Amp got wet, is it ok?

[Reinhardt 10+ year member]

Well yesterday I drove my car for the first time in a couple of weeks, when I kicked on the setreo after about 10 min. my mid ranges started crackling like static but was still playing music so I shut it off till I got home. When I got home I opened my trunk and found out my Alpine mid range amp, which I keep where the spare tire goes, was in about a 1/2" of water. It was still playing but sounded staticly. So my question is, I am letting it dry out, do you think it will be fine when it dries or did it hurt the amp. My amp is a Alpine MRV-T707.

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[Kingstroker 10+ year member]

I wouldn't power it up until someone looked at it

 

[SounDrive Pro Seller]

Electronics + water = bad

It's probably done for

 

[carshateme 10+ year member]

Yeah, you're talking about electrical components that don't have Epoxies or urethane on them. Therefore you exposed your circuit board to pure water. I would do what KingStroker said, get it checked out first. I wouldn't run it. Especially after contact with water. You can cause even more damage if you ran it

 

[Reinhardt 10+ year member]

Well I guess I got lucky, I opened it up and left it in the sun while I was at work to dry out, when I got home and hooked it back up it worked fine. Plays just as good as it did before. I decide to move it to a different location and readjusted my trunk latch so it closes more tightly.

 

[dB-r 10+ year member]

Yep, as long as you let an amp dry completely out (putting it in the hot sun directly with no cover on) before powering it back up, it will not hurt anything moisture can corrode parts YES, and can rust parts YES, but can tell you this, on amps that are extremely dirty, or extremely burned up, black shiz everywhere, blown caps, electrolyte everywhere etc, we WASH THEM with alcohol, strong concentrated soap, and the water hose with a high pressure squirt-er here at the shop, then blow them out with the air hose immediately, then put them in the 100 degree Texas Sun for 1/2 day - 1 whole day, and they not only look brand new again, ALL the moisture evaporates, and they work perfectly fine after repairs.

Did you know after they get done with the "wave solder" process at the factory they WASH the circuit board? Yep. That's what that white residue is on the new circuit boards. Water/Soap.

Can't really go wrong as long as you don't submerge it for more than 10 seconds to 1 minute at most, then blow it out with air hose, very WELL, then let it dry in the sun.

 

[Kingstroker 10+ year member]

Yep, as long as you let an amp dry completely out (putting it in the hot sun directly with no cover on) before powering it back up, it will not hurt anything moisture can corrode parts YES, and can rust parts YES, but can tell you this, on amps that are extremely dirty, or extremely burned up, black shiz everywhere, blown caps, electrolyte everywhere etc, we WASH THEM with alcohol, strong concentrated soap, and the water hose with a high pressure squirt-er here at the shop, then blow them out with the air hose immediately, then put them in the 100 degree Texas Sun for 1/2 day - 1 whole day, and they not only look brand new again, ALL the moisture evaporates, and they work perfectly fine after repairs.
Did you know after they get done with the "wave solder" process at the factory they WASH the circuit board? Yep. That's what that white residue is on the new circuit boards. Water/Soap.

Can't really go wrong as long as you don't submerge it for more than 10 seconds to 1 minute at most, then blow it out with air hose, very WELL, then let it dry in the sun.

Wow, would have never thought that. Still wouldn't put it back in my ride.

 

[hispls 5,000+ posts]

You read threads like this then see every amp in he for sale section "always taken care of, never dropped voltage, only driven sundays by little old lady etc."

 

[Reinhardt 10+ year member]

You read threads like this then see every amp in he for sale section "always taken care of, never dropped voltage, only driven sundays by little old lady etc."

Dont worry, I have never sold any of my amps, I have gave a couple of working amps away, to Boomsday I believe. The amp is still working as good as new, I might add.