What To Do If Your Car Flooded

07 Aug What To Do If Your Car Flooded

Over the weekend, many vehicles were left stalled, stranded, and flooded. If your car became submerged in the August 5th flash flood, there are a few steps you can take to assess the damage and to recover:

• The first thing you should do is contact AWS immediately! We might have specific instructions that align with your particular policy.
• Another immediate action you may want to take is touching base with your mechanic. Some aspects of damage, like flooded electrical components, will definitely require a trip to the mechanic.
• Look for a waterline. Unfortunately, the deeper the water, the more extensive the damage. If the waterline is as high as the dashboard, you will be better off talking to an adjuster to determine if the car is totaled.
• Do not try to start the car until you know how deep the water was. Starting your car without knowing how badly it was flooded will only cause more damage if there is water in the engine.
• Check under the hood – this may give you a good idea of how extensive the water damage might be.
• Before having your car towed, you may need to drain the oil, transmission fluid and lube.
• Check the oil dipstick – water droplets on the dipstick are indicators of water in your engine. If the oil level appears abnormally high, that is a sign that water got into the motor. If the transmission fluid levels are also unusually high, that indicates the same thing. You will need to change the oil and transmission fluid.

If water got into the interior of your car, here’s what you can do:

• Remove all moisture – use a wet/dry vacuum to collect standing water.
• Additionally, use cloth towels to absorb water that has soaked into the floor or seats. Use fans to speed up the drying process.

Even if you did not experience any flooding, there is no better time than now to check up on your policy and be certain you know what it covers. Contact AWS!