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What to do with a flooded car?


Barry

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With the recent rain there is no doubt that some people will have had their cars flooded but what should you do?

Here are some simple things you can do to lessen the consequences     

The most important thing is not to start the car. Water may have contaminated the engine and transmission oil and fuel and if you start the engine, this water will be circulated around and cause all sorts of damage. 

Another possible consequence of starting a flooded engine is hydrolocking. This is when the cylinders fill with water. Water doesn't compress like air so when you turn the engine, the water can't compress so the extra strain goes on the connecting rods which can bend or snap and in turn punch a hole in the block. This is why a mechanic will first remove the spark plugs and turn the engine by hand to see what is going on.

If possible, remove the positive battery lead. Touch the lead to the negative terminal on the battery. This will discharge all the capacitors and help to minimise damage to electronic components. 

The next step is to get the car out of the water and start the drying process as soon as possible. If you can, open a window while waiting for recovery and put some towels or old blankets or sheets on the floor.  Once the car gets wet, mouldy starts to set in immediately so this is why you need to get the car dried quickly. Not only does mould smell bad but it is very bad for your lungs. There are many ways to dry your car including dehumidifiers but the best is to get the seats, carpets and sound deadening out and into the sun to dry. 

Flood water is nasty stuff, not just because it's wet but because it contains mud and silt which can get into components and grind away at them. It is important to ensure that not only has the car been dried but that mud has been washed from underside components like suspension, bushings, driveshafts, cv joints etc. 

Despite what many people say, all flood damage is repairable but sometimes it comes down to the repair costs costing much more than the car is worth. This is something your insurance will advise you on. 

Finally, prevention is better than the cure. If you know from the weather forecast that it is going to rain heavily, park your car on high ground or a well drained area so the water won't get to it. 

Edited by Barry
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Woah, flood can be so nasty for cars, never knew that. 

Most of the insurance here cover the flood damage by default, so I think better to let insurance write off that car and get your money back. Now I know why all US import here are so cheap as majority of them are flooded or stolen cars.

Let's root for each other & watch each other grow.

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I fixed a few flood damaged cars last year from the greens/dip area where it was bad. 

One thing I noticed about the insurance guys is that they tend to look for the water level mark inside the car where it reached its highest point. If the floor got wet, they'll fix it but if the water came up to the dash they'll write it off. I'm not saying this is the case with all cars or insurance companies, it's just an observation I've made. Especially as a lot of European cars have computers mounted in footwells etc  

For anyone buying an American car, I'd always recommend putting the vin number into carfax. It only costs 30 dollars and will give you the full history of the car including if it has been flooded. Flood damaged cars can be fine but manifest symptoms as time goes on as corrosion begins to spread in electrical parts. I recently looked at an American import Range Rover that had been flood damaged around 3 years ago. It was previously fine but the ECU started to throw up checksum errors as the EPROM contacts were corroded and shorting out. 

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Thanks barry for explaining the flooded scenario. Can you please explain what happen when we drive too much in water puddle area, since last one week my car is actually swimming and taking endless showers and im really concerned if there is anything I can do to prevent the underbody, sensors, suspension, engine etc...!

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When the weather dries up, give the underside a good power wash to get all the silt/mud off and check water hasn't got into the cv boots. Also check the dipstick for signs of water. Don't worry about sensors, if you had a problem you would know by now. 

As a general rule, I would advise against driving through anything deeper than the top of the bottom part of the tyre unless you have a 4x4. 

If you're really worried about corrosion etc you can waxoyl the underside of the car but in this climate and for the minimal rain we get, it's not really worth the hassle. 

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cool man, will get it done this weekend as i drive long distance and dont want to screw thing in mid way. cv boots are the steering joint to the center of the bar that directs the tires. How to check that water went in cv boot or not?

I have driven in quarter of my Honda accord tire size last week in shj, where my bit of alloy must be submerged in water, thankfully nothing came in cabin and i quickly pass that area at moderate speed. but this is hitting my head all the time to lift car and see whats going on down below.

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CV boot is in the picture below. Give it a squeeze and you'll know if there's water in it. 

Youre welcome to come and use one of the lifts here any time if you ever want to take a look below. 

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