8 things to do immediately when your car is flooded

(Baonghean.vn) - A car submerged in water can destroy many parts of the car, especially the engine, electrical system and interior; usually when the water reaches halfway up the wheel, the car can be damaged. In this case, the driver needs to promptly perform the following steps to avoid damage to the car.

1. Dry the interior

If water gets into the interior, the possibility of destruction will be very fast. Therefore, after removing the car from the flooded area, open all the doors to let the water out. Use the tools available, including towels to absorb all the remaining water. Then use a fan, hair dryer to dry the basic interior before the rescue comes to take it to the garage.

2. Clean the car floor

The bottom support of the car floor is made of metal and treated with soundproofing materials, so it is very tight. When water flows in through the door and seeps down, it creates large water tanks that cannot drain out by itself. The air conditioning duct gets dirty and can even be blocked when dirty water flows in.

After you have sucked out all the water, dry it completely with a hair dryer. Bolts and screws that have been exposed to rainwater can rust quickly, so it is important to use anti-rust oil and grease when cleaning the car floor.

3. Check the brake system

After driving in the rain or through flooded areas, the brakes are easily damaged due to direct contact and penetration of mud and water.

If this system is not cleaned and maintained, the vehicle can easily lead to the phenomenon of the handbrake being stuck or the brake releasing slowly because the movable joint of the brake caliper is rusted; if left for a long time, it can easily lead to damage, causing danger when the vehicle is operating on the road.

4. Belt and chassis system

The belt in a car is usually located quite low in the engine compartment, so when mud, dirt, or water gets on it, the belt will slip. If the belt slips too much, it will not have enough force to pull the compressor for the air conditioning system, power steering, and generator.

According to experience, users can check the belt system by themselves with the naked eye after turning off the engine. If the belt is found to be covered with mud or dirt, use a cloth to clean the belt and pulley.

5. Check engine oil and air filter

Open the hood and observe, if there is a lot of water in the air filter, engine or oil tank, there is a risk that your car has water in the engine. For normal people who do not know about technology, the best way is to let a technician check and repair.

6. Check the electrical system

If the car starts, check all the electrical components such as headlights, turn signals, air conditioning, audio, door locks, power windows, trunk release, seat adjustment, mirrors, and even interior lights. If any of these components are not working properly, it is a sign that water is causing the electrical system to malfunction.

7. Check tires and rims

Before driving, check your tires, rims, and brakes for debris, mud, metal, or glass. Mud that gets into the brake discs reduces braking efficiency and can cause damage over time. It is best to wash these areas thoroughly.

8. Scan for control system errors

On many car models, the center console is the area that contains many complex control systems such as the gearbox, intelligent multi-function control system, communication... Water can get in and paralyze the operation of this system.

Maintaining the electrical system components is not simply about draining the water and drying it, but also about considering the operating condition, the possibility of risks when the wires are short-circuited, exposed or corroded at the contacts... an indispensable operation for high-end cars is to reset the system using an error scanner.

Expert advice, do not try to fix it yourself if you do not have technical expertise; you should remove the battery cable as soon as possible, call for help, clearly inform the vehicle type and flooding status to get advice on how to avoid further damage as well as necessary steps if your vehicle is insured.

Ngoc Anh

(Synthetic)