What to Do When a Car Gets Flooded?

[Aria]

Push the car to a higher ground area without water accumulation, remove all items from the cabin, and then inspect components such as wiring and the computer for any short circuits or burnouts. Call the insurance company and have the car towed to a repair shop to assess the flooding damage. Vehicle flooding can be categorized into two scenarios: 1. Flooding while driving: Water can enter the engine through two main pathways: first, due to the low position of the engine air intake, water can be sucked into the engine during wading; second, if the exhaust pipe outlet is below the water level, water can be drawn into the engine through the exhaust pipe during wading. It's easy to understand how water enters through the air intake—when the engine "releases throttle," the sudden drop in RPM creates a momentary negative pressure in the exhaust pipe. The strong atmospheric pressure then forces water into the exhaust pipe, as if the exhaust pipe is sucking in the water. 2. Flooding while parked: If the car is parked in a low-lying area with poor drainage, it may get flooded during heavy rain. After flooding, external water can enter the cabin through gaps like door seams and the external air circulation channels of the air conditioning system. This usually results in the carpet below the seats being completely soaked. If the external water level is high, the battery and some electrical components may also be damaged by water. For vehicles severely flooded while parked, repair shops typically remove all items from the cabin, inspect wiring and computer components for short circuits or burnouts, and replace damaged parts if necessary. As for the soaked carpets and interior trim, they can be cleaned and dried.