Monsoon-Proofing Your Luxury Car: A Kerala Owner's Checklist

Kerala's monsoon puts a different kind of strain on a car than most owners plan for — standing water, humidity, and long stretches without direct sun to dry out the cabin. A few checks before the season starts prevent most of the common monsoon complaints.

Before the rain starts

Check tyre tread depth — worn tyres lose grip disproportionately on wet roads — and have the brakes inspected, since braking distances increase significantly in the wet. Wiper blades perished from a dry summer are one of the most common monsoon failures, and one of the cheapest to prevent.

Protecting the underbody and electronics

A rust-proofing or underbody coating check is worth doing annually if you drive through waterlogged stretches regularly. Keep an eye on the cabin air filter and door seals too — trapped moisture is what causes the musty smell and electrical gremlins that show up weeks after the rain has passed, not during it.

If you do drive through standing water

Keep speed low and steady rather than stopping mid-crossing, and avoid restarting the engine if it stalls in deep water — water in the intake is a far more expensive problem than a tow. When in doubt about depth, it is always cheaper to wait than to find out.