Rainstorms and floods have become a real disaster for motorists. Cars stalled in deep puddles, and cars in parking lots and underground parking garages were flooded to the roof. We tell you what to do if your car gets into such a situation, how to start the car, and who will compensate for the damage.
Fools rush in where angels fear to tread
Yuri Parkhomenko, General Director of the testing laboratory, advised drivers to think 10 times before driving through a deep puddle. Drivers rarely know how deep it is and what might be hidden under the water.
Yuri Parkhomenko recommends driving through puddles slowly in order to have time to back up and find a detour if there is danger. It is important to drive at low engine speeds. In this case, water entering the engine is unlikely to cause serious damage; the car will simply stall. High revs can lead to water hammer, which can bend the connecting rods, which will require major repairs. In addition, the cylinder block may crack, in which case you will have to replace the engine.
Some drivers, noticing that the car in front has successfully overcome the puddle, try to repeat the maneuver and get stuck in the water. The fact is that an experienced professional may be behind the wheel. Counter-emergency driving courses teach how to overcome fords. One of the key principles is to maintain a constant speed and create a wave in front of you. If you slow down, the wave will roll back and the car will get stuck. Acceleration will cause the wave to catch up.
If a real master is driving in front, it is better to follow him. If you drive later, the wave he creates will return and overwhelm your car.
What to do if your car stalls in the middle of a puddle?
If the car stalls in a puddle, don't try to start it right away, Yuri Parkhomenko noted. It is better to move the car to a dry place. You can do this yourself by pushing the car manually, or ask other drivers for help. You can also call a tow truck. Getting a car out of a puddle with a tow truck will be more expensive than from a dry surface, but most likely you will have to do it. The car will not be able to dry quickly.
To check if the flood is dangerous for the engine, just take a few steps.
1. Remove the oil dipstick and see if there are any traces of water on it.
2. Open the air filter and check if it is damp.
The presence of water in one of these cases indicates a problem. In this situation, you must call a tow truck and take the car to the service.
Yuri Parkhomenko recalled that not all services are reliable. Therefore, it is important to carefully monitor the work of the masters. If they try to start the car, you need to stop them immediately.
First you need to unscrew the injectors and blow out the engine. Then replace the oil and filters. Please note: water could also get into the gearbox. This will not appear immediately, but over time it will accelerate its wear.
If there is no water in the engine, you should still connect the car to a scanner and check why it stalled. The scanner will show all errors. Usually, if everything is in order with the engine, the car just needs to be dried. For this, it is better to contact professionals. There are specialized companies that will not only carry out dry cleaning, but also completely dry the car.
If the car drowned in the parking lot, it will also have to be dried. However, in this case, it is not threatened by water hammer.
Who will compensate for the damage?
Some drivers think that compulsory motor third party liability insurance will cover the damage from flooding. But this is not the case. Compulsory motor third party liability insurance only protects the driver's liability to other people, not property. Auto expert Petr Shkumatov explained that in order to receive compensation for flooding, you need to have comprehensive insurance. And even comprehensive insurance may not cover the damage, depending on the terms of the contract. If the car is insured against natural disasters, the damage will be compensated.
The Russian Union of Auto Insurers said that most comprehensive insurance contracts have such a clause. If the car drowned or was damaged by water hammer, the damage can be compensated. The main thing is to get a certificate from the hydrometeorological center that there was a natural disaster on that day.
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