Car Damage from the flood? We can help!

Floods can cause serious damage to cars. Once your car has been affected by a flood, it is important to get it checked out immediately before operating. Operating your vehicle without having it checked out first could cause serious damage. Water in transmission or other mechanical parts of your vehicle could cause your vehicle to fault and the repairs could become extensive when these issues are not fixed immediately. Here at E1 Motorsports Garage, we are prepared to inspect your flooded vehicle and determine if there may be damage or a fluid flush needed.

Inspecting your vehicle after a flood

Those of us living in the gulf coastal region, specifically in Oak Forest neighborhood of Houston, TX have a close relationship with water and its potentially expensive and damaging effects on lives and property. The damage to your vehicle after a flooding event may not always be so obvious at first glance. Remember that just like any other device with electrical components, it’s important to conduct a very thorough inspection, taking certain precautionary steps before every attempting to start your vehicle if you suspect it may have sustained damage from flood waters. Fortunately, it doesn’t take an expert auto mechanic or even a water restoration pro to determine if your vehicle has been affected by flooding. Just a few simple steps will tell you all you need to know about your vehicle’s condition.

Our Flood Repair Process

1. DO NOT START YOUR VEHICLE!
2. Survey potential damage. Note the depth of the floodwaters in relation to your car. Avoid starting a flooded car — this will cause more damage if there is water in the engine.
3. Act quickly. Submersion of a vehicle in salt water — which is more damaging than fresh water — makes the chances of corrosion much higher. Start drying out your vehicle as quickly as possible, and contact a towing service to get it back to higher ground. Oil, transmission fluid and lube may need draining before a tow.
4. File a claim. Your insurance company along with a qualified mechanic will uncover how extensive the problems caused by flood damage may be. Among other inspections, they will:
   • Check the oil dipstick. Look for water droplets, which likely indicate that there is water in your engine. If that's the case, the cylinders, which are supposed to compress air instead of water, will be broken.
   • Remove water-damaged cylinders and check for corroded spots.
   • Change the oil and transmission fluid. If the car is not totaled, you’ll want to do this again after the car is in good condition and you've been driving it for several hundred miles.
   • Check the interior. If floodwaters were more than a few feet deep, water probably made it to the inside of your car.
   • Remove all moisture. They might use a wet/dry vacuum to collect standing water in your vehicle, cloth towels to absorb water that has soaked into the seats and carpet, and fans and dehumidifiers to accelerate the drying process.
   • Check electrical components. The mechanic might need to replace electrical components.
   • Check the fuel tank and line. A siphon pump might be used to remove some fuel. in order to see if water is present. If water is found in the fuel (which would naturally separate from the fuel), they will empty the fuel tank completely.

Once the extent of your car, truck, or SUV's flood damage is determined, your insurance company will weigh the costs to repair the vehicle against the cost of replacing it. If your car is totaled (considered a total loss) by the insurance, be sure to review what that means with your insurance agent.

Schedule your flood damage auto repair evaluation today by call us at 713.955.5846 or email info@e1motorsports.com.