I Left The Sunroof Open In Rain – What Now?

Leaving the sunroof open can result in a vast amount of water entering your vehicle.

Water coming into contact with the car interior can result in considerable damage. So what to do when you left the sunroof open in the rain?

When you face such a situation, you need to know how to act quickly to prevent further damage to your vehicle.

For your convenience, we have listed the possible outcomes and how you can save your car.

What Can Happen If I Left The Sunroof Open In Rain?

Several problems can occur due to water damage and flooding when you leave the sunroof open in the rain. Mold, foul odors, and mildew are just a few.

When water gets collected around the metal, rust- especially around the door panels, trunk, and hood, few other damages that can happen when you leave the sunroof open in the rain are as follows.

External Damage

The accelerator, clutch, and brake are essential components of the car. When the car is flooded, they are the first to suffer damage.

As these components move, water can damage them within a short amount of time.

At the time of flooding, other parts like cylinders, pistons, and starters can experience damage.

To get your car repaired, you must contact and get in touch with a professional immediately to prevent more damage.

Problems Related To Electricity

It’s recommended to stay away from wires and electrical components after water damage till they fully dry up.

One of the many things that water affects is the wires of your car. It usually requires a professional to assess the damage and fix it.

After the car dries, you need to look into other components that use wires. These include lights, windows, radio, seats and doors, and dashboard.

Rust

As the primary component of your car is metal, rusting can cause severe damage if you leave the sunroof open in the rain.

Therefore, you need to ensure that all the exposed metal surfaces are repainted or dried to keep rust from forming and damaging the metal.

Hydrolock

If you left the sunroof open in the rain, your car engine could experience a hydrolock.

When the water gets inside your engine because of the air intake, it wreaks havoc on the cylinders and pistons.

The most harmful thing you can do during such times is to switch your engine!

What To Do If You Left The Sunroof Open In Rain?

Take Immediate Action

Once you find that you left the sunroof open in the rain, it is crucial to take the necessary actions as quickly as possible.

At first, shut off the sunroof as the more water gets inside your car, the more it can damage your car’s electrical mechanism.

Moreover, it will enable you to prevent more damage.

Take Care Of The Damage

Do not panic if you leave the sunroof open in the rain overnight.

Your first line of action has to reach out to a professional, so they can assess if your car has any form of electrical damage that they can fix.

It will prevent any mildew from developing that can otherwise leave a foul smell.

If you do not find a professional immediately after you leave the sunroof open in the rain, you can sprinkle some amount of baking soda on the carpet and keep it like that all through the night.

Later, you can vacuum it and use steam cleaners to take care of the upholstery and the carpet. Leather cleaners can help you fix the leather seats and trims.

Remove The Water

Water gets stagnant within your car when you leave the sunroof open in the rain. It can damage your car and other components.

You will need to act fast before it interferes with the mechanical components of your car.

After leaving the sunroof open in the rain, you may come across pools of water within the car that you will require to get rid of.

If you possess a dry or wet vacuum cleaner, you can use them to eliminate them quickly.

On the other hand, you can use towels to soak up the water and remove it from your car’s cabin.

While using a vacuum cleaner, be careful as it can electrocute you otherwise.

Avoid Turning Your Car On

Water damage can affect the transmission along with the engine.

While turning on your engine, more water can get inside the car, which can, in turn, worsen your issue instead of fixing it.

During water damage to your car, its pistons do not move, contributing to the hydrolock.

So, by avoiding turning your engine on, you can prevent the rise in the cost of repair. And in more severe cases, you can stop your car from getting irreparable.

Ventilate Your Car

Drying your car after leaving the sunroof open in the rain is not enough.

You have to ensure that your car gets sufficient sunlight. For this, take down your car’s windows and open the doors.

If your car does not get enough sunlight from the parking area, keep it under an open space and make good use of some battery-operated or electric fans.

The fan will remove foul odors and eliminate any possible mildew and mold from forming.

You can further use the heaters present in the car to clear away the remaining water. Just make sure that your engine is not getting damaged.

Clean The Car

If you leave the sunroof open in the rain, you have to find all the damp spots to clean the car. Once you discover them, clean them immediately.

In case the water is stuck in your car’s cabin, use regular or kitchen towels to remove excess water and soak them up.

It can help you remove water from your carpets and seats and dry them out entirely with heaters.

Conclusion

You left the sunroof open in the rain – what now?

It is a common mistake that many of us make. But, instead of losing hope, it is better to take immediate action.

Before a professional reaches out to you, you need to follow all the necessary steps to prevent further damage.

At first, focus on cleaning and drying your car entirely with the help of towels, vacuum cleaners, and heaters.

Do not turn your car engine on as it can damage the engine’s electrical components. Moreover, avoid touching the wiring and leave it to the professionals.