How to deal with a Flooded Car

If you find yourself in a situation like this, where your car gets submerged in flooded waters, I, along with many other Pinoy’s out there, truthfully understand how you feel. But we cannot turn back time to undo what has already happened. The only thing we can do is move forward, recover, and make preventive measures so this wouldn’t happen again.

Soon as you open your car, you’ll most likely find it to be smelling like a sewer canal. If your engine died whilst going through flooded streets, you’ll really have to tow your car to a shop and have it checked. The repairs for the damage incurred due to those instances may be beyond the scope of this article. But if your engine was off the entire time that your vehicle was submerged in the flood, please do read on.

Steps to take:

Step 1: Disconnect the battery
Water may have contaminated your battery. If it has, it’s a good idea to replace it. Maintenance-free batteries are less prone to this, but it’s still best to double check. A tester will enable you to see if it is still charged. Keep it disconnected while you check on the rest of the vehicle.

Step 2: Open the air filter box
Again, check for water intrusion. If water has entered the engine, you’ll have to flush it out. Otherwise, you risk catastrophic engine failure by starting it up with water in it.

Step 3: Check the oil dipstick
If you see water droplets clinging to the end of the dipstick, you will have to change the engine oil and filter before attempting to start the engine.

Step 4: Open the fuel drain plug
Do not open the fuel filler cap while doing this so the fuel flows slowly. Go underneath and find the fuel drain plug under the fuel tank. Fuel (gas or diesel) is denser than water, so it will float on top of the water. Hence, when you open the drail plug from underneath, water, if present, will flow out first. Make sure it drips into a basin while you check. If you’ve drained a liter and there’s still no water, well and good. But if water is present, you’ll have to drain the entire fuel tank.

Step 5: Drain the combustion chamber of water
For gasoline engines, remove the spark plugs. For diesel engines, remove the fuel injectors. Then connect a charged battery, and crank up the engine. Fuel with water may spurt from the orifices, so stay clear of the engine bay.

If you’re successful with all of the above, then you’ve completed all the absolute basics. If you can get the car running after this, then consider yourself lucky. You can now take your car to the nearest repair shop for a thorough checkout. Have all fluids replaced, including those for the brakes, transmission, and differentials. Make sure these comply with the recommended fluids specified on the owner’s manual. Reputable shops as well as your local “casa” would know that.

If it still doesn’t work, more components must’ve been soaked. Water has a nasty way of ruining electronic components. Dry out the ignition system, spark plugs and wires, coil, etc. Unplug the sensors and dry them out as well. The ECU may have also gotten wet. Try drying it out but be prepared to replace it. If it still doesn’t run after all of the above, it’s best to have it towed and brought to your local repair shop or better yet, your local “casa”.

If you’re quite mechanically inclined, and are comfortable with proceeding further and dealing with all the nitty gritty stuff yourself, you can read this article with what you can do next. Otherwise, take your car to the shop and let the experts deal with it.

Once the mechanicals are done, have your car detailed inside and out. Professional detailers charge a hefty price, but that price might just well be worth it in ridding your car of the swampy, smelly, bacteria infested interior.

Preventive Measures:

It’s pretty obvious that next time we expect the streets to flood due to typhoons, that you should find an alternative parking slot that’s high up to prevent your car from getting submerged. But other than that, if you find yourself on the road about to cross flooded water, take the necessary precautions:

1. If the water level is passable, turn off your airconditioning. This will ensure your a/c fan is off to prevent it from splashing water all over the engine bay. Also, if the plastic fan cracks due to the water, shards of plastic can penetrate the radiator and other important parts.
2. Once you pass the flooded area, you may feel that you’ve lost your brakes. Try stepping on the brake pedal lightly with your left foot whilst accelerating to heat up the brakes and get the water out. After a few meters of doing this, you’ll get the feel back in your brakes.
3. If the water level is deemed too deep for your vehicle to pass, DO NOT attempt to go any further. You will risk catastrophic engine failure if water gets into the combustion chambers. Remember that it’s better to stop, turn the engine off, and just push your car through to safety.

Insurance:

Flood damage is not covered by your standard comprehensive car insurance. So most likely you will have to shoulder all the charges for the repair under such instances. But do not fret, there is an additional insurance policy that can be purchased separately. Ask your insurance agents for what covers “Acts of God” or “Acts of Nature”. They’ll be able to come up with something under their sleeves.

I hope this helps!

Like this?

[starthumbsblock tpl=25]