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What to Do if Your Car Is Flooded

Max. D Gray
By Max. D Gray. Updated: January 16, 2017
What to Do if Your Car Is Flooded
Image: automocionblog.com

Cars are increasingly electronic things, something that a few years ago was reserved for cars from high-end brands. So, if your vehicle is flooded there are many complications that may arise. If this was the case, we must be very cautious not to do something that could aggravate the damage that already been caused to the car. On OneHowTo.com we have answers to the question of what to do if your car is flooded.

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Steps to follow:
1

The first thing to do if your car is flooded is to cautiously, try to remove the water from the car as soon as possible, in order to prevent rust and to prevent the electronic components from spoiling. Open all the doors of the vehicle, including the boot of the car to help everything dry out as soon as possible.

2

Warning! Until you have not followed all the steps, you should not start the engine as this would trigger the electronic system, which could short-circuit due to the water. There is risk of instant death through electrocution.

3

Proceed to disconnect the car battery, the heart of the electronic system, to eliminate any further risk of damage to the car or to yourself.

What to Do if Your Car Is Flooded - Step 3
4

With regards to the engine, one of the most important actions in a flooded car consists in removing the plugs to help the water run out of the cylinders. For more information on how to do this you can read our article on how to change a spark plug.

We must proceed very carefully to dry, with the help of some cloths or towels - all those areas where the water has seeped in. You must be very scrupulous about removing moisture from all connectors and electronic components.

What to Do if Your Car Is Flooded - Step 4
5

In a flooded car, it is very likely that the water has contaminated the fuel tank. Check by removing two liters. If we see that it has been mixed with water, you have to remove and replace all the fuel.

6

You must also check that the oil is free of traces of water. If we see that the levels are above the maximum and that the liquid also has a light brown color, we can be sure that water got in there and now we have to change the oil.

7

In case of car flooding, the exhaust pipe is probably full of water. Give the vehicle a boost by bringing its front part up a bit so that the liquid comes out naturally thanks to the amazing power of gravity. If not, you will have to resort to removing the exhaust pipe and emptying it.

8

In addition, you must also wash the inside of the car. Seats and carpets must be disinfected to avoid mold and further problems in your flooded automobile.

If you want to read similar articles to What to Do if Your Car Is Flooded, we recommend you visit our Car Maintenance and Repair category.

Tips
  • If you're not sure how to act, you should contact your insurance company to send over an expert.

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What to Do if Your Car Is Flooded
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