Water Sloshing Sound in Your Car? (How to Find and Fix the Source)
Have you recently noticed that your vehicle has started making an odd “sloshing” sound, whether when coming to a stop, or when opening your doors? While it may seem like just an annoyance, actual damage can occur if you simply ignore it.
In this article, we’ll go over the most common causes of water-related sounds in vehicles, how to locate the source, and fix the problem yourself.
Common Causes of Water Sloshing Noises
A “sloshing” noise from within a vehicle can be caused by one of several different underlying issues. Understanding these potential causes can help alleviate downtime and expedite repair to a greater extent.
#1 – Water Trapped In Door
Virtually all vehicles are designed to shed water within their door-jambs via specially-located drain holes. These drain holes are typically positioned at the lowest possible point of each door, allowing trapped rainwater to weep from within the door itself eventually reaching the ground.
Unfortunately, these drain holes do become clogged, on occasion.
Over time, debris such as leaves, dirt, and even small insects can accumulate in these drain holes, blocking the water’s escape route. When this happens, water that enters the door during rain or car washes becomes trapped, leading to that sloshing sound when you open or close the door.
Note: Sunroofs/moonroofs also have drains which can become clogged (typically located near door hinges and under the vehicle), but instead of sloshing noises, you may simply get water leaking into the car cabin.
How to Fix:
If a vehicle’s door is found to be retaining water following a rain shower, the drain itself must be unclogged. This usually can be quickly accomplished with a coat hanger or a stiff segment of wire. Simply insert it into the drain hole and push/twist to dislodge any stuck debris.
If you’re not able to reach to blockage area, spraying compressed air into the opening of the drain channel (near the top of the door frame) in short bursts should unclog it. If you don’t have an air compressor with blow nozzle, a can of compressed air should work as well.
See Also: 13 Different Car Door Types
#2 – Overflowing Evaporator Core Box
A vehicle’s evaporator core is located within the dash, toward the passenger side of the cabin. This sub-assembly is contained within a housing that is fitted with a drain designed to dispose of any water produced by condensation that naturally occurs within this housing.
If this drain becomes clogged, condensation is allowed to collect, eventually spilling out into the passenger compartment.
How to Fix:
Fixing this lack of drainage involves clearing clogs within the evaporator drain tube itself, either chemically, or by way of mechanical force. A number of foaming spray treatments are currently offered, the bulk of which are designed to inject from beneath to chemically break down the clog.
Alternatively, several tool manufacturers now offer special devices intended to “snake” clogged evaporator drain tubes.
Related: 5 Reasons Water Is Leaking Into Your Car
#3 – Low Engine Coolant
Another potential source of puzzling sloshing noises heard from within a vehicle is low engine coolant levels.
“Sloshing” or “gurgling” noises are often heard when air pockets within the cooling system are allowed to circulate freely. Noises of this type can be heard presently as air pockets cycle throughout a vehicle’s heater core.
How To Fix:
To resolve this issue, you must top off your vehicle’s cooling system with coolant of the correct grade, before burping any air pockets within, using the method recommended by the affected vehicle’s manufacturer.
Additionally, you must also determine how your engine’s cooling system initially lost the coolant that it was found to be without. Doing so often involves both a visual inspection and a cooling system pressure test.
Locating the Source
One of the easiest possible ways of pinpointing the origin of a “sloshing” sound from within a vehicle involves ruling out likely culprits.
To begin with, fan each door to verify that no water is being retained within. Next, try listening for the sloshing of water beneath the passenger-side dash, while having an assistant rock the vehicle back and forth when in park.
In many cases, performing the two above-mentioned tests will be enough to isolate the issue at hand. If you are still actively trying to identify the source of these noises, it is advisable to check your engine’s coolant level.
Operating an engine that is low on coolant can often cause a “sloshing” or “gurgling” sound to be overheard, as air pockets pass throughout the pressurized cooling system.
Drying Out the Affected Area
The process required to drain and dry out retained water within a vehicle differs on a case-by-case. If water is trapped within a vehicle’s door, simple unclogging of the door’s drain will be enough to dry out the affected area.
On the other hand, an overflowed evaporator box will likely require the vehicle’s carpet to be pulled up, before drying of this material can ultimately be achieved with a fan.
When to Seek Professional Help
Professional help should be sought in the event that the source of your vehicle’s “sloshing” noise proves difficult to determine, or if the noise itself becomes increasingly evident. As with any abnormal noise, the sound of sloshing liquid from within a vehicle should never be ignored. This is typically not an issue that will resolve itself without intervention.
You may also seek professional assistance in the event that the repairs required to eliminate the source of the sloshing water prove rather involved. Most service centers are equipped with all the tools that are necessary to remedy the cause of a vehicle’s mysterious sloshing noises, no matter its source.
What Happens If You Ignore the Issue
No good can come from ignoring any abnormal vehicle noise, including water “sloshing” sounds. In the most extreme cases, ignoring concerns of this type can actually cause damage to your vehicle. In turn, the need for expensive repairs can quickly mount, making what was once a fairly simple situation, far more complex to address.
Water retained within a vehicle’s door can quickly cause rust to form, in turn necessitating replacement, should this corrosion become severe enough. Likewise, an overflowing evaporator box can lead to an influx of water within a vehicle’s cabin, damaging interior carpeting and leading to mold growth and unwanted smells.
Are Some Water Sloshing Sounds Normal After Heavy Rain?
Ideally, you shouldn’t notice any apparent “sloshing” noises coming from your vehicle, even after heavy rain. If these noises do become evident, you should check your vehicle’s doors one-by-one, to see if the noise source can be identified.
In most cases, these noises signify that the water drains on one or more of a vehicle’s doors are clogged.
Under normal conditions, water that runs in through a vehicle’s door jambs is gravity drained via corresponding weep-holes at each door’s lowest point. However, these drains are easily obstructed by leaf litter, dead insects, and other forms of road debris. When this occurs, drainage typically becomes impeded to a significant degree.
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