What to Do When Your Car Has Flooded in the Rain: Step-by-Step Guide

The following guidance is for cases where you might have mistakenly left your car windows open, driven into a big water puddle, or the seal on your doors and windows is not strong enough to keep the water out.

Step-by-Step Guide on What to do if Your Car is Flooded

Step 1: Avoid starting the car when it is submerged as the accumulated water may do more permanent damage to the engine and other components.

Step 2: Find out the damage to the vehicle. Watch if the water level is high enough to reach the vehicle or if it stops below the doors. In most cases, insurance firms deem flood damage to the extent of the dashboard to be a complete vehicle and would not be asking for maintenance work to be performed on it.

Step 3: Insurance. If the car insurance coverage covers burglary and burning, it will also compensate the harm caused by the storm, which is a positive thing. However, you’re going to have to be incredibly thorough when you’re going over the policy, as businesses could specify what they’re able to do and what they chose not to do.

Step 4: Get down to the vehicle clean-ups. Water damage can be very severe, particularly for metal and electrical components. Open all doors and windows to allow air to pass into the car. This will avoid the mould and the mildew from rising. Use towels, mops, or dry/wet vacuum cleaners to get rid of the water in the cabin. Remove the seats and allow them to dry outside the car so that the cabin gets more ventilation.

Step 5: Foul smells are followed by dampness. After cleaning your vehicle, repair components such as floor mattresses, carpets, upholstery, and maybe even door panels as they all accumulate water and may promote the growth of mildew and mould. If the parts are not seriously affected, you can use baking soda to deodorise the vehicle before bringing it together.

Step 6: Engine. Check if the oil tank has reached the tank. Check if there are droplets of water in the oil with the dipstick. If you should find any droplets, you should not start the car because it might break the cylinders within the engine. The only thing you can do is make a competent mechanic look at the problem.

Step 7: Check the electrical parts and see if they’re all functioning properly. Test vehicle headlights, taillights, control windows, turn signals, power locks, seats, cabin lighting, air conditioning, infotainment system, and all other wire-connected parts. You can also test the braking, clutch, steering and coolant tanks. If any of these components or parts are not working properly, you should get a mechanic to take a closer look at the vehicle.

Step 8: Once your car is checked by a mechanic, you’ll have to start focusing on the insurance company. The business representative will take a good look at the vehicle to decide whether it can be fixed or replaced. If the cost of fixing the vehicle exceeds its value, the insurance provider would most likely declare it to be a totalled car.

Step 9: If you feel like the cost of replacing your flood-damaged car is more than what a new car will cost, go ahead and pick a new one or a second-hand car. Ask the former owner or dealer first of all for the car background report so that you know all the relevant stuff, such as previous owners, upgrades, and odometer readings. This will also tell you whether the vehicle has been involved in some collision or has recently been damaged by a fire or a storm. Finally, you’re still expected to find a mechanic and check out the car to make sure it’s nice enough to drive around.

Step 10: The method of purchasing a new car does not make things any smoother. First of all, work out your budget. Next, you’ve got to determine the kind of car you want (hatchback, SUV, sedan, etc.). Then you have to choose the brand you want and see if it has the hue you want. With new cars, you have to pick from a range of different variations, so it’s best to do a lot of testing before you can finally decide on one vehicle. Often, do have choices available if you don’t find the car you want at the price you’re able to pay.