South East Queensland’s storm season runs roughly from October to March. Severe thunderstorms bring hail, damaging winds and flash flooding, and the wet weeks in between test every seal and connector on a vehicle. Water and modern vehicle electronics don’t mix. This guide covers what to check before the storms arrive, what to do if your vehicle gets wet, and the electrical faults to watch for afterwards.
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List your business on this sitePre-season checklist
- Headlights, tail lights, indicators and fog lights all working, lenses clear and not fogged inside
- Wiper blades replaced, and the wiper motor works on every speed and returns to park
- Demister and rear window heater working
- Battery tested if it’s more than three years old
- Sunroof, scuttle and door drains clear of leaves
- Tail light and door seals intact, with no damp carpet or musty smell
- Trailer and caravan lights checked, plugs clean and dry
Before the season: the checks that matter
Lights and visibility
Storm driving often means heavy rain at dusk with poor visibility. Weak headlights are dangerous. So are fogged or yellowed lenses and blown tail lights. Halogen globes dim with age long before they fail, so replacing them in pairs can make a noticeable difference. Moisture inside a headlight or tail light housing means a failed seal or breather, and it will corrode the globe holder and connectors over time.
Wipers and demisters
Wiper motors, linkages and relays are electrical parts too. If the wipers are slow, stutter or don’t park correctly, have it looked at before you’re on the Gateway in a downpour. A working rear demister and an air conditioning system that clears the windscreen matter as much as the wipers.
Drains and seals
Most water damage to vehicle electrics comes from leaks, not floods. Blocked sunroof drains, scuttle panel drains (under the base of the windscreen) and door drains let water collect and find its way into the cabin or the wiring. In many modern cars, body control modules, amplifiers and other electronics sit under the seats, in the footwells or behind kick panels. A slow leak can soak them without you noticing. Clear the drains before the season and check the carpets after heavy rain.
Battery and charging
Wet weather means lights, wipers, demisters and fans all running together, and that’s a heavy electrical load. A weak battery or tired alternator that copes in dry weather can give up in a storm. See car batteries in Brisbane heat.
During a storm
Never drive into floodwater. Queensland’s message is simple: If it’s flooded, forget it. As little as 15 cm of fast-moving water can float a small car. Water drawn into the engine can wreck it instantly, and floodwater ruins electrical systems. No auto electrical repair is worth the risk.
- Hail: park under cover if you can. Hail cracks light lenses, reversing cameras and the sensors in bumpers and windscreens.
- Power outages: if you have an EV or plug-in hybrid, charge it before a forecast storm, and know how to release your garage door manually.
- Lightning: a direct strike on a vehicle is rare, but it can damage electronics. If it happens, have the vehicle checked.
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After the storm: if your vehicle got wet
If water came inside the cabin
- Don’t ignore it. Pull the floor mats, check under the carpet and dry the interior thoroughly. Open the doors, run the air conditioning and use a dehumidifier if you can.
- Find the source before the next storm. It’s usually a drain, a seal or a cracked lens.
- Watch for electrical faults over the following weeks: windows or central locking acting up, warning lights, the alarm going off by itself, or a battery that goes flat overnight. These are classic signs of water in a module or connector.
If the vehicle was in floodwater
- Don’t try to start it. Cranking an engine with water in it can bend the internals, and powering up wet electronics can short them.
- Disconnect the battery if it’s safe to do so.
- Call your insurer. Many flood-damaged vehicles are written off, because water through the looms and modules is expensive and unpredictable to repair.
- Get it inspected properly. If it’s repaired, connectors need to be opened, cleaned and dried or replaced. Modules that sat in water may need replacing, and the loom should be checked for corrosion. Salt or dirty water makes everything worse.
Buying a used car after a flood season? Look for silt or a tide line under the carpets and seats, rust on seat rails and under-dash screws, a musty smell, and fogged lights. A pre-purchase inspection is worthwhile after any big flood in South East Queensland.
After hail
Cracked headlight and tail light lenses let water in, so replace them, even if the lights still work. If a windscreen is replaced, any cameras behind it for driver assistance systems such as lane keeping or autonomous emergency braking usually need recalibrating. Damaged parking sensors and reversing cameras are common hail repairs too.
Trailers, caravans and boats
Trailer plugs sitting out in the rain fill with water and corrode. Before and after the season, check every trailer light, clean the plug and socket pins, and apply a little dielectric grease. Caravans stored outside should have their seals, 12V wiring and battery checked before the first trip of summer. See boat trailer wiring and dual battery and caravan setups.
Need a hand?
A local auto electrician can do a pre-storm check in under an hour, or diagnose water-related faults afterwards. Find one in the Brisbane directory. Replacing lights, globes, connectors or seals yourself? Search the range:
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