No matter how prepared you are, there is always something out of control. Natural disasters such as typhoons may bring a fatal combination: strong gusts and downpours.
These extreme weathers can lead to structural damage and flooding - the two most severe situations that most Filipinos experienced when Typhoons Ondo, Yolanda, and Ulysses hit the country.
Typhoons can cause many casualties - like flooded cars - a nightmare when the roads are full of water. There is no doubt that the flood will seriously damage the vehicle.
Floodwater threatens car engines, computer boxes, interiors, etc by immersing these facilities.
However, this does not mean that there is no hope to revive the car. There are many ways to rejuvenate a submerged vehicle. Let Philtoyota.com show you some first aid steps to handle this situation smoothly when your car is ‘soaked’ in floods.
When being flooded, accelerating the car's engine will be worthless. This action may reduce the resurrected chance of your vehicle.
If you start the engine, water can rush in to damage your car's electrical system, computer box, engine, transmission, and other components.
The first thing you should do is to evaluate how seriously damaged your flooded car is by checking how deep the car was submerged. There is a high chance that mud and debris will leave traces on the surface of your car’s in-n-out body.
Observing this thoroughly, you can quickly determine how damaged your car is.
>>> Related: Causes of Water-damaged Engines and Tips To Protect Your Car
After evaluating the submerged car, the next thing to do is to remove water from the car as soon as possible.
Today, most cars are equipped with a central locking system. Therefore, you can use a remote to unlock the car, however, it may cause a short circuit.
Just like any other roadie emergencies, you need to consider the pros and cons carefully before taking action.
In this case, you don't have much choice, because you need to unlock the car before deactivating its central locking system. On the other hand, turning it on with the key will also trigger an alarm. Therefore, you have no other choice but to use the remote control to deal with the situation.
You need to remember that you have to unlock and enter the cabin to initiate first aid measures to the vehicle, that is, to remove all accumulated water.
Taking efficiently quick actions while waiting for a trusted mechanic that comes to the rescue will increase the chance of re-activation.
Before repairing a flooded car, opening the hood and remove the positive and negative terminal rods of the car battery to eliminate the possibility of short circuits. Moreover, you shouldn't ignore the order of detaching terminals to assure safety to the maximum.
Always remove the negative terminal of the car energy-box first.
After taking dismissal of the car battery, start to purge the water in the car and open all doors to maintain airflow and release the peculiar smell caused by flooding.
You can use a towel to absorb water as well as remove the carpet from the car for a better dry-out process. If possible, you can also remove the seat.
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The next aiding step is to check the car's fluids, such as brake fluid, coolant, engine oil, etc, and the air filters. If the engine oil feels liquidly as water, the flood is likely to seep in. The water droplets in the dipstick also indicate that flood water has penetrated the engine.
When your car is flooded, remember to check the car's oil and air filters.
If you are not an automotive expert, our recommendation is to call the trusted or experienced mechanic to complete the rest of the repair process.
You should complete all the necessary first aid measures mentioned above. By performing these steps, you will increase your car's chances of survival. Please note, do not try to start the car immediately but let it dry and hope that the mechanic’s vehicle will not be manufactured on the rescuing way.
>>> Check out: List Of Flood Prone Areas In The Philippines: 10 Heavily Flooded Zones
Not all of us are capable or trained to do mechanical things. If your car is flooded, please leave it to an expert because repairing a flooded car requires more than just some paper-instructed steps.
The few things that you should do is to take immediate first aid procedures with one high hope that your car can strongly hold on till the end.
>>> Click now to get more useful tips and updated car news from Philtoyota.com
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