Hey all,
Through a very unfortunate chain of events, an entire medium Diet Coke from Wendy’s poured out into the cup holders of my Focus and seems to have drained under the passenger seat (the carpet under there felt wet).
Is there anything I should be worried about mechanically or electrically?
I did turn the car on after the spill, and it started up just fine. Key fob and lights are working too.
Mechanically, you’re in the clear—nothing critical down there except maybe the e-brake cable and some shifter stuff, but not a big deal.
Electrically, you’ll want to be cautious. While most sensitive electronics are higher up, water can move and find its way into bad spots. I’d focus on drying it out to avoid mold. Maybe rent an extractor vac or use towels and a blow dryer. And be glad it was Diet Coke—not as sticky!
Probably the biggest risk is electrical, but I don’t know exactly what’s under there that might be impacted.
Heads up: directly under the center console/cup holders is the airbag module.
Shan said:
Heads up: directly under the center console/cup holders is the airbag module.
Ford engineers really know how to pick the worst spots… why would they put that there instead of behind the dash?
@Bevin
Safety measure. It’s less likely to get destroyed in a major crash when it’s in the center instead of under the dash.
Does your cup holder have a hole? Mine’s fully sealed, so any spilled liquid just sits there. Gross, but I’ve definitely left a spill for longer than I’ll admit before cleaning.
Worst case, maybe some shifter wiring could be affected, but I think you’ll be alright.
Good luck!
Honestly, probably not too bad. I was going to warn you about ants, but apparently, ants don’t like Diet Coke!