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I'll start a bit differently: I forgot front right window half-lowered and the car was exposed about 30 minutes to heavy rain. I found the door and half of the seat wet from the inside, but circuits in door work good so far - power windows, audio, mirror control.

Is a car door designed to withstand such a situation? I am interested in both aspects:

  1. Window accidentally left open in heavy rain.

  2. Door (with window closed) opened for passengers in heavy rain, so built-in switches and speakers get wet almost immediately. Additionally, in some cases, rainwater carried by wind can be attacking the interior side of the door in sharp angles.

Is there anything what I have to do except of simply letting it dry? Or something to worry about?

miroxlav
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1 Answers1

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There's not much to worry about. Car doors have seals to keep rain out, as long as the window is in contact with the seal along its entire length rain will not get inside the door, even if it is not fully closed. Front door glass is usually angled or curved, so when half open the front part of the window may go below the seals, leaving a gap between them. However, that gap is very small so you won't have a door full of water even after 30 minutes of downpour, a trickle may have made it through.

The components inside aren't waterproof, however they are tolerant to a fair bit of moisture, so unless the motor or wiring somehow gets exposed to significant water you shouldn't have any problems. Even then they will probably work once they dry out, taking the door card off would speed that process. A short will likely blow a fuse, so if you have problems check there first. There are normally drain holes on the bottom of the door body, make sure they are cleared.

Switches on the door for windows, door locks, etc are designed to tolerate rain, you won't always be getting in and out when it's dry, so should not be an issue. Dry them off thoroughly.

Don't ignore the rest of the car, most of the rain will end up pooling on the floor and could make it moldy if you don't get it dried out. Use towels to soak up the worst part, then air it out on dry days or keep it open in a secure area.

GdD
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