Is It Bad To Leave My Car In The Rain?

It’s not a good idea to leave your car in the rain as excess water can ruin the paint of the car, and damage the car engine and headlights.

 

Here are a few  reasons why it is bad to leave your car in the rain.

●    Rain can damage the car engine

If you leave the car in the rain, the rainwater may enter the critical parts of the car engine. In addition to this, dirt and mud may get accumulated in hard-to-reach areas. This may result in rust and damage to the car engine.

●    Rain can damage the headlights

The car headlights are secured by watertight seals. Due to the continuous wear and tear, the seal may loosen, allowing the rainwater to get inside. These water droplets may affect visibility during the night and alter the direction of the beam of light.

●    Impairs the car exterior

Car exteriors are most prone to damage due to rain. The dust and leaves accumulated on the car exteriors ruin the finish of the car paint. This is further worsened by the rain, especially acid rain.

 

Should the car be covered in rain?

No, you should never cover your car in the rain because it may damage the paint on your car. Car covers will protect your car from leaves, mud, and rainwater.

But, after getting wet from rainwater, the cover may stick to the car exterior. Subsequently, when you pull off the cover, it may peel off the pristine paint of your car.

What you can do instead is park your car indoors, or under a shed. You can also use a waterproof cover to protect your car from the rain.

Should a car cover be left on in the rain?

A car cover can be left on the car while it’s raining only if the car cover is waterproof. In the case of regular car covers, they can stick to the car surface after getting wet in the rain. This may harm the pristine finish of the car paint and ruin the overall look of your car. The chipping of the paint can lead to rusting of the car metal as well.

How to protect cars in the rainy season?

The rainy season may take a severe toll on your car if you don’t take proper measures to protect it.

A protection film of wax, a mixture of diesel and engine oil, cloth towels, newspapers are some of the itms you need to protect your car during the rainy season.

Here are some tips to protect your car.

1. Get your car cleaned and wax-polished. Use a ceramic paint or paint protection film that doesn’t let the water settle upon the car surface.
2. Never cover your car in the rain. Instead, park your car under a shed or best in a basement.
3. Make sure you frequently clear the leaves and twigs under the car bonnet and boot lid. The accumulated leaves may cause blockage in the inbuilt drainage system of the car.
4. Spray a mixture of diesel and engine oil on the underbody of the car. This helps to protect the car underbody from developing rust.
5. Use dry towels for the seats and newspapers for the car floor to protect the interiors of the car from moisture and the formation of molds.
6. Get the car air-conditioned serviced as it will be working full-time during rains.
7. Get your car wipers checked to see if there is enough rubber. Not enough rubber can cause scratches on the windscreen because of improper wiping.
8. Check your tire treads and see if there is enough grip to prevent slipping while driving in the rain.

 

How to dry out a wet car?

You can remove the water from the wet car interiors in several different ways by using various tools.

To dry out a wet car, you will need dry cloth towels, a dry sac, shop fans, a blow dryer and moisture absorbent products like baking soda.

Here are some easy steps to dry out a wet car and hit the roads.

1. Remove as much water as you can and as quickly as possible.
2. Use a dry sac to absorb the remaining water. Make sure to reach every nook and cranny of your seat such as armrests, space between the seats, etc.
3. Soak the water from the floor carpets and seats with a help of a cloth. Don’t go for paper towels as they don’t absorb as much water as cloth towels.
4. Open up the drainage plugs underneath your car (if any) to remove the trapped water.
5. Next, position a couple of shop fans so that they blow across the floor and seats of your car from one side to the other. Keep the fans running for at least 24 hours.
6. Even after all the steps, there can still be some moisture that may lead to the formation of molds. Therefore, grab a blow dryer and hit the areas that may still feel wet.
7. Lastly, you can place moisture-absorbent products such as baking soda to dry out the car interiors with time.

 

Can rain damage the car engine?

Yes, rain can severely damage a car engine. This is because the rainwater may leak inside the engine and cause permanent damage.

It happens especially when you try restarting your car while there is water trapped inside the engine crankcase. The fluids may mix with water and affect the performance of your car.

If you are caught in a situation where your car engine has flooded, don’t try to restart the car. Restarting your car will make way for more water to enter the engine and cause hydrolock.

Remove the water as quickly as you can to stop any further damage to the mechanical components and wiring of the car.

You can take the help of towels to soak the water. But make sure to not use the regular vacuum cleaner as you may get electrocuted.

Use a fan or natural sunlight to let any remaining moisture evaporate.

Why won’t my car start after rain?

Spark plugs are the most common reason why cars won’t start after rain. A spark plug is responsible for the ignition. Due to rain and water leakage into the engine, the spark plug can fail, causing the car to not start.

A broken distributor cap may have moisture trapped inside it. This would result in the car not starting after rain.

Loose rubber around doors and windshield can also facilitate the leaking of water inside the electrical systems of the car.

Dead batteries or battery cells unable to produce enough current may be reasons why your car doesn’t start after rain.

Will rain affect new car paint?

Rain can cause severe damage to new car paint as the contaminants present in the rainwater would lead to corrosion of car metal.

The mud particles present in rainwater can get accumulated on the car surface and underbody of the car causing overall damage to the car. However, you can take some preventive measures to protect your car against the effects of rain.

Get your car coated with wax so that water slips off the car surface. This helps in keeping the new car paint intact and prevents the corrosion of the car at the lines of scratches and dents.

Park your car under the shed or indoors (if possible). Use window visors to prevent any water from coming inside the car cabin. These help against the formation of mist as well.

Furthermore, use a bug deflector to divert any bugs or projectiles from hitting the windshield of your car. You can also lubricate the car parts exposed to the rain. Also, check the rubber on the windshield and windows to see if it is tight enough to not let the water in.

 

Does rain hurt classic cars?

Yes, rain can hurt classic cars if the floor carpets and seats are soaked with rainwater. If there are cracks or if the paint has chipped off from any part of your classic car, rust is going to form.

On the other hand, it is easier to dry off a classic car as sunlight and air can directly enter the car and facilitate ventilation.

To prevent rusting of your precious classic car, inspect for any damage regularly. If there is even a small part of exposed metal on your car, get it immediately treated with paint and wax finish.

Besides, classic cars may need a little more care as compared to other cars. Consistent heat and road salt affects the brightness of the paint and causes corrosion, respectively.

In addition to this, letting your classic car out in cold and prolonged no-use periods would lead to your car not starting. To prevent this, equip your classic car with antifreeze and wiper liquids.