Got my car stuck in a flood today and it won’t start

[Stupiddriver1]

Currently at the garage waiting to see what the damage is.

Anyone know if it’s expensive how awkward are the insurance going to be. I’ve read if they count it as avoidable flooding then they wont pay. I could have turned round and gone another way but it didn’t seem that deep and other cars got through ok. I did all the thing if keeping my revs up but it died in the middle. Water was about 4” -6” deep but a very lengthy stretch.

Am worried I will need a new engine.

I wouldn't count on the insurance company paying out for this, you had the opportunity to turn round and chose to drive through. Hopefully it's not too expensive.

Depends on the age of the car, an older car is easy to get the water out the system. New car has a lot of electronics so is harder to dry out.

Yeah it's fairly new. I'm worried it'll be thousands if it needs a new engine.

A guy I know drove through a too-deep ford and killed his car. His insurance paid out, so it's not (pardon the unfortunate pun!) cut and dried.

Do you have any dashcam footage that will support your case of other drivers using it, or can you go back and get some if the levels are same today?

Good luck.

I work in insurance , I have dealt with a few in the last few weeks with no problems. Just tell them you didn't realise how deep the water was until it was too late , should be fine.

Someone told me the other day that it depends on where your air intake is on your make of car as to whether it can get through floods or not! Some of the bigger cars (which you would assume could make it) have engine air intake at the bottom so pull the water in however fast or slow you drive through!

The insurance bit is easy (we live in a flooded area and this happens a lot) - if you've driven into a flood thinking you'll just make it through (i.e. not a ford where you're meant to be driving anyway), they won't pay. Your fault, you foot the bill. Did you drive past a road closed sign?

Depends what's gone wrong - the cat converter is meant to run hot, driving a car into freezing water tends to do for them, so that might need replacing as well as the engine.

There was meant to be a road closed sign but it was flat on the verge face down. Fire brigade pointed it out to me.

And yes, rescue bloke said it'll be where my air intake is combined with a bow wave from a 4x4 which came in opposite direction past me really quickly and shoved water high up.

I was there first, if the 4x4 driver had waited I think I'd have been ok.

And yes, rescue bloke said it'll be where my air intake is combined with a bow wave from a 4x4 which came in opposite direction past me really quickly and shoved water high up.

Ouch !

If water got pulled into the cylinder through the air intake, then damage will be severe, I'm afraid.

Been there!

If you didn't turn your engine over and no water got inside the actual car interior, then you may be ok and your garage can dry ut out. If you turned your engine over, your engine will be toast.

I did it, and didn't turn the engine over. It took the garage 2 days to dry the car out, although I had to pay an extra 250 to take it to my usual garage. (They were going to write it off otherwise) Insurance paid for the dry out, replacement sensors and a new compressor. They didn't quibble.

That was 2 and a half years ago, and the car has been fine ever since.

Good Luck!

I had this happen once. The engine needed replacing which given the value of my car meant it was written off. The insurance company paid out without any problems.

I tried turning the engine over once I got it out, under dh's instructions!

Inside of car is dry

I'm not sure rescue bloke knows for sure. He didn't look at the car at all, just towed it to the garage. He did say it might just need to dry out.

There was meant to be a road closed sign, but it was flat on the verge face down. The fire brigade pointed it out to me.

Perhaps that is what you need to tell your insurance people then.

The other cars that went through were going your way. SO one would assume it was OK provided you'd let the water settle before fo,lowing, however what caused the damage was the 4x4 going too fast the other way (one presumes the cars that got through in front of you had no cars going the other way at the same time) So i's reasonable to assume you'd have been OK if the 4x4 hadn't also gone through.

just hope insurance see it like that