How to maintain "water-walking" cars?
(Baonghean.vn) - Heavy rain and flooding have forced many car users to travel in flooded roads. To keep the car running well and not be damaged during future use, car owners need to clearly understand the details that need to be checked and maintained after driving in the rain.
1. Chairs and floor mats
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When you discover that your car's interior is waterlogged, it's best to take it to the garage to clean it before it starts to smell, especially if it's a fabric-covered car. Depending on whether the car has a fabric or leather interior, the cleaning process is a little different.
The felt material is very “sensitive” to dirt and the car compartment is quite limited in space, so the entire interior must be thoroughly cleaned. The plastic panels are thoroughly scrubbed with a brush, alcohol and special detergent. The seats, floor brushes, and soundproofing cotton pads under the floor are all removed and washed.
2. Clean the car floor
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When water flows in through the door and onto the floor, it will create large water tanks that cannot drain out by themselves because the bottom barrier of the car floor is made of metal and treated with soundproofing materials so it is very tight. The consequence of this is that the air conditioning duct becomes dirty and can even be blocked when dirty water flows in.
The important thing when cleaning the car floor is to apply anti-rust oil or grease to the bolts or screws that have been soaked in rainwater because they can rust quickly; after sucking out all the water, use a dryer to dry everything.
3. Check the electrical system
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The plugs and wiring systems running around the body and in the center console area are very susceptible to fire and short circuit if there is stagnant water inside. It is necessary to check and dry the connections to ensure contact. Water will accumulate a lot inside the door if it is flooded deeply, which will affect the operation of the wires and speakers. Therefore, the process of cleaning and restoring the car's interior cannot ignore this area.
4. Check the vehicle brakes
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After days of heavy rain, although the vehicle engine may still run after escaping from the flooded area, the vehicle brakes may slip and no longer apply pressure.
To avoid the danger of unstable braking, you should try to press the brake pedal a few times before continuing to move the car. This can help the brake pads and discs/drums work normally. However, it is best to have the car checked after "wading through the water".
5. Scan for control system errors
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On many car models, the airbag control system is located right under the car floor in the center console area; the operation of this system can be paralyzed if water gets in... Inspection and cleaning must be done carefully, otherwise it will affect the airbag system.
In high-end cars, the most vulnerable control components are the seat control switches and the motors/motors inside the seats; Water will burn the motors and paralyze the seat controls...
It is not simply a matter of vacuuming and drying when maintaining the electrical system components, but also a matter of examining their operating conditions; Checking for potential risks when the wiring is exposed, short-circuited or corroded at the contacts. In particular, an indispensable operation for high-end cars is to reset the system using a fault scanner.
