Gauges Fogging

Any one's guages fogging up? My oil temp/oil pressure guage has been fogging up recently, it has been raining, looks like a watch that has condensation inside...

So I plan to pry off the face, clean it up and put it all bakc together.

I am also thinking of replacing all the faces with real glass...anyone have experience with this?? I assume it is simple...use the plastic as templates at a local glass store...

I am curious if they can drill a clean hole in the glass for the clock face...

Don't worry about it. Everyone's gauges fog up a bit, primarily my fuel/oil and temp/press gauges.

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Mark Szabo
1986 911 Targa 3.2

Mine did it this morning on the way to work. As Mark says this is a pretty common problem. Not much can be done I think. Although I once read something about drilling a small hole in the bottom of the instrument. They claimed that it would help. I haven't tried though so I don't know if it's worth it.

This is a well known 911 er... "feature."

It happens to all the early cars under the right climatic conditions - if that's the only thing that's wrong with your car, you're a lucky man!

Caretake,

- roGER

There have been several discussion threads in the past regarding gauges fogging up. If you do a search on the 911 Technical Forum using "Gauges" will produce those threads. One does mention the hole being drilled in the bottom and another mentions replacing the seal.

Steve
76 911

The foward area of our cars is not heated. When you heat up the inside the gauges are still in an un-heated area and cold hence they fog up. I wonder if a person could tap into the heat blower and heat the trunk. Glass lenses are avaiable for VDO gauges but not the clock. Check with Palo Alto Speedo for parts and help.

Randy Jones
1971 911

Okay, I understand the principle of the gauges being in an unheated area. This alone could cause fogging. If so, I will still look for a cure.

My usual assumption when fogging occurs is that water is getting into the car. Water is unwanted in my car. If my car is letting water in, this I WILL fix. Hopefully it's just a function of cool trunk versus warm interior. But I don;'t actually think so. If this were the case. the condensation would be on the outside of the glass and I could just wipe it off.

If I start getting gauge fogging now that my (leaking) windshield has been replaced, I will seek out and destroy water paths into my car.

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'83 SC

It is stange that is is only that one guage...
So I assuming there is something with that guage causing this...this started recently with the rain...so maybe water is in that guage...maybe the wiring is heating up that guage?

As for ordering glass faces...why pay some one a bunch of maony when a local glass shop will do it for the cost of glass and probably 5 bucks for labor...just wondering if glass can be drilled?

Maybe for the clock I will just find some brand new plexiglass....

I have a 10 yr old 16,000 km c4 which when I bought (6 months ago) was perfect in all respects (even the hood lifts still worked!), but the oil press/temp was badly fogged and the fuel/ oil level slightly fogged.

Living in an 80%+ humidity environment doesn't help but it is strange that only these two gauges are affected. Also from experience of other HK owners it always seems to be these two gauges and particulaly the oil press/temp that suffers the worst.

My guess, for what it is worth, is that it has something to do with the fact that these two gauges are plastic faced (the other three are glass faced)and the press/temp gauge is particulaly susceptable as the back has more holes than swiss cheese (for all those warning lights).

My press/temp is being rebuilt with a glass face right now so I guess we'll see if it helps

1990 C4 Cab

I hope to God your last name's not Silver. (Just kidding!) Welcome aboard.

Have to say that the foggy gauge problem is one that I have wondered about for some time now. My 77 Targa was the same as my 87, the combined gauge being the fastest and firstest to fog.
I always assumed that it related to how accessible the gauge interior is to the cool air in the front trunk and the fogging occurs first on the coldest face.
I would suggest that you pull the gage and wrap it with tape to insulate it from the cool trunk. Then more heat from the cabin can get in and keep the face warmer so that it will not fog.
Let us know if this idea works.
Ned Monaghan