D.O.

Hey there guys! im pretty new to the Lexus/Toyota/LS/Celsior game and i have a little problem...
well actually i have SEVERAL problems of which i'll mention but not go into detail about.

Ever since i purchased my 1991 LS400 in Mayish of last year its been peachy keen with the exception of a faulty P/S pump which will be replaced this weekend.

Late last year i put the car down because i noticed my brakes were grinding so i drove my other car and had this sitting for a bout 2-3 months. crazy i know.

Its winter now obviously and im starting to notice condensation on ALL of the windows. I noticed it like the past 2 months but i paid no mind.

I cranked it up this morning to drive and it was on the driverside window and the windshield. Ive had a sunroof and sagging headliner issue for a bit as well. my sunroof was off track so i kinda sorta fixed it so that all sides of it sits flush with the roof. but water still manages to get in. from where i havent a clue

i guess the question im posing in this particular thread is, is this common? so much condensation inside of the vehicle?

I'll give a complete list of my problems to see if anyone determine if any of them directly correlates to the condensation issue.

1. Bad Power Steering (of course it doesnt have to do with the issue but i figure id list it anyway)

2. Leaking Sunroof? (i think the sunroof is still leaking. its also cracked but not all the way through just on the outside.)

3. Sagging Headliner (when it rains water still comes in and drips towards the rear causing the headliner to sag near the rear of the vehicle)

4. i gots more problems but i'll save them for another thread when i remember them

19psi

condesnsation can be eliminated by running the a/c. just set your heat where you want it and turn the a/c on too.
check your drain holes for your sunroof. open the roof and find the holes. the clog may be up near the top where you can fish it out witha coat hanger. be careful you don't poke a hole in the tube with teh hanger though. i use compressed air to blow them out.

D.O.

but is that common? for water to consistently build up on the inside of the vehicle? and freeze like what happened to me this morning?

with the drain holes operation would i be sticking the hanger in the holes and pushing down? i didnt quite get that. sorry for my incompetence

shadowless

if you have the time, remove the headliner, and drive around that way so if its a rainy day you can see first hand where it is leaking. also you could park it somewhere that you can park it and put a garden hose up on a tree limb or fence to simulate water and again look for leaks. this condensation IS normal IF you have a leak. most cars that dont have a leak or a/c drain plugged get very minimal condensation which is mainly from wet shoes/ clothes or other stuff.

best bet is to find the leak and stop it. like i said remove the headliner and start spraying with a hose. let it spray for a while not just a few minutes, remember if your car sits in the weather it has all the time it needs to soak up. also the sunroof assembly has 4 drains, one in each corner. you probably cant reach the rear drains without removing the headliner but you can see the front 2 drains when you open your sunroof in the corners. blow these out with compressed air or take a coat hanger/wire and poke it through. if you live near pine trees expect needles after clearing it take a cup of water and pour it into the corner and make sure it goes down to the ground ( wont be easy to do in the rain so make sure its somewhere with a dry floor or one you can notice water dripping from the car.) again if your headliner is left off you can check for leaks where the drain hose is attached to the sunroof tray. good luck and get that headliner out!

D.O.

OMG thank you soooo much for the insight!

are there any write ups for headliner removal anywhere?

shadowless

your welcome, as for insight on the headliner removal, remove the pillar trims from all 6 pillars, remove the trim around the edge of the headliner in the hole for the sunroof. remove any OH S**** handles ( dunno if it has any ) any clips use a removal tool for interior panels, lower the headliner down alittle bit and unplug any wiring for dome lights etc thats attached. this isnt car spcific but removing a headliner is pretty much the same in most cars.

im a apprentice tech at a toyota dealership and i can tell you that finding hard to find water leaks is the #2 thing on the list of crappy jobs. #1 being finding, diagnosing and silencing rattles.

D.O.

lol. not that i would want to put you through that kinda of laborious job but how much would a dealer typically charge for an operation of such proportions?

19psi

that's probably a 4 hour job to pull and reinstall the headliner at the dealer. so $100/hr = $400. that's before diag. the leak.
i didnt' realize you had that kind of serious condensation. forget what i said about a/c i figured you meant normal condensation.
yeah you have to find the clogs.

D.O.

would the little spray cans from Office Depot constitute as "Compressed air"? cuz i can get a can from my job and attemp to clear the drains this evening.

shadowless

negatory ghost rider, not nearly enough air pressure to blow anything bigger than the crumbs out of your key board. chances are if theres a clog its decaying plant matter and dirt so its in there good.

Kaydee

Cleans your windows and wipe the dry...I mean wipe them dry. I've done this on all my cars, and even in the winter I can drive without the defogger on

D.O.

so where can i get a just amount of compressed air from?

Bali26

From the gas station. You will need a wheel valve which you can get from tire places.

I used a wire instead. Or any thin stiff cable will work.

MEANDAFAKA

common? i don't think so, because i never have that problem on my LS, neither any of my friends LS.

shadowless

common yes, your from hawaii.... condensation is alot less common in your part of the world.

warm moisture + cold windows will build condensation. warm moisture + warm windows doesnt mean condensation. also take into factor the surroundings in the actual US is completely different i dont think there is nearly as many pine trees or decidous trees that shed needles and leaves out there in hawaii

its significantly different climates in georgia than where your from. thats like asking southern californians their opinion on the best choice of wiper blades.