05/29/2016
A few of my friends have reached out to me with questions about what to do to save their flooded vehicles. A great question that many of you may be asking right now. For what it's worth here's my ten cents. if you drove into high water and your car / truck stalled out, don't try to restart it. If water was taken into your engine via the air intake you may damage your motor if it isn't already. If your not a mechanic send it to one on a tow truck. Water doesn't compress and trying to start it may damage your engine. (hydro-locked). The same goes for parked flooded vehicles if the water got high enough on the engine. If flooded, your mechanic will want to know how high the water was in your auto, here's why. A couple of inches of water in your floorboards may not seem so terrible, but many vehicle computer systems are mounted under the seats or in your center console. Even if your carpet was soaked a bit and all else seems fine, you have some work to do. Seats & carpets need to come out of the car and floors vacuumed out. Let the carpet pad dry in the sun and use a deodorizer. Unfortunately, just using a shop vac is not going to cut it. Without pulling out the pad a drying it completely your car is going to smell like your teenage son's gym socks in a day or two.
Check your Engine oil level. if your oil level is high on the dipstick you may have water in your oil pan. to be safe just get an oil change. Other fluids that can be effected are differentials, transmission & power steering. Also check the air filter condition. Brakes usually can fare well through high water, you may experience some brake noise but this is temporary. If you have a persistent brake noise or pulsating brakes see a certified mechanic for repairs. Given the extent of what could be damaged, you should have already phoned your insurance agent, if you don't have a repair shop you trust, your agent can refer one for you. There is probably a lot I haven't covered here, and every car comes with it's own issues. If you need some answers or advice, feel free to contact me - I'll be happy to help.