How to deal with water entering the car through an open window without causing standing water?
2 Answers
If water enters your car through an open window but does not accumulate, follow these steps: 1. First, remove any water inside the car and dry the wet areas. 2. Open the car doors for ventilation and spread moisture-absorbing beads inside the car to continue absorbing water. If these are unavailable, you can use newspaper or rice as substitutes. 3. If you have a wet/dry vacuum or a dryer, it’s even better, as they can quickly remove moisture from the car. 4. After the car has dried, test all electronic devices to ensure they are functioning properly. If any malfunction or short circuit is detected, promptly visit a 4S shop or auto repair shop for repairs. Important notes: 1. Wet seats may develop mold. Avoid using a hot air blower to dry them. If your car has seat heating, you can use this function to speed up evaporation. After air-drying, apply a leather polish cleaner. For sponge seats, you can remove the entire seat and air-dry the sponge inside. 2. Do not fully soak and scrub the car mats in water, as this can damage the adhesive between the different material layers inside the mats and may cause them to remain damp for a long time, affecting their performance and increasing interior humidity.
A couple of days ago, I also forgot to close my car windows and it got rained on. The seat cushions were soaked but there was no standing water. I quickly used dry towels to repeatedly press and absorb the water, focusing on the door panel seams and the sponge layer of the seats. I parked the car in a ventilated area with the doors open to air it out, and also lifted the trunk mat for ventilation. By the third day, the seats were still damp, so I bought car dehumidifier boxes and placed them on the floor mats, which worked well. Remember to check if the dashboard buttons are malfunctioning—my colleague once experienced sound system button failures after rain exposure. Pay special attention to drying the window seals, as neglecting this can accelerate aging and cracking. In this kind of weather, it’s advisable to keep a few microfiber towels in the car; they absorb water three times better than regular towels. Lastly, a reminder: the electronic parking brake module is under the seats and is most vulnerable to water damage.
