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What happens when my Wrangler gets soaked?

Asterix2112

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All,

Awaiting my 4xe Wrangler (soon...). Have a Cherokee, and a Liberty before that, but this will be the first time I can go topless! So question, my area (Wash DC) is prone to being nice one hour in the summer and then a massive storm blows threw with little warning. If I am driving with the top off and the top is back in the garage and my car gets soaked, what happens?

I mean, is the Jeep built so that nothing will get damaged by the rain (I have leather seats BTW) or are there things that I have to worry about? I don't care about ME getting soaked, or the car getting wet (it's a Jeep, I would have bought a Lexus or something if I was a primadonna), I am just wondering if the Jeep is made so if it gets caught in a soaking thunderstorm with the top could anything electrical etc... get damaged? Or am I fine and just wipe it down when I get home?

Thanks, - John
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i used to keep my 2000 wrangler in safari mode from may to october. side windows/ back windows out and in a storage bag. even driving down the road in a storm wasnt bad (especially if you roll up / zip up the front windows). i kept the drain plugs in the floor out.

only problem i had was one night two ducks got in my jeep havin whoopie or somethin they left a mess lol.

having the top all the way down gets kinda hot, so wear a booney hat or something
 

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My experience - From PA and IA (currently). Topless from April fools day through Halloween and completely naked from May1st through Halloween. ZERO issues BUT I removed all the carpet and put on waterproof seat covers! IMHO both these 2 steps are mandatory. Now this is how I ran my 2000 TJ and my current 2012 JK. JLURD will be picked up this coming Tuesday and the plan is the same UNLESS there is some compelling reason to change. With this JP I will be running safari as well with factory half doors. It is a 4 door and I like that look better on the 4's and completely naked on the 2 doors.
 

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All,

Awaiting my 4xe Wrangler (soon...). Have a Cherokee, and a Liberty before that, but this will be the first time I can go topless! So question, my area (Wash DC) is prone to being nice one hour in the summer and then a massive storm blows threw with little warning. If I am driving with the top off and the top is back in the garage and my car gets soaked, what happens?

I mean, is the Jeep built so that nothing will get damaged by the rain (I have leather seats BTW) or are there things that I have to worry about? I don't care about ME getting soaked, or the car getting wet (it's a Jeep, I would have bought a Lexus or something if I was a primadonna), I am just wondering if the Jeep is made so if it gets caught in a soaking thunderstorm with the top could anything electrical etc... get damaged? Or am I fine and just wipe it down when I get home?

Thanks, - John
Get a powered soft top so you can close it in seconds when it rains. I use the mytop
 

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Black Jeep Convertible

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Would be awesome for the summer, but $4,000 is a lot of money!
Wasn't too bad after selling my hardtop for $1500. Being topless as much as humanly possible is a big deal to me, so for me it's worth it.
 

CaJLMetalHead

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c'mon guys... the OP is asking about how waterproof the dashboard and electronics in the JL are.. and you puke powered $4000 soft tops and rain gear as answers? :facepalm:

John... the JL is designed to withstand rain with no top.. here is an article published a couple gears ago about your concern.. browse to the bottom paragraph titled "Electronics that still work when wet"

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/jeep-wrangler-gladiator-tech/

I have seem a few posts online about JLs infotaiment system failing after getting wet.. I have no idea how prevalent the issue is...

My personal experience:.. I have driven quite a few times topless in the rain... no issues... in fact.. one time I drove to a ski resort in Tahoe for the weekend and got caught in a blizzard... I woke up to my rig covered in 3 feet of snow... the dashboard and seats covered... I only removed enough snow to be able to drive.. the rest melted on the dashboard with no ill consequences.. in fact... non of the electronics failed after spending the night in a 70 MPH blizzard ... here is a pic!

Jeep Wrangler JL What happens when my Wrangler gets soaked? 1616137054325
 

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Replaced one steering wheel clock spring in 4 years on my 2017 Rubicon. Dealership said it was full of dirt. That Jeep spent most of it’s time with the roof and doors off.
My 2016 Rubicon has had no electrical issues and spends very little time with the roof down.

We aren’t driving CJ5’s here! We’re driving rolling computers! lol!
 

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Aonar

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c'mon guys... the OP is asking about how waterproof the dashboard and electronics in the JL are.. and you puke powered $4000 soft tops and rain gear as answers? :facepalm:

John... the JL is designed to withstand rain with no top.. here is an article published a couple gears ago about your concern.. browse to the bottom paragraph titled "Electronics that still work when wet"

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/jeep-wrangler-gladiator-tech/

I have seem a few posts online about JLs infotaiment system failing after getting wet.. I have no idea how prevalent the issue is...

My personal experience:.. I have driven quite a few times topless in the rain... no issues... in fact.. one time I drove to a ski resort in Tahoe for the weekend and got caught in a blizzard... I woke up to my rig covered in 3 feet of snow... the dashboard and seats covered... I only removed enough snow to be able to drive.. the rest melted on the dashboard with no ill consequences.. in fact... non of the electronics failed after spending the night in a 70 MPH blizzard ... here is a pic!

Jeep Wrangler JL What happens when my Wrangler gets soaked? 1616137054325
Post #3 puked a direct answer about no issues. My rainwear answer was directed at how to stay comfy while topless.
 

sf5211

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c'mon guys... the OP is asking about how waterproof the dashboard and electronics in the JL are.. and you puke powered $4000 soft tops and rain gear as answers? :facepalm:

John... the JL is designed to withstand rain with no top.. here is an article published a couple gears ago about your concern.. browse to the bottom paragraph titled "Electronics that still work when wet"

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/jeep-wrangler-gladiator-tech/

I have seem a few posts online about JLs infotaiment system failing after getting wet.. I have no idea how prevalent the issue is...

My personal experience:.. I have driven quite a few times topless in the rain... no issues... in fact.. one time I drove to a ski resort in Tahoe for the weekend and got caught in a blizzard... I woke up to my rig covered in 3 feet of snow... the dashboard and seats covered... I only removed enough snow to be able to drive.. the rest melted on the dashboard with no ill consequences.. in fact... non of the electronics failed after spending the night in a 70 MPH blizzard ... here is a pic!

Jeep Wrangler JL What happens when my Wrangler gets soaked? 1616137054325
Holy crap, you weren’t exaggerating about a blizzard!
 

sf5211

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There was a thread in here about a year ago. I tried to find it but no luck.
A guy dropped his Jeep off for service on a sunny morning with the top down and got a ride to work. Afternoon thunderstorm comes in and he assumed they would pull the top up in the lot. They did nothing.
He claimed his info-tainment system wasn’t working when he got in.
The thread became an interesting debate as some people thought the dealer should have closed it but most said it was his fault.
Is anyone familiar with that thread? I think the OP would find it interesting.
 
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Asterix2112

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Thanks all. The $4000 top is a good suggestion, but I want the hard top through the winter. The carpet and covers are a good suggestion, but I don't think it will be open all the time. I think I might keep a good towel somewhere (in something that will not get wet) and wipe it down after a storm. Good to know the Jeep is MEANT to take a storm with the top off.

I will get the Mopar Slush Floor Mats (that work with the drain plug). If nothing else those will be good during beach trip, take out carpet and leave those in as a week of sand never comes out fully!
 

Traktor31

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There was a thread in here about a year ago. I tried to find it but no luck.
A guy dropped his Jeep off for service on a sunny morning with the top down and got a ride to work. Afternoon thunderstorm comes in and he assumed they would pull the top up in the lot. They did nothing.
He claimed his info-tainment system wasn’t working when he got in.
The thread became an interesting debate as some people thought the dealer should have closed it but most said it was his fault.
Is anyone familiar with that thread? I think the OP would find it interesting.

This is the question I was going to ask eventually may as well now since there is a thread. I was always under the assumption it was okay if your Jeep got wet with the top down, is this not the case anymore?

For my own purposes is that I like to do short kayaking trips locally, like kayak for a few hours. Because its like a 5 minute side road ride 25MPH to the river I was just going to toss the kayak in the back with the top down for quick trips. Instead of taking the soft down and up for a short trip I figured id leave it down while kayaking and if a quick storm happened to roll through it wouldnt be a big deal. Am I wrong?
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