What Is a Flooded Automobile?

What Are Some of the Common Causes of a Flooded Car?

Flooded cars, as the term implies, are vehicles that have been flooded. Flooding can take many various forms and can ruin a lot of auto parts like your spark plugs, car carpets, etc. A flooded car, on the other hand, is any vehicle that has taken on water at any point. In rare circumstances, the water may have risen just high enough to allow entry into the vehicle. In some cases, the car may have been entirely immersed underwater.

A flooded car, however, has been damaged in some way by water, regardless of how much water was able to influence it. The extent of the damage is determined by the conditions surrounding the flooding, which may have an impact on the final flooded auto repair cost. Call Just Like New for your car flood remediation near you!

Let's go through some of the numerous reasons that can create a flooded automobile in the first place now that you know what we're talking about when we say "flooded car." Water damage to the inside or under the hood of your car can be caused by a number of factors.

When you park your automobile in a flood-prone area in your city or town, it can experience water damage. When you drive down a flooded roadway, it might also experience water damage (which is why you should never do this while driving!). It can also get flooded if you leave it parked in a flooded underground garage or neglect to put the top up on a convertible when a heavy storm passes through your neighborhood.



Your car is clearly equipped to withstand poor weather if you keep the top up and close the windows when it rains. You can even get away with driving across large puddles and flooding. However, you should avoid putting your car in a situation where it will have to take on too much water at once. It will almost always result in water damage, forcing you to pay a costly flooded auto repair bill.

What Problems Will a Flooded Car Pose?

If your car is ever damaged due to a flood or another occurrence, a variety of issues may arise. People are concerned about the cost of flooded automobile repairs in part because there is so much that can go wrong when water enters a vehicle.

Let's start with some of the more obvious problems that a car may face after absorbing water. For starters, water can harm a car's interior, particularly if it has a lot of cloth and carpets. When these items become moist, mold and mildew begin to form almost instantly. If your car comes into contact with flood water, you'll have to replace almost everything inside. Many of your car's electrical components will also need to be replaced. When a car floods, it frequently causes extensive concealed damage to the electrical components.



Those are frequently only the beginning. It's possible that if water gets all the way up to your car's engine, it'll be disastrous. Water can leak into a car's engine through the air intake, causing it to "hydrolock." When this happens, you'll virtually always need to purchase a new vehicle. In most cases, repairing a hydrolocked engine is not worthwhile.

What Should You Do If Your Car Has Been Flooded?

If your automobile floods, it will be critical for you to respond quickly and take the appropriate steps to minimize more damage. cleaning and drying are a must to save your car's long term value. You could accidently damage your car beyond repair with one wrong maneuver. When you realize you have a flood-damaged car on your hands, do the following steps:

• Remove the key from the ignition and do not attempt to start the vehicle! If you try to start a car with water in the engine, you risk damaging the engine and incurring a large flooded car repair bill. 

• Open your doors and start drying out your car straight away (assuming it's not raining outside). 

• Tow your flooded car to your mechanic by calling a tow truck company (they may tell you that you need to drain some of the fluids from your car first, including your oil and your transmission fluid) 



• Request that your mechanic examine your vehicle thoroughly to determine the extent of the damage.

Under no circumstances should you continue to drive a flooded vehicle. Even if you can get it to start and it doesn't appear to be damaged, there could be problems with it that haven't surfaced yet. It would be a terrible shame if you kept driving your car and caused harm that could have been avoided.

Will your auto insurance cover the cost of car flood repair? 

Is a Flooded Car Remediation possible? 

One of the other things you should do when your automobile has been flooded is contact your auto insurance carrier to determine if the flood damage is covered. The damage may be covered by your insurance company depending on the type of automobile insurance policy you have. When you call to make a claim, they will be able to tell you whether or not you have coverage.



After inspecting your vehicle, your auto insurance provider will be able to tell you whether or not they will pay to have it repaired. Car insurance companies frequently immediately total cars that have been flooded. They do this because there are a lot of hidden flaws with these cars that might cost them a lot of money later. As a result, they frequently prefer to replace flood-damaged vehicles rather than try to repair them.

Your auto insurance provider may be unable to assist you in repairing a flood-damaged vehicle, either because your policy does not cover it or because they are unwilling to pay to repair a vehicle that isn't worth the work. If they refuse to assist you, you should know that a flood-damaged car is frequently repairable on your own. 

Repairing a waterlogged car isn't always simple. There are a lot of small things that could go wrong with an automobile that has soaked up water. However, while repairing an automobile that has been flooded, a mechanic will look for several frequent repairs. The following are examples of repairs:

• Replacing damp interior upholstery and carpets in a flood-damaged vehicle 



• Inspecting and replacing any electrical components that have been exposed to water in a flood-damaged vehicle. 
• 
  
• Repairing a flood-damaged car's hydrolocked engine

Just Like New and their team know how to repair a flooded car like it's the back of their hand!