Is my car stuffed? What to do if your car has been flooded

Thursday, 2 February 2023

Flooding along Universal Drive in Auckland

With the worst of the recent flooding (hopefully) behind us, people can begin to look at how to go about rescuing their belongings. That includes cars, which could have been abandoned during the massive downpour on Friday or submerged at home.

If you fall in this group, there are a few things to do first. Assuming your car is still where you left it, and you can see a water line above the bonnet indicating the engine was at least partially underwater, try and avoid starting it. Firing an engine that is full of water is a quick way to ruin it, and possibly any chance of an insurance payout.

You can get water out of an engine, but it requires a bit of know-how. Check the air filter and intake to see if they’re wet, then look at the dipstick. If the oil looks milky or there’s suddenly a noticeable amount more showing on the stick, there’s probably water in the crankcase.

If your engine has been underwater, don’t start it immediately. That could cause hydrolock, a kiss of death for combustion engines.

If all those tests come up positive (or negative, depending on your outlook on life), disconnect the battery, remove any plastic covers and dry the engine as much as you can with a towel. Then remove the spark plugs and fuel injectors before cranking the engine. You should be able to get the water out of the engine through the spark plug holes. A wet/dry vacuum can help here.

* Car 101: Driving in heavy rain and floods

* Price of new and used cars expected to surge as hundreds are written off in floods

Cars struggling with the floods outside Auckland Airport on Friday night.

* How to keep yourself and your car alive when driving through floodwaters

Then replace the plugs, change the oil and filter, and check your fuses to be safe. You should also change the oil in your transmission and differential as well to be extra safe.

But there’s more to a car than just an engine and transmission. Electronics can be easily damaged in a flood, and they can be a humongous pain in the arse to fix, so insurance companies are more likely to simply write off a car than invest in fixing it.

If you need to buy a used car, get it checked by a professional before you hand over any cash.

Wayne Tippet, general manager of claims for State, AMI and NZI, told Stuff:

“We have a team that assesses all damaged cars once they are towed, or via our digital systems prior to tow. Any that have had water enter the interior are generally written off, due to impacts on safety systems and electrical components being compromised. For this particular event, we are finding that the majority of cars are being written off due to the scale of the water damage.

“If cars are sent for salvage, they generally tend to be auctioned or occasionally crushed. If auctioned, some components of the vehicle can be stripped and recycled to support future repairs such as undamaged panels.

“All cars that have been written off are de-registered, in line with guidelines from NZTA. If they were to be repaired, and they are written off they would need to be re-certified by the new owner.

“Our team is working extremely hard to assess and process claims as quickly as possible. Currently, we are settling claims for around 200 cars a day, and we expect that to increase in the coming days.”

Needless to say, this applies to both combustion vehicles and electric vehicles.

Buying used?

If you’re needing a new set of wheels, be sure to get any shortlisted vehicle thoroughly inspected by a professional, or go through a registered dealer.

“Flood damage can sometimes be difficult to determine and it may take time before problems show up in the form of electrical failures and corrosion,” said MTA Sector Manager for Dealers, Tony Everett. “People selling privately may be unaware of the true extent of damage to their vehicle, or dare we say it, might not disclose that it was in the floods to a prospective buyer.

“We would strongly recommend anyone buying a second-hand car in a private sale to get an expert, professional opinion on its roadworthiness and safety.

“The last thing you want is to buy a second-hand car, then two months later, the electronics or safety features shut down.”

Many people will be looking to replace their written off vehicle as soon as possible, Everett added.

“Just remember that some people will be trying to offload a flood-damaged one just as quickly.

“Don’t be tempted into buying in a quick private sale with a cheap price – it could come back to haunt you.”