Knowing your Car: 5 Ways Rainwater can Damage your Vehicle

While the Philippines is a place of scorching heat, there will always be those days when rain pours like crazy. Not only can this increase difficulty in driving, but it can also cause significant damage to your vehicle itself, especially to the steel parts like the suspension, U-bolt, and so on.

To minimize such unwanted incidents, we must first understand the specific damage that rainwater can inflict on our vehicles. And here they are:

Car Paint Damage

Due to atmospheric pollution caused by human activity, acid rain has become a problem in large cities due to large amounts of pollutants caused by factories. Once a vehicle is contaminated by acid rain, it etches into a car’s paint upon drying, which can only be removed by both polishing and buffing its finish. Don’t delay the necessary repairs because the longer the vehicle remains tainted, the more damage will be dealt to your vehicle.

Potential Mechanical Problems

Water is highly acidic, causing your vehicle’s metallic parts to rust. And with prolonged exposure, it can dissolve just about anything. A preventative measure in protecting your vehicle would be to locate and seal any dents and cracks that rainwater could slip into. Otherwise, mechanical or battery failure may result in the long term.

Too much water damages your car’s health

When there’s a storm brewing real hard, stay indoors unless it’s an absolute emergency. Floodwater can easily pour inside your car and damage it to the point that it’s cheaper to buy a new car than an attempt to repair what you drove. This is because once water enters your vehicle, it can render damage to everything it gets into contact with. So avoid large bodies of water at all costs.

Engine and Transmissions Fluids become vulnerable to critical damage

Water can slip inside the engine and irreparably damage it, which is dangerous especially when you try to start a car with water still trapped in the crankcase. Once these fluids mix with water, the car might not work as before and could cause unintended consequences. Make sure to remove water or wait for it to dry up before starting the engine.

Vehicle Interior Smell

While water won’t damage your interior, it will, however, leave mildew and cause an unpleasant odor inside your car while it is still running. Stocking up on air fresheners won’t do; either visit your local carwash or invest an hour into cleaning your vehicle from the inside out. Of course, if you followed the preventative steps above, you wouldn’t have to face any of these consequences. So there’s that, too.

Drive safely, everyone!