Need advice on cleaning a flooded car
- Thread starter loneryder
- Start date
Flooded cars are just that, flooded. They are nearly impossible to return to 'like new' conditions.
Be prepared for mold/mildew and electrical problems for the life of the vehicle.
Warnings to evacuate the area and bring anything of value should in the run up to a storm like that should not be dismissed.
Unfortunately you will be finding out the hard way.
Good luck!!!
Be prepared for mold/mildew and electrical problems for the life of the vehicle.
Warnings to evacuate the area and bring anything of value should in the run up to a storm like that should not be dismissed.
Unfortunately you will be finding out the hard way.
Good luck!!!
It's ruined and would never be reliable.. Everything electrical and all connections exposed will corrode. Even cleaned up, I would imagine it would be a nightmare with intermittent operations and that not taking into account all the drivetrain (engine, trans, etc.) items that have to be disassembled and cleaned up.
Flooding is bad enough. Flooded with salt water is a death sentence. There should be a national register of these things, or else a law that requires them to be crushed.
Too many hucksters out there who half assed clean them up, then ship them out to northern and western states, where unsuspecting people get hosed buying them.
Too many hucksters out there who half assed clean them up, then ship them out to northern and western states, where unsuspecting people get hosed buying them.
Everything electronic is probably going to be toast. Electronics can survive getting wet if they are not energized but being that the battery was connected all bets are off especially being in salt water.
Not to mention water in the engine and transmission. Water itself is bad but you also have to think about all the sand, silt and dirt it will carry with it that is now inside the engine and transmission.
Not to mention water in the engine and transmission. Water itself is bad but you also have to think about all the sand, silt and dirt it will carry with it that is now inside the engine and transmission.
If your car is sitting in 3-4’ of water the vehicle will be totaled by your insurance company. You will struggle to find a replacement in this market but at least you are safe. Sorry about your luck.
Sorry to hear about that. Odds are the car is totaled. No pun intended but the market is soon to be flooded with flood cars. Use care when shopping for a used car. I'd use care buying a new car too, factory orders only for me.
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A flooded Mercedes is often totaled. Too many electric and computer components will be damaged and continue to corrode and fail for years afterwards, leading to a multitude of very expensive problems, especially if the water was salt water. That said, @GON has some experience with flooded Mercedes, and I hope he will weigh in.
Flooded to that level and salt water is very bad. CNN reports showed many cars parked in the water with the lights flashing and horns honking. Even if the entire interior is replaced the electrical components are toast.
The best engineered electrical component on ANY automobile are the windshield wipers. They are all seen working immediately after the most violent and vicious car crashes. It's almost as if the switch that operates them is connected to the air bags. They NEVER fail.
A few years ago vehicle manufacturers moved the batteries back the fire wall so all the post crash safety features like rolling up windows, applying the brakes and warning flashers had a few milliseconds more time to activate before the battery was crushed.
As a former Fire Captain I've literally been on hundreds of crashes and attended many classes on vehicle extrication and this is a significant change from older cars.
As soon as possible after the water has receded, disconnect the battery and use a garden hose to spray out the interior, trunk and engine compartment with clean water. Then get the car into a garage and remove the seats and carpets and hose those and the interior again. Next you can disconnect and check the connectors to the major control modules for moisture. Blow them out if wet and treat with Deoxit. Then it's a waiting game of 2-4 weeks for everything to fully dry out. Maybe even longer in humid S. Florida. Then connect the battery and keep your fingers crossed. If you're lucky, most electronics will come back to life and you can concentrate on those that haven't. That's the hard part. If water got into the engine or transmission, multiple fluid changes are in order before starting it.
There's a member around here who makes a living off restoring and re-selling flooded cars. Perhaps he/she will chime in. Your insurance company will without a doubt total the vehicle and then sell it.
Do you have comprehensive insurance on the car? If so, call the insurance company as it is totaled. If you don’t, and want to screw with it do as everyone above has mentioned. Saltwater is terrible for electronics and the interior is going to get funkier each day that it sits sealed up with all that moisture in it. Upload some pics when you are able to.
Or they end up in Tajikistan, no joke. NPR just did a really neat story on a 2021 Lexus RX350. That a mechanic in Tajikistan ended up with. A client bid on a Copart auction and won.
Lots and lots of WD-40.
Why didn't you move it to higher ground? Were you unaware of the pending hurricane and the associated flood risk?
^^^^^^^^^^^
loneryder -
Don’t even waste your time with this.
Unless you have absolutely nothing in life but an enormous amount of time and money and the ability to handle the constant frustrations and problems during the time period you’ll own it.
Insurance claim? They’ll insist it be totaled.
