# Do car window seals leak?



## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

I think it has more to do with the difference in temp/humidity between inside the car and outside. Your other vehicles probably had more space inside to lessen the effect.


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## Steve2444 (Sep 28, 2020)

Nik333 said:


> My Prius 2010 is full of condensation on the windows each day. My wool coat that I left in the car was damp. Is this common? It's been raining pretty hard. I first noticed the condensation when I had a Touchless car wash done.
> 
> I've had lots of Jeep Cherokees and Fords & I've never noticed this before.
> 
> Ideas? Thanks!


Yes, they can. More common to leak are sunroofs.
An auto glass shop can remove the front or back window, clean it up and reinstall it with new sealant. 

Side movable windows have replaceable seals.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

Seals do leak but your more apt to notice that in the rain or when you wash your car.


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## ukrkoz (Dec 31, 2010)

Did you check your carpet? Is it dry or wet?


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## SPS-1 (Oct 21, 2008)

Some car doors have a steel frame around the top of the window, so everything is contained with the door and stays in good alignment. Some car doors have no frame around the window, and the glass just seals against the rubber on the car body --- its more difficult to keep these perfectly aligned, and at greater risk of leak.

I once had a car with frameless door windows. Seemed to seal well, but also I occasionally found drips in the car. Finally figured out that it would seal well when I closed the door, but when I then got my groceries out of the back and slammed the hatch closed, the air pressure would push the drivers side window glass off the seal. A while later found that the steel clock spring in my seat belt retractor had turned to red dust from water getting in at the top of the window, running down the seat belt strap, and into the retractor.


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## mathmonger (Dec 27, 2012)

Sunroofs are the worst. They don't seal that well, so there are little tubes that drain the water away. It just takes a little piece of an acorn or something to block that tube and water is sure to leak in. 

If you don't have a sunroof, maybe the water coming at a funny angle in the car wash? Have you ever been in an accident? Maybe something is misaligned. Did you thoroughly check the seals? Maybe the rubber is ripped or something obvious you could see. Push up the windows while pressing the button. Maybe one is not quite rolled up completely.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

I would think if your weather seals were failing you would have noticed that in the car wash. I agree that the condensation probably has more to do with temperature and RH differential between inside and outside.

Do you set your HAVC to 'recirculate'? That means you are not exchanging with outside air.

It's probably not likely but if your HVAC uses coolant (I don't know about Prius') and there is a small leak it can raise interior humidity, but you can usually smell the coolant.


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## Steve2444 (Sep 28, 2020)

lenaitch said:


> I would think if your weather seals were failing you would have noticed that in the car wash. I agree that the condensation probably has more to do with temperature and RH differential between inside and outside.
> 
> Do you set your HAVC to 'recirculate'? That means you are not exchanging with outside air.
> 
> It's probably not likely but if your HVAC uses coolant (I don't know about Prius') and there is a small leak it can raise interior humidity, but you can usually smell the coolant.


Hopefully it's not the heater core, from what I've seen the entire dash has to come out, very labor-intensive.
But it could be that as well causing the excess humidity. 
My son had a Jeep with that issue, look for a wet carpet on the front passenger side.


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## Nut'n'Done (Nov 28, 2021)

Have you pulled the carpet up in the trunk to see if you have water in the spare tire area or other areas inside the trunk.
I don't have any prius experience, however, I have seen many trunk seam leaks along with tail lights leaking into the trunk .
Some that have filled the spare tire area up and cause condensation as you are experiencing.
The early 90's, Lumina's, Lumina Z34 , and Monte carlo's were the worst for this happening .


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

_Hopefully it's not the heater core, _

Leaking coolant from the heater core will add a sweet smell to the interior of the car. It will also be wet under the glove box.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

ukrkoz said:


> Did you check your carpet? Is it dry or wet?


No, I will, thanks.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

lenaitch said:


> Do you set your HAVC to 'recirculate'? That means you are not exchanging with outside air.


The outside air has 91% humidity. It resets itself depending on what heat mode I choose. I think increasing the air flow causes it to reset to outside air if I'm not mistaken. In the summer, inside or outside air was a really big deal because of the Wildfire smoke. It has a pretty good filter.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Nut'n'Done said:


> Have you pulled the carpet up in the trunk to see if you have water in the spare tire area or other areas inside the trunk.
> I don't have any prius experience, however, I have seen many trunk seam leaks along with tail lights leaking into the trunk .
> Some that have filled the spare tire area up and cause condensation as you are experiencing.
> The early 90's, Lumina's, Lumina Z34 , and Monte carlo's were the worst for this happening .


My weak spot might be the back hatch because I am frequently trying to get the door to close when it's filled with groceries. The window glass plane comes pretty low. It gets the most abuse. Thanks.

I must have had 10 cars and never experienced this. Maybe I should get a waterproof car cover. The car wash is pretty forceful, possibly because fo all the big pickups used on farms and ranches here.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

mathmonger said:


> Have you ever been in an accident?


I did recently hit a curb, in the fog, on the side of a grocery driveway. Priuses are way too low to the ground, imo.The front side panel is slightly open. But, that's way up front. That was after the car wash when I first noticed the condensation inside.
It's usually dry here but we're having rainstorms.

This Prius doesn't like it too hot or too cold or apparently, too wet.


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## ukrkoz (Dec 31, 2010)

Look, just go check carpets, awright? Unless you really just want to spend time on hypothetical discussions. Check carpets, start from there. It ain't no rocket science, really.


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

Our days have been temperate, 60's or 70's, but at night it can dip into the lower 20's. I got in my truck the other morning and even though I had plugged it in (diesel), I had Ice on the inside of my windshield, which never happens. Having it plugged in gives me pretty much warm air upon starting to defrost, but this was persistent and didn't clear with the wipers. I thought it odd to have ice on the inside, but figured the RH was higher in the daytime and lingered over night.


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## Nut'n'Done (Nov 28, 2021)

I didn't hear mention of low coolant level, TCS or anything of that nature. She didn't mention a coolant smell given the amount of noticable condensation either.


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

He is a she.


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## Nut'n'Done (Nov 28, 2021)

I fixed that. My apologies.


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