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Some unscrupulous individual will pick them up hose them down & try to sell them. When we were car hunting for my nephew in NY. He's very tall so we went to major world to get an idea of what type of vehicles he could fit it because they have a wide selection of vehicles. While there we noticed that most of the cars were covered with mud underneath. Major World has a terrible reputation so I felt the cars were brought to NY from Katrina flood
It is much trickier than being laid out. If the car was actually submerged it is probably shot. But those with a couple of feet of water are probably salvageable.
And this belief that electronics are wiped out by a flood is simply not true. There are parts that would be damaged such as non hermetic relays and switches. But the electronic boards generally have sealed components and would not be bothered. It is in fact common to wash electronic assemblies in some processes.
One of the good things would be to simply wash out the assemblies with clean water and dry well.
I would pass on engine damage on a car that actually got water into a running engine.
The Sleazy, Mega-Greedy Insurance Agents along with equally Sleazy, Mega-Greedy "Buy Here, Pay Here" Used Car Salesmen will find a way of selling these vehicles to unsuspecting buyers at bargain prices.
Generally speaking . . . a "Flood Vehicle" is a NIGHTMARE just waiting to happen.
I've never seen an insurance agent sell a car.
I've seen insurance companies sell wrecked cars at auction, but how else are they supposed to dispose of them? They send them to an auction where they are bought by guys that cannibalize the usable parts and sell the remains as scrap, or fix them up...A massive flood event is no different, just a lot of cars at once.
It is much trickier than being laid out. If the car was actually submerged it is probably shot. But those with a couple of feet of water are probably salvageable.
And this belief that electronics are wiped out by a flood is simply not true. There are parts that would be damaged such as non hermetic relays and switches. But the electronic boards generally have sealed components and would not be bothered. It is in fact common to wash electronic assemblies in some processes.
One of the good things would be to simply wash out the assemblies with clean water and dry well.
I would pass on engine damage on a car that actually got water into a running engine.
It would make a difference if those electrical parts were energized--connected to a battery--when submerged.
It would make a difference if those electrical parts were energized--connected to a battery--when submerged.
Not likely. First significant connector hit is going to take out the system. The modern cars clearly have hot systems even when off. But I would think they won't last long if the water gets to any height.
And note that the things most likely to be damaged are replaceable items. Mostly cheap.
I was in Hurricane Agnes and my father's car was flooded up to about mid-door. The transmission never ran right again and the interior smelled like a wet sheep, but the car was drivable. However, a 1969 (I think) Ford did not have computers. I would say the cars are a lost cause.
If it sounds too good to be true on the price, check the title for a salvage listing. If in doubt take the vehicle to an independent garage and have them check it out. There are always tell tale signs hidden somewhere in/on a vehicle if it's been submerged. Most scammers just do cosmetic changes to try and fool you.
Not likely. First significant connector hit is going to take out the system. The modern cars clearly have hot systems even when off. But I would think they won't last long if the water gets to any height.
And note that the things most likely to be damaged are replaceable items. Mostly cheap.
Harnesses aren't cheap & that would be my primary concern- especially since some of this water might be salty. A salt-spray is the universal torture test for anything & there are very few metal things that can survive a salty dip without long term damage. Connectors in exposed areas of the car are going to be sealed quite nicely (I.e., where they are expected to get wet in normal operations) - but they just don't put gaskets & grommets on connectors that aren't supposed to get wet. When was the last time you saw a "weather pak" connector on a radio or a dash switch? .. never, cause they're not designed to get wet.
Electrical gremlins are $100+ per hour to repair & most automotive technicians just aren't capable of reading a schematic & tracking down a bad/intermittent/corroded connection, even if it's one that is expected to be exposed to the elements. As a zone-manager for an automotive company, cars under warranty with electrical gremlins were the ones that had service engineers dispatched to hold the technician's hand & ensure that they read the schematic & traced the wires & found the bad ones. Even then, we bought a lot of those cars back just because of time & cost constraints. You can't pay $100+ per hour for very long before you exceed the salvage value of a car.
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