How to maintain a "water-walking" car?
(Baonghean.vn) - Heavy rain and flooding have forced many car users to travel on flooded roads. To keep their cars running well and avoid damage later on, car owners need to 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 has been soaked with water, it's best to take it to the garage to clean it before it starts to smell, especially for cars with fabric upholstery. Depending on whether the car has fabric or leather interior, the interior cleaning is done slightly differently.
Felt 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. A lot of water will accumulate 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 car brakes
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After days of heavy rain, although the car engine still runs after escaping from flooded areas, the car brakes may slip and no longer apply pressure.
To prevent the risk of unstable braking, you should try pressing 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 vehicles, the airbag control system is located right under the vehicle 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 status; Checking for possible risks when the wires are 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.
