Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting Electrical problem when wet?

Last night it was raining really hard outside. I had to drive my girlfriend home, so we ran out to the Tour. I drove her home, then on the way back I drove through a large puddle. It wasnt very deep, but covered the entire width of the street. I slowed down and passed through it slowly. Then all my lights dimmed and I hear this horrible screeching sound. I assume the noise was coming from the alternator. My dad said something got wet and shorted it out. I remember my mother used to have a 95 Contour V6 and she would have the same problem when we got a lot of rain. Is this normal? Is there anything I can do to prevent this? Other then the obvious dont drive when it rains. Could my car have sustained any serious injuries? I drove it to work today and all seemed well.

Thanks

Sounds like it might have been your serpentine belt got wet. That can make a screeching noise when it slips, and power will also drop off.

They usually last around 30,000-50,000 miles, so you might want to look into getting it replaced.