Battery (Priority: Medium-High)

The battery doesn’t just power the car’s four-speaker system. In fact, the rainy season is the time of the year when most of the car’s electronics are put to the test as everything from the lights to the wipers to the air conditioning to the radio all go through the small little box upfront (or back in a BMW or Lincoln). So, make sure that your battery is powerful enough to handle to load.

A common way to check battery capacity is to see whether the headlights are dim or yellowish while driving at night as opposed to the usual bright, whitish glow (make sure your lamp covers don't have bug carcasses on them first). Another test would be to start the engine with the headlights on.

Starting a car takes the most load on a car battery. So, there should only be a momentary dimming of the lights before returning to normal. If it stays dim, or the engine didn’t crank at all, this could very well be a sign to change your battery.

Newer maintenance-free batteries such as those from Motolight carry a small LED indicator on the battery itself to determine the charging status. Unless you have an Audi A2, make sure you pop-up the hood every week to have a check, especially if you have a hard-starting experience.

In slim cases, the alternator may need some attention as well.

Tools (Priority: High)

Before adding dashboard dancing canines or those pine tree scents, make sure your car carries a standard set of tools that are useful in real emergencies. Sometimes, the tool kit that car manufacturers give is inadequate. Take some time and check what you need the most. From our experience, it’s best to have the following:

  • EWD or Early Warning Device (required by the government)

  • Flashlight with batteries

  • Adjustable wrench

  • Philips and flat-head screwdrivers

  • Utility knife

  • Batter jumper cable

  • Working gloves

After Driving the Car 

If the car has been brought through pools of water or floods, it’s best to check whether the tires are still ok.  It’s common to pick-up debris from floodwaters that may cause the tire to deflate.  The same would be true with the car’s suspension. If there’s anything lodged on the suspension, trying cleaning it yourself or sending the car to a shop for a under chassis wash.  This is important because rust usually starts from dirty areas such as these, and could be prevented with proper inspection.

Check the interior carpet and door rubber sealings if any water got through.  If it did, bring the car in for service immediately.  Again, this prevents any chance of getting acquainted with some little brown friends (and it’s not a Chihuahua).

If the carpet got soaked, try cleaning it with a simple vacuum cleaner. If an obnoxious smell appears, then better bring in the professionals to do a through cleaning session.

Of course, we’re just done with half of the equation. After the machine, comes the man. Making sure to have a fully-functional car for the wet-weather is one thing, but proper driving is another. After all, the car is merely the tool, and the bottomline is still left to the person driving it. That's why check up Giving It 107 Percent so that being a safe driver doesn’t necessarily mean being a snail on the road.

Check the battery if it's charging correctly. Since this is the period where heavy use of electrical device (e.g. headlamps, radios) are common, it can drain the battery.

A good way to test the car's battery would be to start the car with the lights on.  If the lights turn off or dim out, then it's time to change the battery.

Cleaning the underside is a must after plunging the car in the murky depths of Metro Manila floods. This is especially true to reduce the chances of rust.

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