Q: I have a hard time keeping the windshield from fogging up in my 2018 Honda Fit. I've tried gradually bringing up the heat, blasting the heat, even using no heat. But no luck! When it's cold out, I get condensation frozen to the inside of the windows. Is there anything I can do?

A: First, you need to understand the problem. Moisture in the air condenses on the car's cold glass. When you select the car's defrost setting, the air conditioner turns on along with the heat. The air conditioner draws moisture from the air, and then the heater warms it. Drier air targets and clears the windshield.

What can you do? Select the defrost mode. Don't use the recirculated air setting. Try to keep the cabin dry. Cracking a rear window a smidgen might help exchange the interior air.

The cold truth

Q: I understand that cold temps have caused problems with Tesla and the fast-charging stations. A very cold battery has a higher internal resistance. Is this enough to throw off the "brains" of a fast charger and cause it to refuse to charge?

A: Cold batteries are slower to take a charge. In the case of Teslas, the batteries needed to be preconditioned (warmed up) to accept a charge. Power is needed to warm the batteries, and that power must come from the batteries. That's one way of saying "Catch-22.″

Mud in your eye

Q: One of your readers questioned the value of mudguards. My take is that they can prevent rocks and other road debris from flying into the air and damaging a following vehicle. This came to my attention while riding with a friend who had recently moved to New Mexico from Minnesota. He said the absence of mudguards on many cars in the Southwest results in chipped or broken windshields, in particular. So, be a Good Samaritan. Install mudguards for everyone's benefit and safety.

A: That is one take on mudguards. Although there may be other pros and cons, there will be no mudslinging from me.

Age is relative

Q: My partner and I disagree about the age of our 2000 car. We're looking to get antique plates, which you can get in our state when a vehicle is 25 years old. My partner insists that you count the year the car was built, so it's now 25. I say it'll be 25 in 2025. Who's right?

A: It depends on the state you live in. Going by model year, you have to wait until 2025. But some states base a vehicle's age on when it was first issued license plates. So if your car was licensed in 1999, it would be 25 years old this year. Check with your DMV to see what system they use.

Bob Weber is a writer, mechanic and ASE-certified Master Automobile Technician. His writing has appeared in automotive trade publications, Consumer Guide and Consumers Digest. Send automotive questions along with name and town to motormouth.tribune@gmail.com.