Flooded car

Concrete

Concrete

Concrete

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Joined
8 Jan 2007
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Barcelona
Unfortunately we received some epic rainfall on Friday and my car was in one of about 5 car park spots that got flooded by a couple of feet of rain water. The carpark is on a hill with close to 100 spots and I with a drainage ditch at the bottom that was overwhelmed. Although only 5 cars in that car park were impacted I know a lot of others in the area were also submerged.

Just really bad luck, I didn't even think to check until yesterday, opened the door and water just poured out. Spent about 5 hours yesterday bailing the remaining water out, disconnected the modules under the seats and it still runs. I think the water got about a foot above the sills for a prolonged period, the carpets are absolutely soaked. Shoved 13 de-humidifiers in there to try and get the carpets as dry as possible.

I haven't contacted the insurance yet, since it still drives and its only worth 5k (2012 Skoda Yeti). Am I fighting a lost cause and should just get them to send someone out to look at it?
 
Concrete said:
I haven't contacted the insurance yet, since it still drives and its only worth 5k (2012 Skoda Yeti). Am I fighting a lost cause and should just get them to send someone out to look at it?
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I wouldn't say it's a totally lost cause as flood-damaged cars can be repaired to be put back on the road. You do have to be careful when starting them again after flooding, as you would damage the engine if water was still in it. A lot of modern electronics are well sealed. It would need a full check though before being put back on the road, particularly electronic systems.
 
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If you're willing to put a bit of work in it will probably be fine. My Lincoln got flooded around a year ago, we pulled all the seats and carpets out, scrubbed and dried them, then inspected and cleaned the modules and connectors. Put everything back together and it was fine, I still have the car now and it doesn't have any electrical issues. Just running dehumidifiers in there won't do it, everything that was touched by water needs to come out.
 
Definitely insurance, are you sure it was just rain water or did the drains back up as well?

A Ford dealer that was on the banks of a river that flooded near us had about 50 cars\vans written off as the river behind it burst it's banks and there was a mixture of river\rain water and overwhelmed drain water that was classed as a hazard drowned the vehicles a few years ago, they've moved the dealership now.
 
You’ve not said how far up the water was?

If it’s just at the base of the door, for example then it’ll be fine with a bit of work. Or was it engine level high?
 
Getting nowhere with the insurance as expected. Haven't even got to the point where they have taken the claim details.

It was pointed nose down at an angle where the water nearly went over the front wheel completely and then was over the sill for the driver and passenger side. So a fair amount of the engine was under water, oil is clear still, took a LOT of effort to get reverse to get it out but now the clutch seems fine again.

The seats are dry, its just the carpet that is absolutely saturated, Cant keep the windows open to get the moisture out as it keeps raining (just my luck).
 
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Well went through the details of my policy (should have done first really). Flooding isn't covered.. guess I'm just going to have to try and dry it out somehow, all the wiring looms under the carpet are soaked though :(

Explains why the insurance company didn't get back to me at least.
 
Concrete said:
Well went through the details of my policy (should have done first really). Flooding isn't covered.. guess I'm just going to have to try and dry it out somehow, all the wiring looms under the carpet are soaked though :(

Explains why the insurance company didn't get back to me at least.
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Can you stick a dehumidifier and some fans in somehow?
 
It's likely ok. There probably isn't anything that low down and you just need to let it dry out (which will take forever) and you'll probably need to clean out the vents/AC too as they will stink. A few wet wires isn't going to do anything, they get wet in the engine bay anyway.

It's salt water which does the real damage. Or if water got in to the intake while running.

If it's written off it will go to auction and be straight back on the road.
 
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Yeah got pictures of the car, don't really want to upload them until the insurance have told me to get stuffed though, will do afterwards for your enjoyment :D

I don't have accessible parking atm although I have a meaty dehumidifier, thinking about just leaving it at work and putting up with the arsey facilities mails about not leaving cars overnight..
 
Insurance company confirmed via email that they won't cover any damage caused by flooding.

Despite trying to air it out, it's still super damp inside. Guess I just drive it until it or my lungs die! Would a valet company touch it?
 
Concrete said:
Insurance company confirmed via email that they won't cover any damage caused by flooding.

Despite trying to air it out, it's still super damp inside. Guess I just drive it until it or my lungs die! Would a valet company touch it?
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Is that common does anyone know to not cover flooding? It takes the absolute biscuit that we pay a fortune to have mandatory insurance to drive and they do everything to wriggle out of paying for accidents like this through no fault of your own. Why is flooing not covered? That's the exact kind of thing you would want to be covered for. I feel for you.

In terms of the damage... the main area people ruin their cars when driving through fords and floods is when water gets sucked into the actual engine air intake. This then hydro locks the engine and causes huge damage where you get bent conrods where it tries to compress, and then rust in all the internals etc. If that has not happened that's a good start. What tends to then be problematic is if water has got into key electrical systems like the ECU or BCM. The only way to tell really is just to try and drive and use it for a bit and see what happens. You will most likely notice issues straight away if something is shorting out. Good luck.
 
Driven it around a bit to see what works and mechanically it all seems fine, just smells like a sewer :(

Yeah I was really surprised, I thought they would just have it as a clause to not pay-out if people did stupid things like driving through rivers, but nope they aren't going to lift a finger. I assume since I couldn't make a claim my no claims bonus isn't affected?
 
The car has probably had sewage through it, you need to take all the carpets out and the sound insulation underneath, clean with an Enzyme cleaner.

If you don't want to do that at least hire a professional carpet cleaner and suck all the water out of the carpets you can and spray with an Enzyme cleaner, but be warned the car will smell forever, probably be a bio hazard and will eventually start rusting.
 
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Firestar_3x said:
If you don't want to do that at least hire a professional carpet cleaner and suck all the water out of the carpets you can and spray with an Enzyme cleaner, but be warned the car will smell forever, probably be a bio hazard and will eventually start rusting.
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There are companies who'll do it professionally and usually with good long term results - I watched a YouTube video from one ages back where someone had left a flooded car and then it had started going mouldy - though some stuff they couldn't save i.e. one of the seats they said it would be impossible to stop the mould coming back and being a hazard.
 
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