Can Car Speakers Really Get Wet? (8 Ways To Protect)

Car speakers are the most important part of your audio system, right from entertaining you, to proving information, and helping you navigate.

Automakers do provide reasonable protection to speakers (e.g protective grills) but there are also other additional precautionary measures you can take to protect your speakers (e.g car speaker baffles).

If water infiltrates the speaker, you might hear muffled sounds coming out from your speaker and sudden sound distortions. Besides, water can damage the entire sound system of your car. 

So, Can Car Speakers Really Get Wet?

Yes, your car speakers can get wet for various reasons and malfunction when exposed to weather elements such as moisture and humidity. Car speakers are usually mounted on the doors, where water can easily seep through the window seals, or if you accidentally leave your car window or door open during rain or accidentally spill beverages over the speaker during your journey.

However, you should not have to worry.

Here are some reasons why your car speaker gets wet first and solutions to fix them effortlessly. 

---

Related:

• Do Car Speaker Baffles (Boom Matts) Work? (Installation Pictures)
• Do Car Speakers Go Bad & Diagnosis? (Must Read)
• Why Do My Car Speakers Crackle At High Volume? (Solved)

Why Do Car Speakers Get Wet?

Did you know that damages to the amplifier and other electrical parts of the radio’s head unit due to water can lead to costly audio set replacement?

Yes! Water can damage your car speaker fast.

So, here are a few reasons behind your car speaker getting wet that you must know.

1. Damaged Or Leaking Car Window And Door Seals 

Water coming through the window in the rainy season can damage any door speakers.

If your door and window seals are damaged and worn out, water can drip inside a door and fall on the speaker’s magnet and voice coil, causing speaker damage.

2. Spilled Liquid On Your Car Speaker

Car speakers are a device for use inside your car where it gets complete protection from water.

However, human errors like spilling tea or coffee accidentally on the speakers expose them to moisture.

Results? Your speakers get wet, leading to rusting and then damage. 

3. Environmental Factor

Water can leak inside if your car is submerged under water due to flooding in your area or water logging during heavy rains.

Water can also enter the speaker’s protective grill if you leave your car door open and rainwater soaks the interior trim of your car door.

Then it damages your electronic systems, including the car speaker. 

4. Humidity Is Responsible

If your AC is inefficient when driving in the rain, speaker cones slowly soak water from the cabin air.

Once this happens, the high humidity eventually damages the sensitive parts of the speakers.

5. Not Installing The Speakers In The Right Place.

Installing quality speakers in the correct place gives them ample protection from damage.

However, if your car speakers are combating extreme weather elements such as rain, snow, and sunlight, they can be severely damaged over time.

So, installing speakers near doors and windows without protective gear can cause water damage.

How Can You Prevent Car Speakers From Getting Wet?

You can do a few simple things to keep your car speaker safe from water damage. Take a look! 

1. Fix Door And Window Seals

Lubricating the door seals of your car and keeping them clean will help you avoid water leaking inside your vehicle during car wash or rain, saving your car speaker from water damage.

2. Inspect And Clean The Cabin Filter Regularly

The cabin filter cleans the air that enters the car.

If it’s damaged or not clean, dirt and moisture circulate inside your vehicle, leading to wetness and rust build-up inside the speakers.

Therefore, replace filters or clean them regularly.

3. Using A Quality Speaker Cover Or Speaker Baffles

A water-resistant speaker cover can help to protect your car speaker by keeping water out.

Moreover, speaker Baffles are foam covers designed to protect your car speakers from water damage.

So install speaker baffles to repel dripping water. 

Here is a great article on protecting your car speaker with speaker baffles (Boom Matts).

4. Waterproofing Your Subwoofer

Another effective method is coating your car speaker with non-porous material like high-gloss polymer to make your speaker water-resistant. 

5. Keeping Your Car’s Interior Dry And Clean

There will be moisture and dirt near the speakers if your automobile is not clean, making them wet.

So keep your car squeaky clean!

6. Park In Your Car In The Garage

Parking your car in a garage or an enclosed area will help to protect it from bad weather, keeping the car speakers and other parts safe from water damage.  

7. Turn On Your Car Ac To Dry Out Excess Moisture

Turning on the vehicle’s air conditioning system helps regulate temperature and dry water moisture inside the car.

So, turn on your AC if you want to protect your speakers from moisture. 

8. Install Rain Guard On Your Windows Frame

Install rain guards on all your door frames to avoid any water seeping or entering into the door frame and damaging the door speakers.

Rain guards also have other benefits such as protection from wind, keeping your car cool, etc which you can find out in this article.

How To Fix A Car Speaker That Got Wet?

Did you leave your car windows down in bad weather, and now your car speakers are soaking wet? If yes! Don’t turn on your car’s audio system immediately. 

Follow the simple steps to avoid damaging your speakers any further.

1. Use dry napkins or towels to wipe out water from the affected areas.

Removing water from the affected areas is the first troubleshooting technique to save your car speakers from further damage.

You must carefully mop off the water using a soft cloth and leave your car speakers to dry out completely before turning the music system on. 

2. Blow-dry the areas around the speaker.

You can dry a wet car speaker by blowing hot air over the affected areas with a hair dryer.

However, keeping the hair dryer in the lowest heat setting is recommended. You can also use a fan to air dry the speakers.

3. Turn on the AC to let the wet parts dry and remove moisture.

To remove the wetness from the speaker terminals, turn on the AC.

Once the areas around the speaker are gone, you can turn off the AC and turn on your car’s music system.

4. After all these above steps, it is time to test them out.

Turn on your speakers and check if it immediately stops. If it doesn’t work, your speakers might have short-circuited.

Unfortunately, sometimes water damage is irreversible. If your car speaker is not working even after you have dried them successfully, you’ll need to invest in a new one.

Remember removing the water-damaged parts is too technical to do on your own. So it is best to seek professional help.

Check out this great article on how to identify a damaged car speaker.

Wrapping Up 

You should not ignore if your car speakers are wet as it can cause a short circuit and begin a fire too!

So, dry it off immediately when wet, or call a professional for help. Remember, a damp speaker can lead to rust build-up in other parts of your car’s audio systems and damage the whole thing. 

Moreover, repairing or replacing a music system is expensive. So please use the tips in this guide and enjoy uninterrupted music when you drive.

Sources

How do I fix wet car speakers?

Why Car Speakers Get Wet and How to Fix This?

How to Protect Car Speakers from Water?