Any damage to your car speaker will affect performance. Water damage, however, has been a thing of contention between audiophiles and motorists. Should you be worried when rain is falling or liquid spills on your speaker? Can water damage a car speaker? Keep reading to find out.
Water spillage reduces the speed of the speaker cone as it adds to its weight. This reduces the quality of speaker sound and would accelerate damage. So, yes, water can damage a car speaker. Exposure to moisture, humidity, and gaps between the voice coil and magnet are leading causes of water damage.
Motorists are taking drastic steps, such as using protective enclosures and foam baffles to protect speakers from water. Buying quality speakers also reduces the risk of water damage. It is important to keep water from entering or touching your speakers. But first, how does water come in contact with car speakers?
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How Water Enters Car Speakers
Knowing how water enters your car speaker is the first step in preventing water damage. There are common areas to protect, however, water can enter through an opening in your car. It is important to keep your car in good shape by repairing any damage to the car as it happens.
A good incentive is that insurance companies delay compensation for speaker damages when there are avoidable causes.
Here are some of the ways water can enter your car speaker.
Damaged Vehicles
Worn-out car roofs may leak water when rain falls or when water is spilled on the car. In case of any visible damage to your car, especially the roof, we recommend immediate repair to cover the damage. A worn-out roof can also destroy some of your other car equipment. Covering worn-out parts of your vehicle is good for extending the lifespan of your vehicle.
Broken Door Seal
A broken door seal allows water to enter your car, and directly into the speakers installed in the front doors. This destroys the internal components of your speakers, as well as the exterior covering. If your subwoofer is covered in an enclosure, then it may also store water that’ll gradually drain into your speaker.
The lack of protection panels on the car door also causes water to drop inside the speaker, thereby damaging the voice coil and magnet. This would lead to sound distortion and a drastic drop in sound quality.
Precautions to take include locking your car doors when rain is falling or when washing the car. You may also want to invest in protection panels to protect both your car speakers and the other car components installed in your car door.
Spillage
Common installation areas for speakers include car doors, dash, and car trunks. While some areas are protected from spillage, others are not completely protected. You should be careful with how you carry liquid in your car. However, if liquid accidentally spills on your speaker, use a damp cloth to quickly clean it, or dry it out in the sun before reusing it.
Humidity
High humidity levels in your car during winter can also damage car speakers. Clean your windows every morning to remove moisture. Unlike rain, moisture is harder to notice until it destroys the edges of your speaker cones. The reason being that our ears easily adjust to the corresponding sound quality.
Plus the fact that not all the car speakers in your car get damaged at the same time. So the good speaker might overshadow the damaged speaker, thereby shielding you from the fact that one of your cones is damaged. Using a protective panel works wonders in protecting against humidity as it is hardly noticeable. But is it necessary to install protective panels or are speakers water-resistant?
Water-Resistant Speakers
Car speakers are made from rubber and pepper materials and do not have any special sealings to protect them from water and other elements. The slightest contact with water poses a high risk of damage, especially for paper speakers. A way to avoid that is by installing protective sealings around your tweeters and subwoofers before installation.
Manufacturers of car speakers are minimizing production costs by excluding unimportant materials and features. Since your car interior is not designed to be in contact with water, manufacturers reserve high water-resistant materials for marine speakers.
So, car speakers are not water-resistant and should be protected from water to avoid damage and poor sound quality.
How Water Damage Reduces The Quality Of Car Speakers
When water leaks into a car speaker, the cone becomes heavier and causes signal delay from the voice coil to the cone. This damage is more enunciated with subwoofers as the output can be completely muffled due to the production of low frequencies.
Loudspeakers on the other hand will suffer a reduction in high frequency. Any attempt to increase the volume will only amount to more distortions or a slight change in sound output.
A heavy cone also causes the speaker to produce weak tones. While you can dry some components of your speaker, the paper membrane breaks after a while because of the initial contact with water, thereby causing cracked and distorted sound. Preventing water damage is the best way to ensure optimal performance and durability.
Ways To Protect Car Speakers From Water Damage
Water damage is a common problem associated with car speakers. The poor speaker materials and lack of protective panels make them more vulnerable. Learning ways to protect your car speakers secures your investment and extends its lifespan.
Moisture Barrier
The holes in your car door can drain water into your car speaker. Installing a kind of moisture barrier to block those holes will prevent water from reaching your speakers. Moisture is the most common cause of car water damage since it can not be prevented.
Find the best moisture barrier that fits your door size to ensure longevity and prevent damage. A good moisture barrier redirects water out the door rather than allowing it to enter the panel. Moisture barriers are affordable and durable.
Maintain Door Seals
Regularly lubricating your washers and window rails prevents the door seals from cracking and breaking. When it’s damaged, water freely runs through the door and into your car speakers. Use a silicone lubricating compound to achieve the best results.
While water damage is the main problem here, dust may also damage door seals. Schedule regular maintenance to remove dust and debris from door seals, to eliminate any risk of car speaker damage. Ventilation also removes condensed moisture from door seals.
Replacing a damaged weatherstrip seal only costs between $10 to $270, depending on the extent of damage and car type. Check to see if you’re still under warranty. Most manufacturers offer long term warranty, so always check as you may still be within the window.
There are also several types of weatherstrips to choose from, including double draft seals, triple draft seals, adhesive and aluminum door sweeps, and door shoes. You may also want to consider truck seals, roof-rail seals, and windshield seals for complete protection.
Install Speaker Baffles
Speaker baffles protect the front and back of your door speakers from dust and water. It serves as a protective case for your speaker. It absorbs any spillage, thereby preventing water from touching your speaker. Mounting speaker baffles also eliminates vibrations.
Installation is simple but time-consuming. You’ll need to make a hole in the baffle using a sharp knife to pass the speaker cable. Installing a speaker baffle is a good way of protecting expensive speakers and ensuring good sound quality.
We offer the best speaker baffles here.
Can I Repair Water Damaged Speaker
Have your speakers been exposed to water and moisture? If yes, then remove it from your car and take it to a professional. However, the cost of repairing water-damaged car speakers can be high. So the best choice is to buy a new one and follow the necessary precautions to keep it away from water.
