open sunroof and big rain storm

[Donald]

My wife's daughter drove our Subaru Forester and left the sunroof wide open. Then a 1" or more rainstorm. The cup holder was filled to the brim. Extracted over 6 gallons of water from carpet and under carpet.

Now passenger seatbelt buzzer comes on with no one in the seat. It stops if I seatbelt the empty seat.

Will it dry out still or new sensor or new seat?

Kids!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[talest]

Hope everything still works good... and then go for maximum airflow.

Windows down all day
Drive it..........
Hair dryer to some particularly soggy or sensitive spots if you have to.
Maybe some towels from the shower to mat the super wet spots with.

And close that sunroof though you will want it open during the air dry

Had this issue once, with a sunroof that we thought it was closed, appeared to be, but it really was not. Then went to a car wash . Have to check that, proper closure, on sunroofs. That forward setting does NOT always put it where it needs to be! And not Auto..

 

[andyd]

With luck it will dry out

 

[4WD]

BIG FAN like from farm and ranch store !!!

 

[talest]

Originally Posted by 4WD
BIG FAN like from farm and ranch store !!!


Plus out in sun all day and nice road air/heat

 

[AZjeff]

I'd worry about getting the seat cushions dried out as well. Might consider pulling the seats and carpet and get them out in the sun. Big job but if it starts stinking you've got a bigger mess. Under the seats will be the problem.

Already mentioned you need lots of airflow through the car. Disconnect the battery, all doors open, blast it.

Good luck.

 

[Donald]

I used a commercial carpet extractor (a small spot one, but same type) and it got all the water it could from surfaces. There were some carpet cutouts for a bolt under seat and used those to extract water under the carpet. So anything I could get out I already have. Two days in the sun with doors open.

The car is on CL to sell so not a good time to have this issue.

The sunroof was wide open all the way. So maybe a 30" x 30" opening.

 

[brages]

Pull out the seats and get the carpet up. Some cars have very thick foam under the carpet for sound deadening and it will take forever to dry out. Have her help you...

 

[2heeldrive]

I feel your pain. Had the same thing happen to us a few years ago... except it was the wife that left the roof open.

The biggest problem is going to be the carpet and pad. It should be removed and left in the sun to dry. If you can't get it out, at least lift it up from the floor pan and prop it up so air can get under it.

Rain water is fairly soft and should not hurt the electronic bits once they dry out.

I think this is not so uncommon. Years ago, I had a friend who's daughter left the roof open over night. Torrential rain storm. Water ran out when they opened the doors. They didn't pull the carpet...and that car smelled funky from then on.

 

[Kestas]

I once did some work outside that involved stuff in the trunk of my car. I never slammed the trunk shut after finishing work. Overnight a gust of wind blew the trunk open and it snowed two inches.

 

[Kira]

Microfiber towels soak up more water than their terrycloth counterparts.

I do like the big fan idea. Also take advantage of the wetness and apply mild soap to any stains.

Rewetting to rinse won't seem as "counter intuitive" at that point.

 

[PimTac]

Removing as much carpet and upholstery as possible will help. The fan idea is good. My worry would be the dashboard and the electronics.

 

[Donald]

She went back to Brooklyn before the rain. I never use the car anymore (who would with a F250 PSD) and did not look at it.

We have more days of dry weather now. Doors are open.

 

[MoneyJohn]

Just had this last week. I leave rear windows open, about an inch or two. The rainwater soaked rear seats completely. The car was smelling musty right next day. I parked the car under the sun for 2 days. All doors shut and the same windows open the same fashion. In 2 days, the seats are dry. It may take more for you.

I 'think', if you leave the doors open, the inside of the car may not heat up as much for all water to evaporate. Can't say much about the seatbelt chime.

 

[newbe46]

Originally Posted by Donald
My wife's daughter drove our Subaru Forester and left the sunroof wide open. Then a 1" or more rainstorm. The cup holder was filled to the brim. Extracted over 6 gallons of water from carpet and under carpet.

Now passenger seatbelt buzzer comes on with no one in the seat. It stops if I seatbelt the empty seat.

Will it dry out still or new sensor or new seat?

Kids!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Can you use a dehumidifier?

 

[Dave9]

Definitely pull the seats out and subject to a high flow fan, or else you will have funk smelling mold. You may anyway. Put another high flow fan at the doorway pulling fresh air in (not just recirculating inside air), battery disconnected.

You may have a fun journey ahead testing everything electrical and pulling fuses/relays/connectors. I'd point another fan up under the dash if you have one that can be positioned like that.

The bad news is that unless you hide this from buyers, the vehicle value has decreased thousands of dollars, assuming it's the '15 in your sig.

 

[Mr Nice]

Originally Posted by brages
Pull out the seats and get the carpet up. Some cars have very thick foam under the carpet for sound deadening and it will take forever to dry out. Have her help you...

Yep.

Very thick jute and foam needs to be completely dry.

 

[atikovi]

Ideally, park it in a garage with the doors open for a month. A lot of the carpet these days has a thick foam backing that acts like a sponge to hold water. Had a Saturn Vue with the sunroof drain hose disconnected at the right front so the passenger footwell was a lake after a large storm. Removed the side sill cover to be able to get under the carpet. Vacuumed out a good bit, and an hour later it would release more water. Stuffed some cans under the carpet for airflow and kept the windows open on dry days. Took a month before there wasn't any water left.

 

[RhondaHonda]

I'd second the dehumidifier. Put a home unit on the floor or seat and close the doors. They can pull up to 10 gallons a day out so it should help dry the carpet jute and seat cushions if you can't or don't want to remove them. Fresh, clean, water like rain doesn't usually cause the electrical issues you see with salt water or floods that have a bunch of organic matter in them. Ideally you'd pull the seats and carpet, unplug and dry all the wiring connectors that could've gotten wet but I doubt that's necessary with rain water. Also sounds like you got more than 1" rain. A 30"x30" opening 1 inch deep is about 4 gallons.

 

[Kawiguy454]

Get a couple small blowers from HF and set them up so they blow at carpet and under seats. Out in hot sun with all doors open the water will evaporate. Other option is to rent a dehumidifier and circulating fan/s and close it up in the car with the drain hose coming out.