Afrosheen

Yep, I had a G35 sedan with the exact same problem. The passenger side rear carpet would get wet from the sunroof drain tube that was clogged. You never saw it dripping in, but it was guaranteed to get wet there during the rainy season. Sunroof = another source of interior water.

kitra

I haven't been driving the GS350 due to the rock on the roads from bad weather we had during the middle of December and again in January. They panic here and gravel all the major roads and don't pick it up for months. I've been driving my old car and letting it take the gravel hits, salt, and mag chloride. So the GS350, I let sit outside and drive it on weekends to go for coffee and run errands. The car is amazingly damp inside. The carpets don't really feel wet anywhere. The leather seats are almost sticky damp. I drove it on Sunday, and now Tuesday night with the temperature of 38 degrees outside, the inside of the windshield is completely wet with condensation as well as the Sunroof glass. The back window has some condensation too. I wonder if the CPO and extended warranty covers this problem? Water leaks are typically difficult to solve.

JDR76

I'd definitely take it in.

lesz

In reading through the posts in this thread, I'm surprised that no one has asked about whether the climate control system is operating in the fresh air mode or in the recirculate mode.

Except when outside temperatures are hot, running the climate control system in recirculate mode can result in humidity just being recirculated and building up inside the cabin, and even the moisture from people breathing in the cabin will add to that moisture.

At this time of the year, except in warm climates, such as Arizona or Florida, the system, in auto mode, should be operating almost exclusively in the fresh air mode. If you are using the "auto" climate control setting, the system should be defaulting to fresh air mode when you start the car (when outside temperatures are below, say, 70 degrees). If it isn't doing so, the system isn't operating properly. If you are manually setting the system to recirculate mode when the temperatures are cooler, that could be the cause of the problem. Also, if the gates that let outside air into the system aren't operating properly, there is the potential for no outside air being introduced into the cabin even when the system is set to run in the fresh air mode.

Whether the climate control system is operating in fresh air mode or recirculate mode may not be the cause of the problem, but it is the first thing that I'd be checking.

e60bmw

iTrader: (1)

You probably have water or something wet inside the car. I went thru something similiar, my window would fog up alot in my bmw. It always smelled really damp in the car. One day I looked at my back seat and saw mold on the seatbelt. I put my hand behind the seat and felt water. So I lifted up my seat and there was a pool of water under the seat! The problem eventually got traced to a leaking sunroof due to the seal. I imagine the problem may have been around for a few months, it had developed black mold under the rear seat. I would definately double check to make sure there is no leaks or wet spots, check by the pillars by the headliner. Even wet the car as a whole test and look inside to see if there are any leaks or any increased smells. Have some pics from when I discovered it. This is not from a GS but had similiar issues.

yardie876

I'd place some DampRid in the car as soon as possible while you're deciding to take it in or not. You'd be surprised at how much water they'll suck out of the air.

SC300Es

If you have access to an indoor garage can't you use a dehumidifier to suck out all the moisture?

kitra

You have no idea how much I like this forum. Thanks!

I stopped on the way home and picked up Damp-Rid. I bought the big pail and 2 smaller ones. They are in the car. Right now as I write, the car is idling in the driveway with the heat on at 80+ degree setting and Auto which defaulted to fresh air. The mats are removed. The pass-through for the trunk is open. I've checked for wet/damp carpet and it seems like everything is damp. OK, so this could be the "key".... The windshield has been replaced as it's a Pilkington brand. So my guess would be the previous owner had the windshield replaced due to rock chips during their lease or Lexus replaced it to sell the vehicle? But the windshield replacement doesn't show on Carfax. So IF it's a poorly sealed windshield, I wonder if Lexus will take care of it? They sold me a Certified car September 2016 with this non-OEM glass. So it could get messy or not? My first purchase of a Toyota product so far has not been a good one. They also sold me the best Lexus warranty they offer. Hope I have a chance of getting this car fixed right.

e60bmw

iTrader: (1)

I would honestly just wet the whole car with a hose for a bit around the window and windshield. After inspect inside and see if there is any water on any pillars, if so you have a leak. Also open the sunroof and see if there is a bunch of water in there, if so could be bad sunroof seal. Theres only so many places the water would come in, I doubt its the side windows, could be rear window as well or even trunk.

roblim

I would replace the windshield and mention to the installer that you think there might be a water leak. They might be able to spot the problem when they remove the old windshield. Replacing it won't cost very much money if you go with OEM glass. True Lexus brand glass is 3x as expensive and i doubt any dealer would pay for that, but they might pay for OEM.

lesz

Pilkington is actually one of at least 4 suppliers from which Lexus gets original equipment glass for their vehicles. Both of my Lexus vehicles have some glass from Pilkington.


Even if the recirculate light for the climate control system is lit, are you sure that the gates that either allow in outside air or just recirculate air are working properly? If you manually switch back and forth from fresh air mode to recirculate mode, you should hear the sound of those gates changing positions. If you don't hear that sound, it could be that the gates are not working and that the damp is being recirculated regardless of whether you think it is set to fresh mode.

bclexus

What is the difference between 'Lexus brand glass' and an 'OEM' windshield? Isn't an OEM windshield considered equipment that is made by the original manufacturer, and is the same as the windshield that was assembled and installed during the construction of the new vehicle?

kitra

The Damp-Rid is amazing thus far. My car didn't have steamed up windows this morning. Maybe I should idle it again tonight to heat up the interior? Put a call into Portland Lexus Service but no return call. Maybe tomorrow I'll get a response.

roblim

So a lot of people think OEM is the same as factory, but it isn't. Lexus factory windshields can only be bought from a Lexus dealership parts dept. Factory glass will be in a cardboard box and has the same Lexus logo on it as new cars. It is quite expensive. $800-1000. OEM windshields are supposedly manufactured to the same standards as factory glass, but they will be stamped from a variety of manufacturers, PPG, etc. and cost $200-300. The windshield you currently have was probably sold as OEM. Almost no one gets factory glass because of the cost. Most insurance doesn't pay for it. OEM is OK, but as you found out, the installation is even more important than the glass itself. A poor installation can mean water leaks or wind noise.

e60bmw

iTrader: (1)

Thats awesome, I think I will get one myself to have on hand. I remember running my AC alot when I had the moisture to help drain it out, I forgot what setting I put it on. But the AC/heat can act as a dehumidifier. I would just leave the car running sometimes outside. If you can tell where the water may be coming in you can get a 3m trim seal which worked well for me. You will see a pool of water under the car depending on how much running the AC takes out. You want to make sure it doesn't mold. I would leave the windows down and sunroof open on a sunny day to help extract the smell/moisture assuming you found the cause of the problem and it doesn't repeat.