It seems that not a month or even a week goes by I do not get word of some major weather event that causes damage to homes and cars. Even today as I sit to write this post a major blizzard is burying the Northeast and flooding rains are flooding the west coast of the United States. These storms, as they eventual do, will cause damage including to classic cars being stored. The classic car water damage can be an overwhelming problem that has frustrated many in the hobby. So where do you begin?
Believe it or not, water damage is more common that you might think. There are all types of reasons that water damage can occur. Classic cars and trucks have been around much longer than most vehicles making them more likely to have been exposed to the elements and situations where water damage could have occurred.
Floods are the obvious culprit for water damage to have happened to your classic car. Other possibilities are rainwater or melting snow getting into the engine compartment or interior. Water can cause havoc to the engine, fuel system, breaking system, car interior, car trunk, and even ruin a paint job.
Flood damage to your car does not mean that it will not work. It will still run after a few repairs, but the car would stop working in the long run if it sat in water for too long or if your mechanic is not experienced enough with flooded cars. If water gets in your car past the dashboard, significant parts in the vehicle will keep deteriorating in the engine and other internal car parts with time due to water damage. Some damages are repairable if the water was not much, but unfortunately, sometimes the car would be considered wrecked or totaled.
While there are cases when it seems unavoidable to have flood damage on your car, there are steps you can take to make sure your classic car does not suffer long term when water damage occurs in times of flooding.
Can A Car Still Work After Being Flooded?
The first thing you should avoid doing when you find your car in a flood is turn on the engine. When you turn on an engine with water, the cylinder block and piston will endure excessive damage leaving you with a totaled car.
The amount of water damages your car experiences will determine whether it is still repairable or not. If you drove your car through a pond on your way to work, the damage would not be much, the most that could be damaged is the brake linings, and you can change those.
On the other hand, if your car has submerged in water past the floorboards into the electrical areas, your insurance company will most probably declare it a total loss. Do not get me wrong; there is still a possibility to dry it out and change the fluids in the car. But your car will still have electrical problems, musty odors, and silt in the seats. All this may be repairable or require a full restoration, depending on your car model and how old it is.
Things To Do If Your Car Has Water Damage
If you just found your car sitting in a pool of water, you would be scared and not know what to do. Here are a few things you can do to try and save your car before the damage is too extensive.
Survey The Car Water Damage
When you find your car submerged in a flood, please look at how much damage it could have endured. When doing your checks, also take pictures for your insurance just in case you are going to need them.
Do not try to start your car when it is in this condition. Starting it without knowing whether there is water in the engine or not could be detrimental to your engine. When you start an engine with water, it could result in a hydrolock where the piston fails to compress as it should. Hydrolock could result in an enormous repair bill or require engine replacement. Also, as soon as you can disconnect the wires from the battery to avoid further damage to the electrical system.
Dry Your Car as Much as You Can
When your car is flooded, the first thing you should do is to make sure you get as much moisture out of the car as possible. If you do not dry out your vehicle, mold will grow, and it will always have a musty odor. If your car is still in a flooded area, get it to higher grounds using a towing service, then dry it out.
Drying your car as quickly as possible could save you more damage than necessary. You can use a wet or dry vacuum to suck out all the standing water. Using a regular vacuum could result in electric shock. Be sure to get as much water out as possible.
Vehicle Interior
While water does not directly destroy fabric (in most cases) it will create an environment for mildew to grow. Mildew will not go away on its own and will create a very unpleasant smell and needs to be dealt with. You may be able to wash and clean the fabric to remove the mildew, but in most cases you will need to have the seats, carpet, and fabric on the top and sides replaced. Cushions also often will have the same fate. As for leather, well chances are that if the vehicle has been submerged for any length of time you will need to replace it.
File A Claim
If you have comprehensive auto insurance, your insurance company will pay for repairs or pay you the car’s value if it is totaled. Most of the other insurance policies only cover damages that are not too extensive and do not involve flood damage.
With a comprehensive insurance policy, you can call your agent and let them know about the condition of your car so you can decide how to proceed. Remember that your comprehensive policy covers most repairs from floor mats to the engine at the repair shop.
If your policy covers theft and fire, it most likely covers floods too. Thoroughly go through your insurance policy to be sure about what it covers and what it does not. Remember if you have classic car insurance the policy may handle the situation a little differently depending on your policy.
Ventilate Your Car
If it is a bright sunny day, you will be lucky. Open all your car doors after drying and cleaning up the car. A good flow of air in your vehicle will help get rid of the foul odors, dry out the car, and prevent mold and mildew. If the weather isn’t that good, you can use fans to dry out the car’s interiors.
If your seats are removable, take them out to dry in the sun. There are items in your car that might need changing, including carpets, mats, upholstery, and door panels. Having mold and foul odor in your vehicle can cause a drop in its value, and it will be challenging to sell it later on.
Engine and Transmission Fluids
Almost all fluids in a vehicle are susceptible to water damage. Engine oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid, cooling system for example can be compromised if mixed with water. Engine and transmission fluids are the most critical. Any attempt to operate your classic car or truck with water in the crankcase will likely cause significant damage. Same goes for the transmission.
If you believe that any engine or transmission fluids have been compromised, you need to replace those fluids immediately. Never attempt to start your vehicle until all the fluids have been completely replaced. You can often check the dipsticks to see if there is any sign of water moisture in the fluids. If the fluids appear diluted, milky or look lighter in color than normal you need to replace the fluids.
If you cannot replace the fluids yourself, you will need to have the vehicle towed to a garage that can replace them for you. Again, you should never start a vehicle that you suspect has water in any fluids. If you believe that this has happened, we suggest you hire the help of a professional to look into the issue to see if any damage has been caused to the vulnerable parts of your engine or transmission to assess any damage.
Since you are changing all the fluid now is a wise time to grease all the fittings, suspension components, doors/trunk/hood, and gear oil change.
Brake Systems
If your classic car or truck encountered a flood and was submerged in water for an extended period of time then the chance your brake system has survived is slim to none. Your best bet is to remove the wheels, drums, shoes and brake pads and allow them to dry. Once dry you will be better able to inspect them for damage. The brake fluid however will certainly need to be replaced. Drain the brake fluid completely and replace it with fresh fluid.
Engine Coolant
Yes, antifreeze is diluted with water, but if your vehicle was submerged in water then your cooling system is going to be diluted. While this will not cause direct damage you need to replace the antifreeze with new stuff. Otherwise, you run the risk of the diluted fluid freezing during the winter months which could cause major damage including cracking your engine block. Therefore, fresh coolant is a necessity if you plan keeping a car that is water damaged.
Fuel Tank and Lines
Do not forget about the fuel tank and fuel lines as any water in this system will cause the engine not to run properly. It will also probably cause the fuel tank and steel fuel lines to rust quickly, and thus start to leak and fail. This will require you to drop the fuel tank out of the car if possible and drain the fuel into proper containers. Then you can air dry the tank. It is advisable at this point to disconnect the fuel line from the carburetor of fuel injection system, and blow air thru the line to remove any fuel in the lines.
Assess The Car’s Electrical Components
Water and electronics are big enemies. You need to know if any parts of your car have suffered from water damage before presenting a problem later on. Check your car’s wiring before you even decide to turn on your vehicle. If the wiring is OK, you can now start checking other aspects of the car’s electronics to make sure they are all good.
You can check the headlights, turn signals, power locks, tail lights, power windows, and other components that are connected to the car’s wiring. Also, check the brakes, clutch, power steering, coolant reservoirs, and steering for damage.
Carefully Weigh Your Options
If you have had your car evaluated, check to see if the repair cost is higher or equal to the price to total your classic car. If repairing the vehicle is more expensive than the guaranteed value, you should then start browsing for another vehicle to replace your classic or kick in the difference in repair cost over the insurance proceeds to keep your classic car. Make sure a mechanic or an independent classic car insurance adjuster you trust inspects the vehicle to make sure everything is fine. Do this before you commit any amount of money.
Can You Save a Flooded Car?
It depends on the type of water that flooded the car. If you are living in a coastal area, your car might have been flooded with salty water. If that is the case, do not even try to do simple cleanup and repairs. That car is toast. Saltwater does damage to vehicles beyond basic repair.
If it is fresh water, then your car can be repaired by an experienced mechanic. It would help if you did not let a mechanic who has not dealt with flooded cars repair your car. Without experience in repairing flooded cars, there is no point for a mechanic to repair yours because they will make it worse, and you will end up losing a lot of money plus the car itself.
Electrical issues in a flooded car are what could cost you a lot of money. To be sure your car is totally fine, those must be fixed. If water got into your fuse box, control units, or modules, they would need replacing. The problem with such items is how expensive they are after significant hurricanes. You must replace them because if you do not, they will cause problems down the line. They might operate for a while then fail eventually.
You will also need to replace the battery cable and wiring harness as they are critical areas too.
The issue with a flooded car is what comes with the water rather than the water itself. Mud and silt are a bit difficult to get out of your vehicle, and these always result in significant issues. When you miss spots where mud or silt has settled, it will be hard to control the damage that comes with it, like mold and mildew.
How Much Does It Cost to Fix a Flooded Engine?
It is relatively simple to repair the car interiors and upholstery after it has been flooded. But when it comes to the engine, the issue gets a bit too complicated. But when your car is hydro-locked, the issue gets a bit costly.
A flooded engine might cost you anywhere between $3000 and $8000 to fix. The process of repairing that engine can be aa bit complicated. The price stated for fixing a flooded engine cannot be a sure estimate since not every mechanic or machine shop will fix it for the same cost. Before you consider repairing your car’s engine, first have it evaluated, know whether it will be worth repairing, getting a new engine, or just buying a new car altogether.
Finally
Floods are damaging to any electrical devices, and cars are among those. When your car has endured a flood, you should act fast and make sure your car does not sit in the water for too long. The longer your car sits in the water, the more damage it will suffer, which is not good.
The best you can do is get as much water out of the car as humanly possible and rush it to your mechanic. Your mechanic will most likely help you determine how much damage the vehicle has endured and what step you should take next.
