ALL ABOUT WHAT TO DO IF YOUR CAR GET CAUGHT IN A FLOOD- (part:1)

Flood water is dangerous when you're driving because there's no way to judge how deep or rapid the water is until it's too late and you've put yourself and your passengers in danger.

Most cars have a maximum wading depth. For hatchbacks and sedans(cars), this is usually about 180 mm to 200 mm.While most SUVs, the wading depth range is from 300 mm to 600 mm. Going through water that is any deeper could mean asking for trouble. Don't over estimate your car's ability to drive through flood water.

PLEASE NOTE:. 👆 First of all, one should not drive in the flood, it's dangerous, and then one should not try to be smart at this time, safety is more important.🤔 .

P

▪︎Remember- Six inches of water is enough to reach the bottom of most passenger cars and cause it to stall.

▪︎Twelve inches of water is needed to cause your car to float.
▪︎Twenty four inches of water is all it takes to float your car and carry it away. Driving in water this deep is enough to cause a loss of control or stop the car engine. 

If water enters the air intake, it will damage the engine badly –resulting in hydrolock damage. Hydrolock is a extremely expensive situation that occurs when metal pistons try to compress almost-incompressible water instead of air, which results in broken pistons, bent connecting rods and cracked engine blocks and bend your engine valves, this will in turn require a complete engine overhaul.

☆Please note that Diesel vehicles are generally better at handling flooded roads than petrol vehicles, as they don’t depend on spark ignition – in Petrol vehicles, water can cause a short circuit and prevent spark plugs from firing

■Hence it is advisable to follow these precautional steps given below:

●1- Heavy rain will likely mean that visibility is extremely reduced, so you should always switch on your headlights and park lights when driving.

●2- Allow plenty of space between you and vehicle in front of you. Avoid making sharp turn.

●3- Only attempt to drive through flood water if you know it isn’t that deep- As a rule of thumb, you should never enter water that’s more than 10cm deep.

●4- As you drive into a flooded section of road, maintain a very slow speed to make sure a bow wave doesn’t develop at the front of the car.When moving through water, use a lower gear (first, second or max, third gear).After a stop, accelerate slowly in second gear to get better traction.

●5- When a flooding situation does arise, do your best to keep moving through the water and don’t stop the car engine. Do not accelerate suddenly or brake too hard, just keep a steady momentum. If the car stops in standing water, there is a chance that water may creep into vital parts like the intake valve and exhaust. So never try to restart the car- if the water has entered inside the engine, it could lead to engine explosion when you press the accelerator. So the Best way out is to push the car out of water and call the service centre and immediately check the spark plug and air filter to ensure that there is no damage.

●6- If your car's exhaust is underwater, increasing the engine speed(by pressing accelerator) will help keep water out of the tail pipe.

●7- If the flood water is flowing rapidly, do not attempt to drive through it as your car could easily be swept from the road!

●8- Excess water on the brakes can lead to a complete lack of stopping power, so you should always check the brakes after driving through a flood.

Press the brakes several times before driving again.

●9- If fast-moving water has already surrounded your vehicle, and your car is either stalled out or not moving in the right direction, then you need to get  yourself out of there as quickly as possible and get to high surface. If the water level continues to rise and your car has already stalled, do not attempt to restart it. Yes Do Not restart your car. Let it be. When water levels rise and reaches the door it is advisable to switch off the air-conditioning(if it is on), roll down the electrically-operated windows slightly and most importantly release the central locking mechanism.  If possible, Disconnecting the battery will protect you from electric shock while you check other things-disconnect the negative cable of car battery.

●10- If your car is swept into the water and submerged- " DON'T PANIC!"  Before the water gets beyond half of your car door level, get out or the pressure from the water would make it near impossible to open the doors.If the car windows don't open and windows are rolled up as well, you will have to break the window. While it is best advised to carry a small hammer in the glovebox or in the boot always, the head rest can also double up as a glass breaker. Adjustable head rests can be removed and the pointed-end of the same can be used to break the window. Make sure to maintain some distance between yourself and the window when breaking the glass. Now You can escape from your vehicle through the window, if that's not possible, stay calm and wait for the vehicle to fill with water-until the water pressure is equal on both sides of your door so it will open.Once the vehicle is full(of water), the doors will open. Hold your breath and swim to the surface. If you dont know swimming, climb on the top of the car and wait for help to come!

■REPAIRING-

If your car is stuck in flooded waters, it is going to take a while to fix–

it has to dry out, quite literally. Then Tow it to your mechanic, do not attempt to start it at all, even if it seems dry.
*First thing to do is to check if there is presence of water in the engine oil by examining the dipstick.
☆Drain the engine oil.
☆Change the oil filter and replace the oil.
☆Clean out the engine bay of all debris- especially in the radiator.
☆Open the spark plugs (in a petrol vehicle) and replace them.
☆Dry the cylinders and pistons with the plugs removed.
☆Lubricate everything.
☆Drain and replace the fuel.

Many repair facilities recommend a thorough cleaning of brake parts and repacking of bearings, particularly for rear-drive vehicles. In front-wheel-drive vehicles, bearings are sealed.

●In short, Flush and replace all fluids, oils and lubricants, and replace all filters and gaskets for components exposed to water. While a vehicle may drive with fluids that have experienced water intrusion, extended internal exposure to water will increase the level of damage to the engine and other vehicle components.

■INSURANCE-

Vehicle damage caused by flooding is typically covered by a comprehensive auto insurance policy. The decision on whether your car needs any replacement depends on the surveyor's report. ♤For example-The rate of depreciation for rubber, nylon or plastic parts, tubes, batteries and airbags is 50 per cent. For damage to tyres unless the vehicle was damaged due to the same peril, the cover is only 50 per cent of the cost of replacement. For glass, it is zero. So, if you had to break a window when the locks were stuck due to a short circuit, you'll be fully reimbursed. But in case of hydrostatic lock, you won't get insurance cover-a technical inspection by your insurance agent can easily find out the actual root cause of the car's damage.

☆ If your vehicle has sustained damage, start the claim process by contacting your insurance agent at the earliest- you will need to produce the vehicle's registration certificate and Insurance certificate with duly filled claim form.You can intimate the insurance company in writing by filling the claim form prescribed by visiting its branch office or by calling the customer care numbers or by email.

☆If you have misplaced the insurance documents or have lost them in the flood, do not lose heart. Just give your name and car registration number or even Your email will typically have a copy of the insurance policy as most insurers send the policy on email, apart from mailing you a physical copy. 

●Don't drive the vehicle damaged by flood water until they have been inspected by your insurance agent.

●Document your damage by taking pictures(interior and exterior). Photos and videos give a evidence of the damage.
●Mark the water level in the inside of your car.

●If the car is beyond repair, the vehicle is scrapped and the insurer declares ‘total loss’. “In case of total loss, the car owner is paid the insured declared value of the vehicle,

In general, a car is determined to be a total loss when:

(1) It's so severely damaged it cannot be safely repaired.
(2) It costs more than the worth of the vehicle to repair it.
Or, if the amount of damage or cost of repairing the vehicle is too much, according to the insurer's guidelines for total loss.

STAY CALM...STAY SAFE!