Rear window demister and DAB radio

[mstev23]

Hi all

I have a Puma ST line x and when I turn the rear demister on, the radio loses DAB signal. When I switch the demister off, the radio returns. Very strange

Has anyone else had this issue with a 23 plate Puma or any other Puma?

[4251]

Hi all

I have a Puma ST line x and when I turn the rear demister on, the radio loses DAB signal. When I switch the demister off, the radio returns. Very strange

Has anyone else had this issue with a 23 plate Puma or any other Puma?

DAB is very susceptible to rfi interference, if you use those 12v usb adaptors they often cut the dab off, they do in my cars. It’s all about signal to noise ratio, as long as the received signal is higher than the rfi interference it will be ok. So it sounds like either your listening to a very weak station or there is a issue with your DAB aerial or wiring to it. If it’s the same on most stations there is likely an aerial issue. Get it checked out under warranty.

Must say though I can’t remember the last time I turned the rear demister on, you just don’t need it if you leave the climate in auto about 22 deg and A/C always off apart from the rare occasion it’s needed in summer. Turning it on yes clears condensation by putting it in the evaporator only for it to come flooding back into the car when you turn it off! If you leave it off once it’s cleared it will stay cleared without using wasteful unhealthy A/C . And don’t mess with the climate, leave it in auto A/C off. That’s the rant I have with wife as she £&@&£ it up all the time with windows misted up and air blasting all over the place! No doubt will get comments about it should be on etc etc etc etc

[Ron240]

Must say though I can’t remember the last time I turned the rear demister on, you just don’t need it if you leave the climate in auto about 22 deg and A/C always off apart from the rare occasion it’s needed in summer. Turning it on yes clears condensation by putting it in the evaporator only for it to come flooding back into the car when you turn it off! If you leave it off once it’s cleared it will stay cleared without using wasteful unhealthy A/C . And don’t mess with the climate, leave it in auto A/C off. That’s the rant I have with wife as she £&@&£ it up all the time with windows misted up and air blasting all over the place!
No doubt will get comments about it should be on etc etc etc etc

But A/C should be left on. Its one of those 'use it or lose it' things.
Correct me if I'm wrong but pressing auto on a climate control system automatically turns on the air con?

[Sparks]

Yep A/C on all year round.....Never get any misting on any windows.....
DAB aerial in the rear window with heater elements, so may interfere if used.

[Rizmo]

Hi all

I have a Puma ST line x and when I turn the rear demister on, the radio loses DAB signal. When I switch the demister off, the radio returns. Very strange

Has anyone else had this issue with a 23 plate Puma or any other Puma?

There's a thread on here from maybe 3 years ago regarding this subject. I can't find it. A Nextbase rear dash cam was interfering with the dab radio. With the boot open remove the plastic trim at the top. This will reveal the wiring for the demister. I think the cables need to be wrapped with foil to reduce noise which is blocking the dab radio signal. There is also some videos on YouTube worth looking at.

[4251]

Must say though I can’t remember the last time I turned the rear demister on, you just don’t need it if you leave the climate in auto about 22 deg and A/C always off apart from the rare occasion it’s needed in summer. Turning it on yes clears condensation by putting it in the evaporator only for it to come flooding back into the car when you turn it off! If you leave it off once it’s cleared it will stay cleared without using wasteful unhealthy A/C . And don’t mess with the climate, leave it in auto A/C off. That’s the rant I have with wife as she £&@&£ it up all the time with windows misted up and air blasting all over the place!
No doubt will get comments about it should be on etc etc etc etc

But A/C should be left on. Its one of those 'use it or lose it' things.
Correct me if I'm wrong but pressing auto on a climate control system automatically turns on the air con?

I was expecting this reply ! Absolutely not for me, you should never leave your air con on ! A waste of fuel and unnecessary mechanical wear and I can assure you the system will not suffer for it, thats codswallop, it will benefit ! I have never had a A/C fault on a car and never had to get one regassed. I tend to give it a run about once a month for 10 minutes and thats it. If you leave it off and climate in auto ( then turn off a/c by button!! ) the system still runs in auto just without cooling, you will never get any misting windows apart from when people get in with wet clothes. Then I just use the heated screens, but that’s extremely rare. Really though, what a silly waste of money leaving a/c on. Would you do that in your house if you had it?

[Ron240]

I was expecting this reply ! Absolutely not for me, you should never leave your air con on ! A waste of fuel and unnecessary mechanical wear and I can assure you the system will not suffer for it, thats codswallop, it will benefit ! I have never had a A/C fault on a car and never had to get one regassed. I tend to give it a run about once a month for 10 minutes and thats it. If you leave it off and climate in auto ( then turn off a/c by button!! ) the system still runs in auto just without cooling, you will never get any misting windows apart from when people get in with wet clothes. Then I just use the heated screens, but that’s extremely rare. Really though, what a silly waste of money leaving a/c on. Would you do that in your house if you had it?

But surely the air con compressor is not running all the time...only when it is required for cooling like in a domestic fridge?
A cars climate control system (HVAC) operates at optimal efficiency when everything is functioning together, and modern systems are much more efficient than days of old so the wasting money argument is not so relevant anymore.
It is said everywhere you read that if a cars air con is not 'regularly' used then seals dry out which allows the refrigerant to escape.
Again correct me if I am wrong?

[4251]

Well I think your wrong? Yes it is running all of the time, the clutch stays engaged if it is on, the system constantly dehumidifies. Which ain't healthy either. Approx 4-5 % increase in fuel consumption. The seals don't dry out, old wife's tail! Domestic fridges don't dry out. We had a 30 year old fridge on the farm the was turned off from September to April every year, it never had a spanner to it. Why would cars be any different. Anyway like I said, I do give mine a run once a month for 10 mins, more to work the clutch than anything else.

[Sparks]

I've not turned the aircon off in any car I've owned since 2009. The Fiesta owned for 9 years from 2009 the 3 since then (All Fords) and I have never had a A/C fault on a car and never had to get one
re-gassed either.
I'm not really a high mileage driver so never worry about MPG or the effects of A/C on the figures etc. I don't say it's what you should or should not do, only that's the way I do it.

[Pbirdman]

If I can just interrupt this topic with a question on Drive Modes relating to Air Con/Fans --- I'm trying to figure useful uses for the Drive Modes
Obviously Sport Mode for when you want a more spirited drive (like it says in the manual), Normal for general dry driving, Slippery for when the need arises but the other 2 modes really elude me
Eco Mode other than maybe really wet weather where you want a little less Throttle response it can be handy but other than that what the hell does even do - in a previous Fiesta it says it can adjust the Fans speed but I have never noticed this even in that car and also in the manual it says best for fuel efficency - again I have clocked all drive modes and no matter what drive mode im in i get basically the same MPG so can someone tell me exactly what each mode does (technically) and what situations it excels in because for the life of me I cannot work it out.

And as for Trail mode -- What is the **** point??

Sorry to digress but just while we were on about fans/AC it just made me ask

Thanks for any assistance