Sandy, the "Frankenstorm," has ruined the East Coast and left many thousands of individuals with flooded or submerged automobiles to cope with. Here are a few steps to consider if you find yourself in that business. You can buy auto if yours got wrecked.
Don't start flooded vehicles
If your automobile has been flooded or under water, the AAA cautions you not to try starting it until it has been maintained, cleaned and dried as much as possible. Starting a flooded car could further circulate standing water and silt and in your motor, transmission or fuel line and compound the damage.
AAA’s John Nielsen explained:
In addition to the obvious damage done to upholstery and carpeting, flood water is a corrosive and abrasive mixture of water and dirt that works its way into every seam and crevice of a vehicle.”
Look at insurance
You need to check your insurance policy to see if it has comprehensive coverage that covers theft, vandalism and natural disasters. About 76 percent of U.S. drivers in the country do have the coverage. Most states require liability insurance but do not require collision or comprehensive coverage.
Get the car cleaned
Popular Mechanics states you should not wait for the insurance adjustor to arrive before doing what you can to clean and dry the automobile out, however. Mold and corrosion will continue to wreck your car if not addressed right away. Corrosion is especially an issue if the vehicle was submerged in salt water.
You can easily figure out how much flood water got to the car depending on the water line since it will be muddy. Popular Mechanics explained that the vehicle is wrecked if the water has gone up to the dashboard or higher usually.
Popular mechanics recommends checking the oil and transmission fluid dipsticks and replacing the oil and filter if there is water from either one. Repeat after a few hundred miles.
Just in case the transmission has water, you need to drain and change that fluid also.
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Getting the car cleaned
It could be super costly to have your car completely disassembled and cleaned. On top of that, your car will most likely need some repairs. Older cars will not be worth fixing, and most insurance companies would rather call your car “totaled” and not deal with it.
You may also have to be patient. Maintenance centers in Brooklyn dealerships, as well as those in other East Coast locations, are no doubt being deluged with flood-damaged vehicles correct about now.
Sources
Forbes
CBS
Popular
