Are Jeep Speakers Waterproof?
If you know Jeep, you’re familiar with the fact that their vehicles are considered to be one of the best to take out on the trail and find some adventure with.
They’re well known for being popular among a lot of different demographics, and these days there are millions of people that are living the “Jeep Life”.
Of course, the Jeep vehicles that are loved by millions also come with another unique design choice. Many Jeep owners love to drive without their top, letting the wind flow through the vehicle and leading to an experience that is American as apple pie itself. That wind and spirt of freedom can be one of the most invigorating feelings that can be found while driving.
Are Jeep Speakers Waterproof?
So, are your Jeep speakers waterproof? Yes, the Alpine Sound System upgrade offers waterproof speakers starting with the 2015 model year. If your Jeep does not have the Alpine upgrade, assume your Jeep does not have waterproof speakers. Remember, electronics and water are never really a good mix.
However, what if the weather turns while you’re driving and out on an adventure? Some people start to wonder if their Jeep is an indestructible monster that can hold up to water as well.
What about the electronics found in the dashboard? Whether it’s a puddle or a downpour, many people want to know if their Jeep speakers are waterproof. We’ll break down that information to make sure you stay safe while you’re out adventuring.
Water and Your Jeep
There are lots of misconceptions when it comes to water and your Jeep vehicle. Some people think that because a Jeep is fully equipped to handle the outdoors, that it can take on anything with no fear whatsoever.
That strategy probably isn’t the best one to operate under. Regardless of your adventurous spirit, you should still take some precaution when it comes to getting your Jeep wet.
First things first, the exterior of your Jeep should be capable just like any other vehicle is. You can take it off-roading, get it all dirty in the mud, and there is not going to be any negative effect to your vehicle. That’s not an issue whatsoever.
Where people really get curious is the interior. For whatever reason, people think that they can treat Jeeps completely differently than other vehicles. That can be the case at times due to the unique set up of their car, but you still have to watch out for certain problems.
The biggest problem the interior of your Jeep will have if it gets wet is mold or a moldy smell from your interior. This happens any time a material gets wet if it isn’t cleaned properly. Many years ago, Jeep put out a statement saying that you could use a hose to wash out the interior of your Jeep vehicle.
This is where a lot of the rumor started when it comes to water and the waterproof nature of the inside of your Jeep. Some people took that to mean that your vehicle will be fine no matter what you put it through, and obviously that’s a mistake to try and simply make bold exaggerations.
Now, that being said – your Jeep is going to hold up a bit better than most other vehicles if you get caught with your top down in the rain or something happens.
So, are your Jeep speakers waterproof? Let’s just say that electronics and water are never really a good mix. Due to the severe nature of the problems that can happen when you mix the two, it’s always best to keep water away from your audio system if possible.
We’re going to discuss what Jeep did to help your speakers below, however there are reports that small amounts of rain may not completely ruin your vehicle.
There are many people online who claim to have been stuck out in a storm, the kind that has heavy rain falling continuously. These people were stuck out in the rainstorm from anywhere from 10-30 minutes, and their Jeeps escaped any kind of significant damage.
However, the key here is that they are taken care of the right way once they get wet. You can’t just leave a wet car and expect that they will be completely good to go.
Jeep Makes Advancement With Speaker Technology
Back in 2015, Jeep made a great improvement towards a more waterproof vehicle. They want users to be able to hose down certain parts of their car as mentioned above.
However, if you are someone who is crossing a stream on a trail or even if you just get caught in the rain with your windows down & your top off; it is certainly a risk that is all but guaranteed will happen to you in some capacity.
That is why Jeep came together with the company, Alpine. Alpine is a great business in the audio industry and is well renowned for the great work they do as far as products and speakers in that line of work.
In 2015, when working on the Jeep Wrangler design; Jeep wanted to add an audio system that its users didn’t have to worry about. A lot of people have said that the motivation was due to being able to give blanket instructions to their users.
Basically, Jeep wanted to be able to say – don’t worry about water, no matter what the situation is. While that is a bit unrealistic, that is what the partnership between Jeep and Alpine set out to do.
The Alpine 9 speaker upgrade for Jeep models is not only found in Wranglers any more but can be found in a ton of different models as an optional upgrade.
These speakers can really take the existing audio system, which is passable, and turn it into a different experience all together. The speaker upgrade adds a 500-watt amplifier found in the audio system of your Jeep.
On top of that, it also comes with a 12-channel DSP which could be really important for those who take their vehicle on adventures. What the DSP does is make sure that your audio will sound good whether you have your top off or your top on. Those situations can be very different when it comes to acoustics and your music will sounds great blasting either way.
This Alpine system also comes with a subwoofer which may trigger people to ask about how waterproof these speakers really are. The subwoofer is placed in the floor of the rear cargo area.
While that definitely gives you great coverage for acoustic purposes, it seems like it may be a bit suspect when it comes to being safe and being waterproof. However, the subwoofer passes the test as it is designed for a ton of environmental, let’s say problems.
The reason that Jeep put this speaker in the area that it did is so that it wouldn’t affect any other performance issues such as taking up cargo space in a vehicle that really doesn’t have a whole lot of cargo space to spare.
Regardless, Jeep was able to work with Alpine and test the speaker whether it was caked in mud or literally submerged under water for hours on end. By the end of the testing period, Jeep was satisfied that their Alpine upgrades could be marketed as “waterproof” and they are basically marine grade products.
Alpine has worked a ton on different projects related to boats and speakers on boats which is why their expertise came in handy here, not that you should treat your Wrangler like a boat.
Drying Out a Wet Vehicle
If you are facing a situation where you’re worried about your speakers, you should also take great detail to clean the water out of the rest of your vehicle as well.
Step #1: Make sure that you get as much of the water out of the vehicle as quickly as possible. You should use a wet/dry vacuum to get as much water out asap and follow that up by using cloth towels to try and absorb as much water as you can. Basically, you know this but water is going to be your enemy here.
Step #2: Next, you need to get airflow moving through your vehicle to try and protect against mold. If you’re able to set up a shop fan to blow through the open doors of your vehicle, that would be an ideal start. Dehumidifiers can also be helpful, as well as running the heater in your vehicle although that certainly is not a very economical solution.
Step #3: You need to keep mold away from your car. Instead of trying to overwhelm your interior with air fresheners, you may want to continue to use a blow dryer to get any spots that may have lingering moisture. On top of that, you should also consider sprinkling baking soda into any wet spots to try to continue to absorb both the mold and any potential smell that is taking root in your car.
At the end of the day, your Jeep is probably going to experience wet conditions. While your speakers can probably hold up to a bit of water, it is still best to be professional about cleaning and drying out your vehicle regularly and making sure that everything is operating as normal.
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Last update on 2024-04-17 / If you click this affiliate link and make a purchase, we earn a commission at no additional cost to you.