Stereo not working after big rainstorm - needs time to dry (1 Viewer)

[AZLX570]

I believe I have found the culprit of this problem now that it has happened twice. This is for my 2013 LX with the Mark Levinson stereo.

Recently, I was in a fairly heavy rainstorm while driving through town. I wasn't going in any deep water, think just big splashes with some roads flooded up to curb height - plenty easy for the 200 platform.

However, I noticed the next day that my stereo was not working. The volume indicator would not even show up on the screen and the speakers would emit a "popping" sound intermittently. Nothing I would do would help such as messing with settings, restarting vehicle, etc... When the truck sits for a few days and dries out however, the stereo starts working again as should. I believe I have narrowed it down to this being the issue as this has happened before after camping and being in the rain (big puddles). The system quit working, I took it into the dealer to diagnose (it was still under warranty), but they couldn't find anything. They gave me back the car saying it had no issues and they couldn't recreate the problem.

Obviously, it sounds like something is getting wet and needing time to dry out. I am told the amp is under the driver's seat. I did not pull it after the problem happened to see if it was wet. Has anyone experienced a similar issue? Could it be something going bad other than the amp/other problem areas? I'm thinking that I should put a barrier of sorts between the carpet and the amp to keep water from getting to it. If it's not the amp, any ideas on what else it could be? Thanks.

 

[degmla]

Do you have dual screen rear entertainment?

 

[Sandroad]

Here's a recent thread on water problems that may have some ideas for you.

Windows Going Down By Themselves

Hi All, I seem to have a ghost in the machine of my 2013 200. Over the past couple weeks, the rear passenger side door window has spontaneously gone down 5 or 6 times while I'm driving. It's happened once on the front passenger side. The control on my door doesn't put them back up, but the...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[degmla]

Amp is under driver's seat. If you have RSE, its computer is under the passenger seat, and, like the amp, it'll disable your entire system if it goes on the blink. However, if those are getting wet, then you have a bigger problem, like a hole in the floor!

I recall some posts in the past where some were seeing plugs getting wet behind the passenger side foot wall. I think you can pop those off, disconnect some big plugs that are bolted together, and see if you see some greenish corrosion evidence on the white plugs. I'd suggest this be a battery DISCONNECTED task.

 

[degmla]

Yes, see what @Sandroad just posted. That is the same as what I was recalling (albeit different posts).

 

[degmla]

The is a RH drive model, but these are the bolted connections that sometimes get wet for some on the passenger side...

 

[AZLX570]

Do you have dual screen rear entertainment?

I actually just removed it and capped it off. First time this happened I did have rear screens. This most recent occurence, I did not.

 

[degmla]

I actually just removed it and capped it off.

You removed the computer from under the passenger seat? Or unplug it? Or anything with it?

 

[AZLX570]

You removed the computer from under the passenger seat? Or unplug it? Or anything with it?

I just removed the screens on the back of the headrests, nothing else.

 

[degmla]

Ok, so this option still shows up, right? If so, it's probably not your RSE computer under your passenger seat. I'd chase wet plugs behind the foot panel. Of course, all of this is predicated on your rain/fail/dry/work observations. Both the amp and RSE are bracketed slightly off the floor...you'd have to get serious water volume to get those wet. Your truck would probably smell moldy if floors were getting that wet.

 

[AnyMal]

Nobodys brought it up for some reason but the sunroof drain lines love to clog. Water trickles to all the wrong places from there down the pillars.

Dont go jamming anything in them though unless you happen to be surgeon.

 

[AnyMal]

Here's a recent thread on water problems that may have some ideas for you.

Windows Going Down By Themselves

Hi All, I seem to have a ghost in the machine of my 2013 200. Over the past couple weeks, the rear passenger side door window has spontaneously gone down 5 or 6 times while I'm driving. It's happened once on the front passenger side. The control on my door doesn't put them back up, but the...

forum.ih8mud.com

Never mind, the above has a bunch of nested links too.

Forum is very hesitant of pinning actual platform problems (because they apparently dont exist) but this should def be one of them.

 

[AZLX570]

Ok, so this option still shows up, right? If so, it's probably not your RSE computer under your passenger seat. I'd chase wet plugs behind the foot panel. Of course, all of this is predicated on your rain/fail/dry/work observations. Both the amp and RSE are bracketed slightly off the floor...you'd have to get serious water volume to get those wet. Your truck would probably smell moldy if floors were getting that wet.

View attachment 3248070

I don't think this was showing up but I could be wrong.

 

[SpillmanCruiser]

I don't think this was showing up but I could be wrong.

Did this resolve itself? I went through the car wash yesterday and this happened to me. Still now sound today

 

[AZLX570]

Yes. It did. Give it another day or 2.

I still haven't pulled the seat to take a look. Will try to get to it this weekend and report back.

 

[slowgreen]

Nobodys brought it up for some reason but the sunroof drain lines love to clog. Water trickles to all the wrong places from there down the pillars.

Dont go jamming anything in them though unless you happen to be surgeon.

For me it was the original windshield (2010) adhesive failure and water was coming in under the glass at the passenger lower corner. My radio didn't fail but I had water on the carpet on passenger side and moisture under the passenger side of the dash. I think some of the electronics on the passenger A-pillar got wet bc vehicle wouldn't start and had an immobilizer communication issue that went away when it dried out but came back after it rained again.
See if your carpet is wet. Maybe push on the corners of the windshield and see if there is any movement.
If you need to keep it dry what I did was put a 9x12' plastic dropcloth under the wipers and ran it back over the top almost to the roof rack and used the doors to hold the sides of the dropcloth in place by closing them on it. This prevented water from getting on the top and running down the channels and under the glass.

 

[AnyMal]

For me it was the original windshield (2010) adhesive failure and water was coming in under the glass at the passenger lower corner. My radio didn't fail but I had water on the carpet on passenger side and i think some of the electronics on the passenger A-pillar were wet bc vehicle wouldn't start and had an immobilizer communication issue.
See if your carpet is wet. Maybe push on the corners of the windshield and see if there is any movement.

No issues in that dept for me yet, but, I have been learning that the pop i hear from drivers corner on large bumps is probably the windshield seal failing…

Im going to rename this truck “death by a thousand cuts”.