Listening to your favorite song while riding your car in the rain is always relaxing and soothing. But the enjoyment quickly turns into a disturbance if the rainwater manages to enter the speakers if you have left the window open. You might wonder if your electric car can also jolt you with a similar pleasant-to-worrisome experience. Can electric car door speakers get wet?
Yes, electric car door speakers can get wet when they come into contact with water and moisture. It happens mainly due to water incursion in the car due to rain and flooding. As the water makes its way into the speakers, it can damage the critical components, rendering them unusable.
Electric Car Door Speakers Getting Wet: Reasons Explained
- Water Contact: If water drips into the door speakers for any reason—say faulty door sealants, the open window during rain, or drink spill while driving—they can get wet instantly. It can lead to speaker damage, rust, or even a shot circuit.
- Humidity: Too much moisture in the air can render the speakers incapacitated to produce sound. It happens mainly during the wet seasons. Paper cones are widely used in door speakers due to their stiffness and low mass, but they get heavier and are prone to fiber tearing due to moisture.
- Freezing Temperature: In extreme cold, if there is water in the speakers, they can freeze and malfunction.
Read: Can You Charge a Chevy Bolt in Rain?
How to Fix Wet Electric Car Door Speakers?
1. Dry the Speakers
Getting the speakers rid of water and moisture as soon as they stop functioning can save their sophisticated components. Halt using the speakers of your electric car until they are fully dried. Once done, they should work fine if no bigger loss has occurred. It would help if you did it in the following steps:
- Use a dry cloth to wipe the speakers and the areas around them. Water-absorbing clothes and towels are recommended.
- Uninstall the door panels to expose the inner structure of the speakers. Use a blow drier over them to effectively remove water from deep and small areas where clothes cannot do the job effectively.
- Once done, close the doors and windows, and turn the AC on for about an hour. Due to the condensation action, the water content in the cabin air will reduce, drying the speakers faster.
2. Get Them Repaired
Unfortunately, if the speakers have suffered big damage, like shot circuits or cone destruction, they need to be fixed or replaced. Often in such a case, replacement is the only viable option. Moreover, getting a pro’s assistance is recommended since it involves sophisticated handling.
If you hear your car’s speakers cackling or making unnecessary noise even after a few days of drying them up thoroughly, you can suspect bigger damage.
How to Prevent Electric Car Door Speakers From Getting Wet?
1. Keep the Cabin Filter Clean
If you do not keep the windows open much and use AC a lot, your car will not have too much humidity, even during extreme weather conditions, to impact the speakers. The only way in such a case for humidity to enter the cabin is through a dirty filter.
Clogged air filters adversely affect the humidity levels in the car cabin as they fail to filter moisture through the air. Make sure you clean it every month and get it replaced every 15,000 miles.
2. Waterproof the Speakers
You can apply some plastic sealant over the speakers to avoid moisture or water getting into them. Just purchase a set of plastic sheets, cut them into the shape of your car’s speakers, and paste them over them. However, note that it might look odd, and the sound quality will also be affected. So, it is recommended to use this technique only as a precaution, for instance, when the weather is wet or you are not listening to the radio. Installing speaker baffles is also a good idea. These are specially designed covers that do not let water enter the speakers.
| Fact!
Electric cars are getting rid of AM radios. Electric vehicle components interfere with these signals, making them unusable. Tesla originally included AM radio in their Model S but discontinued it after 2018. |
3. Take Care of the Drains
If any unfortunate incident of water filling your electric car’s cabin occurs, the drains should be able to flush it out. You must know where the drainage holes are located in your car. Make sure that there is not any leakage or blocking in them. Just open the holes if water begins filling inside your car to drain it quickly before it impacts the door speakers.
4. Prevent Doors Seal Wear and Tear
Door seals are the first line of defense when water from the outside tries to make its way into the car. If you do not keep them clean, they will wear and tear quickly over time, rendering them ineffective.
An easy way to do it is to apply WD-40 on the seals regularly and clean it off gently with a dry piece of cloth. You can also use polish instead. Similarly, if you see any visible dirt on the seals, you must clean them immediately.
5. Ventilate Your Car
If you have moisture in your car, get rid of it immediately. It can build up for many reasons. For instance, you might have spilled a drink on the carpet. It will be held long enough in the vehicle if not appropriately ventilated or given enough time to dry, producing moisture in the cabin environment.
Ensure ample fresh, dry air in the cabin, and floor mats and all upholstery stay dry.
Do Wet Speakers Risk the Whole Audio System?
Yes, wet speakers can damage the whole audio system in your electric car, provided the water ingress is too much. Unfortunately, there is not much sealing between a car’s speakers and other audio equipment. Water entering the speakers can easily penetrate the radio and other associated equipment. Similarly, the circuitry present among different components will also be at risk of a shot circuit.
Are Electric Car Door Speakers Waterproof?
No. Typical electric car speakers are not waterproof. Water does get into them, damaging the components and circuitry. These speakers are not marine grade considering that cars are designed to minimize water entry into the cabin, thus reducing the chances of the speakers getting wet. However, electric car speakers can be waterproof through some DIY ways discussed earlier.
Should You See a Mechanic If Your Electric Car Door Speakers Get Wet?
Contacting a mechanic is recommended if the speakers do not work or produce quality sound after drying. Seeing a mechanic would be unnecessary if the speakers have contacted water and work fine after drying them. However, it would help if you remembered that the speakers should not be used until the water is entirely removed. Otherwise, you might risk more extensive damage not just to the speakers but also to the audio system.
Final Thoughts: Can Electric Car Door Speakers Get Wet?
Yes, electric car door speakers do get wet the similar way those of conventional ones do. If the water enters them or the humidity is too high, the resultant wetness can render the speakers damaged. Drying the speakers should rectify the issue if no severe damage occurs; otherwise, you would need professional assistance. However, by adopting some precautionary measures, you can keep your electric car’s speaker intact.
