[snapper]

[!][!][]End of the road possibly for my 115pd after driving into an unmarked flood at lunchtime today. Sea had broken onto the main road and car drowned out in the middle of it. Was bombbarded by massive waves,stones and seaweed for about half an hour before a good samaratin in a Transit helped pull out the car but i was drenched to the skin by then and only then did the local council and Police close the road. Local Stealer seems to think that it needs a new engine at a cost of approx ?4000!! As my miles are high for a 2000 car (96000) it looks probable that it may be a write off! I'm Gutted!! Any advice on possibly rebuilding engine, info on rights over salvage etc would be appreciated......Paul

 

[NikB]

Eeek, sorry to hear about that, haven't got any suggestions but hope you get it sorted.

 

[jrw]

I reckon you should be alright it being a diesel. Let it dry out and take it to a local garage who should get it going again for you.

Did you ever see the topgear episode when they put the Toyota Pickup truck in the sea overnight and that started up when they dragged it out!

 

[Foxy]

Happened to me twice.

Insurer's have to offer a second hand engine option (to avoid you getting 'benefit') - this is 'inside' knowledge so don't tell ANYONE!!! ('cept your insurer)

Tell them to source a 96k mile engine and fit it......you'll just pay the excess.

Alternatively, they could fit a new engine but that would set you back about half the total claim bill or more!

It's your fecking car (tell them this) and YOU will make the choice.

 

[Jace]

Blimey, thats not a good way of washing the car.

Similar but also not, my bro got flooded last october, his mower was totaly under water. Left it a month to dry out & it fired up first time[:O][^]

 

[Blue V5]

make sure you take it to a jet wash or get a high pressure hose on it asap and clean off as much of the very corrosive sea water as possible.

 

[snapper]

Knew I could rely on you good guys to have constructive suggestions. My tame mechanic reckons that the engine thing could be due to the hydraulic effects of water bending con rods if it ingested the water. Will keep you all posted. Had driven a WRX Impreza yesterday with the idea of changing come the end of the month! Bloody Typical!?!?

 

[benjie]

Does the council have any responsibility here? For failing to close the road when it was flooded or something? I was in a crash about 6 years ago, and the driver was able to get some money out of the council because they knew it was a dangerous road for flooding and they failed to maintain adequate drainage.

 

[craigGSI]

The car will be a write off

as the engine took in sea water which is salty it just cant be dryed out

also the body work will have been soaked with the sea salt water which coroads (sorry for the spelling) the body work alot faster

my zetec-s was in water up to the start of the door and the engine took some in and it was written off. but then again it did get swept away after that down a river for 1/4 of a mile []

 

[EstorilBlue]

Bummer, sounds like a write off....my mates Jeep was a few years ago and that was ?11k's worth.

 

[hornetrider]

if it si a write-off... RIP [V]

 

[ChrisB]

snapper,

Your car ain't black is it by any chance? I was watching BBC news 24 last night and they had footage from Northern Ireland of a black mk4 with what looked like BBS wheels stuck in a flood next to the sea and it was being pounded by waves while other vehicles just splashed past it.

It was tastefully modded and just wondered if it was anyone from here.

 

[snapper]

Yes ChrisB, the car in the BBC reports is indeed my baby. No need to over emphasise how violent the weather was! Still waiting for word but things dont look promising. No way will i get the value of my car and its also on a cherished plate. We dont have retention certificates here in N. Ireland so if they write the car off they would own MY PLATE!! Seems 2005 can only get better from here?

 

[tdiconvert]

Sorry to hear that, no wonder you're gutted. I'd say your mechanic's right, a running engine will easily bend a conrod (especially a diesel) if it's running when the water enters. A non-running car could easily survive.

Hope you reach a solution.

 

[tkpeters]

The insurers should allow you to retain the plate if you tell them you want it

As you can see i have 11 TKP

& I had my Mk2 Golf GTi stolen 5 yrs ago, but was allowed to transfer the plate

 

[ChrisB]

Quote: posted by snapper on 12/01/2005 12:56:27

Yes ChrisB, the car in the BBC reports is indeed my baby.

Gutted for you, it looked quite horrific. Glad you got out ok though because by the looks of things that car could quite easily have been swept into the sea.

 

[chesney]

Afraid this water getting sucked intop the engine is bad news for cars and diesels have very high compression so I'd imagine that makes it worse.

My friend called me last night to say he had a leak in his radiator and thinks he put water in the air intake[:O] Told him he'll be lucky if the engine is ok. Said he started it up and it was really rough and had no power so he "had to floor it to get it to move" !!!

Water just doesn't compress like fuel/air so it basically try's to stop the pistons until either the water leaks out the valves by the pistons or out the head gasket!!! Chances are it bends the rods and I've even heard of it bending cranks too.

Hope it's not as bad as that for you and it stalled for some other reason[]

 

[iwilliams]

i quite often get my motor bike covered in bogs when running in southwales.

It was once 3 feet under and the engine cut out.

5 blokes pulled the bike out, turned it upside down for 5 mins.

Remove carb and tank. SPark plug and kick bike off to remove water from the head.

Refit and start bike.....

Get home and drain crank case to remove the rest of the water. Then sell bike quickly...

 

[snapper]

Further to my horrific week! Just had the stealer on with the quote for repair.....hope every ones sitting down and holding on to something!!!

?7800 YES SEVEN THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED POUNDS STERLING!

Think it might have been better if I HAD been swept into the sea!

 

[NikB]

Surely that's more than the car's worth?