In the most recent months, massive hurricanes Harvey and Irma have devastated parts of Texas, Florida, Georgia, and surrounding areas. A lot of flooding is wreaking much havoc in its wake. This is a trend we have seen recently with storms becoming stronger and more frequent over the past few decades.

Además de la carreteras and homes, cars flooding or driving through flooded areas can also be a massive problem. To put things simply: coches y agua En términos generales, no se llevan bien. Es una lección terrible que aprender después de Harvey o Irma. Si bien la sal para carreteras es posiblemente más dañina para los autos al principio, debido a que es corrosiva, conducir a través de altos niveles de agua es bastante malo para cualquier vehículo.

Flood water, specifically, is a potent mix for corrosive materials such as salt, chemicals, and dirt, in addition to water. And the water allows all that stuff to get into every nook and cranny of your car. But is your car a total loss if it gets flooded? And what do you do if it happens? Short answer to both: it depends!

¿Qué hace que su automóvil sea considerado pérdida total debido a una inundación?

The first thing you need to do in the event of a flood is to check how high the water level is. If your car does get flooded, it may be okay if the water wasn’t higher than a few inches off the ground. In this case, it generally means that the flooding won’t really do much damage, if any at all.

However, if water rises 6 inches to a foot above the floor, this very well could be considered enough to be totaled. This is because if water gets to the engine compartment or the interior, a lot of piezas y componentes clave will be too damaged to drive safely.  It’s important to know that your engine, transmission, and drivetrains are particularly vulnerable. The worst thing could be water flooding your fuel, brake, and power steering systems. Generally speaking, anything that uses its own fluids is in danger of floodwaters leaking in and diluting key fluids.

A lot of the most severe damage will be visible, but there could still be Problemas mecánicos that are not visible to the eye, even after the car has mostly dried out. This unseen damage could lead to your car potentially needing significant repairs. Even still, a lot of mechanics are hesitant to fix flooded cars since the damage could be expensive, and certain issues can’t be fully remedied.

Qué hacer si su vehículo se encuentra en una zona inundada

The first thing to remember is not to start up a flooded car! If you don’t take our word for it, be aware that this is typical advice from Mecánicos certificados por ASE, AAA, and even the National Auto Dealers Association. If you have roadside assistance, call them and get a tow! Otherwise, have your car insurance company handle it, as they will most likely be handling the damage to the vehicle from there. Home insurance often sells flood coverage separately; most legally mandated car insurance includes it automatically. Keep in mind, according to the Insurance Information Institute, only about three-quarters of all contracts include flood coverage. Be sure to check with them first.

Be sure to snap photos of your flooded interior and take notes and measurements. You can use this with your insurance agency. They will investigate and calculate if repairing the vehicle will cost more than replacing it. If it needs to be replaced, it will be designated a total loss.

¿Su automóvil se considera una pérdida total debido a una inundación?

Algunos coches inundados dan señales obvias, como cableado defectuoso u óxido. Si te encuentras conduciendo o aparcando en una inundación, necesitas que un mecánico revise tu coche. Esto sigue siendo así incluso después de que se seque. Hay muchos problemas que el agua provoca en los coches que no son tan obvios. Muchos coches dañados por inundaciones parecen conducir perfectamente, pero por desgracia, tu coche no tiene por qué estar inundado. La fiabilidad del coche recibe un golpe. Los autos dañados por el agua tienden a fracasar antes de tiempo.