A foggy windshield interferes with visibility; if your windshield is cloudy, you need to diagnose the problem and fix it instead of just wiping it every now and then. Here are some of the potential causes of a cloudy windshield glass.

The Heater Core Is Damaged

The heater core, which many people call the defroster, is a small radiator that works to keep the inside of your car warm when the weather is cold. It works just like the main radiator that cools the car; in this case, however, it uses the heat from the coolant to warm up the car instead of cooling it. After the coolant in the radiator is heated in the process of cooling the engine, some of it is diverted to the heater core so that it can warm up the car's interior.

Now, damage to the heater core may cause coolant leakage, and the coolant mist from the leakage may be blown along and circulated along with the warm air in the car. If that happens, some of the coolant may end up on the windshield surface, clouding it up.

The Car Is Outgassing

If you just bought a brand-new car, then its windshield may be clouding up because it is outgassing. Most of the materials in a typical car are plastic held together with different chemicals (sealants and adhesives). At the same time, most of the surfaces of the car are painted. All these things contain and release volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and it is the evaporation of these VOCs that is known as outgassing. It is the same process that gives new cars their typical "new car smell." Some of the VOCs will end up on your windshield and cloud it up.

The Humidity is High

Many cars will foggy up during warm and humid days. This is because if the weather is warm and humid, the humidity (volume of water in the air) will also rise. In such a case, some of the humid air end up on a cold windshield (say in the morning or evening after a warm day), the moisture in the air will condense on the windshield and cloud it up.

The Climate-Control System Is Malfunctioning

Many modern cars are kitted with climate-control systems to maintain a set temperature and humidity range inside the car. The climate-control system integrates various parts and systems of the car including the AC, defroster, and temperature sensors to do its work. This means you may end up with higher than normal humidity in your car, and hence cloudy glass if the climate-control system is malfunctioning.

Contact a company like Car And Truck Services Inc. for more information and assistance.