What should I do if my car has been in a flood

GERONEMO

MEMBER
1998 CHEVROLET BLAZER
110 MILES

Hello. I have a question regarding how well a vehicle may operate after it has been through a flood. Specifically, these were 2 very low flood prone city streets that were not barricaded during a torrential rainfall. Anyway, I have a 1998 Chevrolet Blazer

5 Replies

JACOBANDNICKOLAS

MECHANIC
108,179 POSTS

It really matters how much water it was in. How high did it get?

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Wednesday, October 12th, 2011 AT 1:18 AM

ASEMASTER6371

MECHANIC
52,797 POSTS

To put it bluntly, it will be an electrical nightmare for the rest of its life. Corrosion will take over shortly after it is put into service and will haunt you with all kinds of issues.

My opinion is get rid of the car asap and move on.

Roy

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Wednesday, October 12th, 2011 AT 1:20 AM

GERONEMO

MEMBER
2 POSTS

Thanks for responding Jacob and Nicholas. The 2 separate areas were city viaducts, and it was at night, so I could not see the water, however the water covered my windshield, soaked the air filter, and I'm guessing the water was around 2.5-3ft deep. The transmission business that I took it to said to junk the vehicle. But, naturally I still owe money on the vehicle.

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Wednesday, October 12th, 2011 AT 2:18 AM

ASEMASTER6371

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52,797 POSTS

If you have insurance, now is the time to put in a claim.

Roy

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Wednesday, October 12th, 2011 AT 2:22 AM

JACOBANDNICKOLAS

MECHANIC
108,179 POSTS

What ASE said is usually the case. There always seems to be electrical issues after a vehicle has been in a flood. If the water was that high, I'm surprised it is running if it got to the air filter. You should check the differentials, transmission, transfer case, make sure there is no evidence of water mixing with the engine oil. If everything is serviced and working properly, the only main concern is the electrical system. What happens, like ASE said, electrical components seem to corrode, short, or just stop working. It may not happen all at once, but it always seems to happen.

I wish I had better news for you, but that has been my experience. If you have other questions, let me know.
Joe