Does frequent exposure to rain damage a car?
3 Answers
Hazards: It can cause the paint to fade or even develop fine cracks, oxidize and darken the surface, including the car's headlight covers and glass, which will gradually become cloudy. Plastic and rubber components on the surface may age, harden, and crack, such as tires. Below is relevant information about water exposure to cars: 1. Damage to original parts: Water immersion can cause significant damage to electronic equipment; mixed rainwater is highly corrosive and may affect the functionality of electrical components in the future. 2. Damage to vehicle accessories: The computer integrated blocks may oxidize due to immersion, often requiring inspection and replacement, otherwise normal operation cannot be ensured. Additionally, the engine, transmission, ABS, airbags, onboard computer, etc., may suffer short-circuit damage after being soaked in water.
Last time I saw my neighbor's new car always parked outdoors, the roof was full of water stains, so I quickly reminded him to wax it. Rainwater is really a slow killer for cars, especially acid rain, which can corrode the paint and make it look dull. I've seen many cases of rusted car roofs where rainwater accumulated in the drainage channels and rusted through the metal before being noticed. The underside of the car is even worse; driving through puddles on rainy days can splash corrosive dirty water onto the chassis components, and even the brake lines can rust through and leak. If you don't open the windows to ventilate after rain, the musty smell inside can be overwhelming, and the seat cushions can grow mold. Here's a tip: after rain, drive to an automatic car wash to rinse the undercarriage. Before the rainy season, use a high-pressure air gun to blow out the sunroof drainage holes. Make sure to do undercarriage armor maintenance at least twice a year, and if there are any scratches on the paint, remember to touch them up immediately.
My old Jetta was parked under trees for years, and there was a period when the windshield wipers couldn't clean properly. The mechanic was shocked when he opened the hood—rainwater had leaked into the electrical box, nearly causing a short circuit. This made me realize three major hazards of rain exposure on cars: prolonged rain can cause headlight covers to yellow and fog up, especially reducing the light transmission rate of halogen headlights significantly; water-soaked sealing strips can deform, turning the sunroof into a waterfall; the most dangerous issue is sensor failure—I've experienced false collision warnings from the parking sensors on rainy days. Once after a heavy rain, the dashboard screen directly displayed an error code upon starting the car, and the mechanic said it was due to oxidized sensor connectors. Now I've learned my lesson and always do three things before the rainy season: replace the wiper blades, spray protective agent on the door seals, and clean the sensor probes with electronic cleaner.
