow]

please get a preasure test done asap,you may not see a leak on the ramps as a small leak could evaporate off if it is on something very hot.

[missfixit70]

Hi and thanks everyone. I had my Bongo up on ramps and there is no leak to be seen anywhere and it hasn't happened since so fingers crossed. But your advice was important to me so thanks again. geoff.

Is your coolant level dropping though in the header tank? often a leak isn't visible.