Seeing a great number of cars in water recently, some just up to the
sills some to the roof bars.

IN this day of lots of electronics in cars what are the chances of them
working again, or are they all just insurance write off's, anyone any
idea?..

--
Tony Sayer


Man is least himself when he talks in his own person.

Give him a keyboard, and he will reveal himself.

On 17/02/2020 09:06, tony sayer wrote:

Seeing a great number of cars in water recently, some just up to the
sills some to the roof bars.

IN this day of lots of electronics in cars what are the chances of them
working again, or are they all just insurance write off's, anyone any
idea?..


The actual electronics are generally well sealed, but the real problem
is corrosion of the connectors. That can upset the signals and cause
unpredictable problems for a very long time after the car has been dried
out.

As a general rule of thumb, it is recommended that the car be considered
a write off if the water reached the dashboard. At that point, cleaning
up and drying out the interior and ensuring you have stopped all
corrosion (particularly if it was sea water) become uneconomic for most
cars.

--
Colin Bignell

On 17/02/2020 09:06, tony sayer wrote:

Seeing a great number of cars in water recently, some just up to the
sills some to the roof bars.

IN this day of lots of electronics in cars what are the chances of them
working again, or are they all just insurance write off's, anyone any
idea?..

very little but they will be auctioned off by ins co's and who knows
where they will end up ...

On 17/02/2020 09:06, tony sayer wrote:

Seeing a great number of cars in water recently, some just up to the
sills some to the roof bars.

IN this day of lots of electronics in cars what are the chances of them
working again, or are they all just insurance write off's, anyone any
idea?..

if you buy a dacia duster you don't have to wait for a flood ....

"Jethro_uk" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 17 Feb 2020 09:06:05 +0000, tony sayer wrote:

Seeing a great number of cars in water recently, some just up to the
sills some to the roof bars.

IN this day of lots of electronics in cars what are the chances of them
working again, or are they all just insurance write off's, anyone any
idea?..

I'd have thought the biggest problem are absorbent materials such as
underlay, noise insulation, carpets and seats which can never be 100%
dried out. To put right you'd need to strip the interior down to a shell,
and replace all the sodden items - not cheap. Going back to the 1990s,
plain seats were £400 a pop brand new, so that's £1,600 plus vat plus
labour immediately.

These days they're a lot more sophisticated. Also you have all the
gubbins like seatbelt pretensioners that I imagine need changing.

No idea if catalytic converters enjoy being submerged either.

And then there's the "little" problem of water entering the engine while
it's running. If anyone is driving through water and it gets into the air
inlet, the engine will quickly demonstrate how incompressible water is
compared with air. My brother-in-law drove into a large puddle across a road
at a fair speed (it was at night and the headlights didn't show the water as
looking any different from the road surface, so he was driving at an
appropriate speed for what looked like a straight road clear of hazards).
Luckily he kept control of the car - it didn't skid out of control - but
water got into the engine and knackered it. Being a diesel, with a greater
compression ratio, the damage was worse. Fortunately his insurance paid for
a new engine.

I'm not sure what exactly failed, but the engine would still turn over (but
not fire), so evidently the connecting rods, crankshaft and
cam-shaft/valvegear were all still intact. It may have knackered the
injector pump: I'm not sure how the pressure of water in a cylinder with the
piston at TDC compares with the pressure under which fuel is normally
injected into the cylinder, and whether back-flow up the injector port to
the pump would have been possible.



I can vouch for how difficult it is to get the inside of a car clean and
dry. A former car flooded to a depth of several inches when the drain holes
from the gutter at the base of the windscreen got blocked and it overflowed
into the car following torrential rain overnight. That required me to remove
the front seats, gear lever housing, carpet (top and underlay), and get the
carpet professionally cleaned (I was able to wash the underlay in the
washing machine). I discovered it just as I was about to set off on a
business trip, so apart from mopping up the excess with every towel in the
house, I couldn't do anything about it for a couple of days, by which time
the water started to pong. I got it all sorted out, and I learned a lot
about how the seats of a VW Golf are fastened to the floor and how to
unscrew the gear lever housing. That was in the days before air bags, so
there were no "bum-on-seat" detectors and also no heated seats, so no
cabling to disconnect.

On 17/02/2020 09:17, nightjar wrote:
On 17/02/2020 09:06, tony sayer wrote:

Seeing a great number of cars in water recently, some just up to the
sills some to the roof bars.

IN this day of lots of electronics in cars what are the chances of them
working again, or are they all just insurance write off's, anyone any
idea?..


The actual electronics are generally well sealed, but the real problem
is corrosion of the connectors. That can upset the signals and cause
unpredictable problems for a very long time after the car has been dried
out.

As a general rule of thumb, it is recommended that the car be considered
a write off if the water reached the dashboard. At that point, cleaning
up and drying out the interior and ensuring you have stopped all
corrosion (particularly if it was sea water) become uneconomic for most
cars.


Apparently, just north of Cardiff a building site is under water, and
the bod on the radio was wondering if the plant equipment would be a
write off. I suspect not. That sort of gear is worth stripping down and
cleaning out any gunge that might have got inside gearboxes or
whatever.

The estate agent is going to have fun selling those houses though,
unless of course they are being built for a housing association.
Plus of course the issue with flood water on the incomplete
properties.

On 17/02/2020 10:27, NY wrote:
but water got into the engine and knackered it. Being a diesel, with a
greater compression ratio, the damage was worse. Fortunately his
insurance paid for a new engine.

This storm was very well forecast many days ago, and anyone
paying attention to the jet stream and weather over in the USA
would have guessed quite accurately that we were in for a 2013/14
type of weather event even further back.

The Met Office have been giving yellow, amber and latterly
red alerts, so anyone ignoring those warnings and then
damaging their car might find insurance cos being reluctant
to pay out, just like they try to wiggle out of accident
or illness claims to anyone on holiday abroad.

On 17/02/2020 09:17, nightjar wrote:

As a general rule of thumb, it is recommended that the car be considered
a write off if the water reached the dashboard.

What about electric cars where the batteries are at a lower level?


--
mailto : news {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

On 17/02/2020 11:58, alan_m wrote:
On 17/02/2020 09:17, nightjar wrote:

As a general rule of thumb, it is recommended that the car be
considered a write off if the water reached the dashboard.

What about electric cars where the batteries are at a lower level?

Nissan say that their battery packs are waterproof.

--
Colin Bignell

On 17/02/2020 09:06, tony sayer wrote:

Seeing a great number of cars in water recently, some just up to the
sills some to the roof bars.

IN this day of lots of electronics in cars what are the chances of them
working again, or are they all just insurance write off's, anyone any
idea?..

Both my daughter's cars were written off because they were at Fishlake.
My cousin who has a specialist garage says that cars should always be
written off after even a flight flood because no matter what you do you
can't get the reliability if you keep them.

Bill

On 17/02/2020 09:06, tony sayer wrote:

Seeing a great number of cars in water recently, some just up to the
sills some to the roof bars.

IN this day of lots of electronics in cars what are the chances of them
working again, or are they all just insurance write off's, anyone any
idea?..

They are insurance write-offs on health and safety grounds if water gets
inside.
But up to the sills no problem



--
All political activity makes complete sense once the proposition that
all government is basically a self-legalising protection racket, is
fully understood.

In article , Andrew Andrew97d-
scribeth thus
On 17/02/2020 10:27, NY wrote:
but water got into the engine and knackered it. Being a diesel, with a
greater compression ratio, the damage was worse. Fortunately his
insurance paid for a new engine.

This storm was very well forecast many days ago, and anyone
paying attention to the jet stream and weather over in the USA
would have guessed quite accurately that we were in for a 2013/14
type of weather event even further back.

The Met Office have been giving yellow, amber and latterly
red alerts, so anyone ignoring those warnings and then
damaging their car might find insurance cos being reluctant
to pay out, just like they try to wiggle out of accident
or illness claims to anyone on holiday abroad.


Indeed! But also there was that bit of vid on the BBC news showing a
street in Wales I think were a Audi was bombing down the road with water
up to and then over its bonnet makes me wonder just how it kept on f
driving maybe the air intake is just that little bit higher?

Course no ones teaches anyone how to drive in a flood anymore do they
just go as fat as you can and hope you'll make it thru!..

Unless its the Welney wash, been though here a few times quite hairy but
this blokes got the right sort of wagon!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wc3BC-6Wp38
--
Tony Sayer


Man is least himself when he talks in his own person.

Give him a keyboard, and he will reveal himself.

In article ,
Andrew wrote:
On 17/02/2020 10:27, NY wrote:
but water got into the engine and knackered it. Being a diesel, with a
greater compression ratio, the damage was worse. Fortunately his
insurance paid for a new engine.

This storm was very well forecast many days ago, and anyone
paying attention to the jet stream and weather over in the USA
would have guessed quite accurately that we were in for a 2013/14
type of weather event even further back.

The Met Office have been giving yellow, amber and latterly
red alerts, so anyone ignoring those warnings and then
damaging their car might find insurance cos being reluctant
to pay out, just like they try to wiggle out of accident
or illness claims to anyone on holiday abroad.

It did seem odd to me, people shifting things like TVs upstairs, while
leaving a relatively new car parked outside? Cars tend to be the single
most expensive item most have?

--
*For every action, there is an equal and opposite criticism *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article ,
tony sayer wrote:
Indeed! But also there was that bit of vid on the BBC news showing a
street in Wales I think were a Audi was bombing down the road with water
up to and then over its bonnet makes me wonder just how it kept on f
driving maybe the air intake is just that little bit higher?

I've been told driving at more than a crawling pace can create a bow wave
that keeps the engine air intake above the water. But just passing that on
with zero experience of doing so. The old Rover has the air intake as low
as possible to get the coldest air. So avoid puddles with it. ;-)

--
*Don't use no double negatives *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

nightjar wrote:
On 17/02/2020 09:06, tony sayer wrote:

Seeing a great number of cars in water recently, some just up to the
sills some to the roof bars.

IN this day of lots of electronics in cars what are the chances of them
working again, or are they all just insurance write off's, anyone any
idea?..


The actual electronics are generally well sealed, but the real problem
is corrosion of the connectors. That can upset the signals and cause
unpredictable problems for a very long time after the car has been dried
out.

As a general rule of thumb, it is recommended that the car be considered
a write off if the water reached the dashboard. At that point, cleaning
up and drying out the interior and ensuring you have stopped all
corrosion (particularly if it was sea water) become uneconomic for most
cars.


I stumbled across a manual intended for the emergency services etc who
might encounter hybrid vehicles. I was surprised that the vehicle in
question (and I expect others) have a drain facility on the drive battery
to permit the draining of (presumably flood) water, along with procedures
to follow. While Im aware Lithium and water isnt a good mix, Id have
thought if the battery was flooded and anything bad was going to happen it
would have happened before anyone had a chance to drain it.

I'd imagine it may well depend on where the electronics are and if they were
powered up. However one of the big problems of flooded cars is the
lingering smell afterwards. Even if you out everything and do the best you
can to make it clean, its never the same afterwards you know.
It may well be they are worth more for spares of the things like lights and
trims etc, which are seldom really damaged in a flood.
I guess some of the mechanical parts might be salvaged too.
Brian

crosspost removed
--
----- --
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"tony sayer" wrote in message
...

Seeing a great number of cars in water recently, some just up to the
sills some to the roof bars.

IN this day of lots of electronics in cars what are the chances of them
working again, or are they all just insurance write off's, anyone any
idea?..

--
Tony Sayer


Man is least himself when he talks in his own person.

Give him a keyboard, and he will reveal himself.

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote:
It did seem odd to me, people shifting things like TVs upstairs, while
leaving a relatively new car parked outside? Cars tend to be the single
most expensive item most have?

It can often be quite hard to get the car upstairs :-)

#Paul

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Andrew wrote:
On 17/02/2020 10:27, NY wrote:
but water got into the engine and knackered it. Being a diesel, with a
greater compression ratio, the damage was worse. Fortunately his
insurance paid for a new engine.

This storm was very well forecast many days ago, and anyone
paying attention to the jet stream and weather over in the USA
would have guessed quite accurately that we were in for a 2013/14
type of weather event even further back.

The Met Office have been giving yellow, amber and latterly
red alerts, so anyone ignoring those warnings and then
damaging their car might find insurance cos being reluctant
to pay out, just like they try to wiggle out of accident
or illness claims to anyone on holiday abroad.

It did seem odd to me, people shifting things like TVs upstairs, while
leaving a relatively new car parked outside? Cars tend to be the single
most expensive item most have?

Presumably they were planning to move the car to
higher ground after moving the TV etc in the house.

That’s certainly what happened with a mate of mine
whose house ended up with water waste deep in it.

On 17/02/2020 15:04, Brian Reay wrote:
.....
I stumbled across a manual intended for the emergency services etc who
might encounter hybrid vehicles. I was surprised that the vehicle in
question (and I expect others) have a drain facility on the drive battery
to permit the draining of (presumably flood) water, along with procedures
to follow. While Im aware Lithium and water isnt a good mix, Id have
thought if the battery was flooded and anything bad was going to happen it
would have happened before anyone had a chance to drain it.


I saw mention online of somebody try to rescue a drowned Tesla.
Apparently, one of the cells exploded when he tried opening the battery
pack in order to dry it out. Whether that would have been the case had
he been able to drain it first is unclear.

--
Colin Bignell

On Mon, 17 Feb 2020 14:46:10 +0000 (GMT), Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Indeed! But also there was that bit of vid on the BBC news showing
a
street in Wales I think were a Audi was bombing down the road with

water up to and then over its bonnet makes me wonder just how it
kept
on f driving maybe the air intake is just that little bit higher?

I've been told driving at more than a crawling pace can create a bow
wave that keeps the engine air intake above the water. But just passing
that on with zero experience of doing so.

Well I got away with driving through a flood with the water lapping
up onto the bonnet like that Audi but it took a lot of throttle and
clutch slipping in 1st just to keep the thing moving and not letting
the water get further up the bonnet. Water does not want to get out
of the way like air...

I suspect that there is an "optimum" speed for going through a flood.
Too fast and water is thrown up into the engine compartment soaking
distributer or plugs, leads, coil packs or getting injested. Still
has to get past the air filter but I guess a soggy air filter won't
let enough air through. Too slow water can rise up into the engine
compartment with similar effect. "Optimum" the water doesn't get a
chance to rise up behind the grill, radiator, oil coolers, aircon
condensor etc. So the engine stays dry.

The low down starter motor was never quite the same after my deep
flood drive but nothing else suffered.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On 17/02/2020 14:57, Jethro_uk wrote:
On Mon, 17 Feb 2020 14:42:47 +0000, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

In article ,
Andrew wrote:
On 17/02/2020 10:27, NY wrote:
but water got into the engine and knackered it. Being a diesel, with
a greater compression ratio, the damage was worse. Fortunately his
insurance paid for a new engine.

This storm was very well forecast many days ago, and anyone paying
attention to the jet stream and weather over in the USA would have
guessed quite accurately that we were in for a 2013/14 type of weather
event even further back.

The Met Office have been giving yellow, amber and latterly red alerts,
so anyone ignoring those warnings and then damaging their car might
find insurance cos being reluctant to pay out, just like they try to
wiggle out of accident or illness claims to anyone on holiday abroad.

It did seem odd to me, people shifting things like TVs upstairs, while
leaving a relatively new car parked outside? Cars tend to be the single
most expensive item most have?

Also, never underestimate the stupidity of an insurance company refusing
to pay out because a car was not kept on a drive when stolen, but on a
road a few miles away to protect it from flood.

When seeking car insurance I have never been asked anything other than
where the car is *normally* kept overnight. I have never had a policy
with a term which would allow them to deny a claim on such grounds.
What in your cover makes you think it's possible? And do you worry too
that they'll deny cover if you are more than X miles from your car for
other reasons?


--
Robin
reply-to address is (intended to be) valid

"Dave Liquorice" wrote in message
idual.net...
On Mon, 17 Feb 2020 14:46:10 +0000 (GMT), Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Indeed! But also there was that bit of vid on the BBC news showing
a
street in Wales I think were a Audi was bombing down the road with

water up to and then over its bonnet makes me wonder just how it
kept
on f driving maybe the air intake is just that little bit higher?

I've been told driving at more than a crawling pace can create a bow
wave that keeps the engine air intake above the water. But just passing
that on with zero experience of doing so.

Well I got away with driving through a flood with the water lapping
up onto the bonnet like that Audi but it took a lot of throttle and
clutch slipping in 1st just to keep the thing moving and not letting
the water get further up the bonnet. Water does not want to get out
of the way like air...

I suspect that there is an "optimum" speed for going through a flood.
Too fast and water is thrown up into the engine compartment soaking
distributer or plugs, leads, coil packs or getting injested. Still
has to get past the air filter but I guess a soggy air filter won't
let enough air through. Too slow water can rise up into the engine
compartment with similar effect. "Optimum" the water doesn't get a
chance to rise up behind the grill, radiator, oil coolers, aircon
condensor etc. So the engine stays dry.

The low down starter motor was never quite the same after my deep
flood drive but nothing else suffered.

I am very cautious about driving through flood water, both from the point of
damage to the engine and the car being washed away by fast-flowing water.

I notice that this ford https://goo.gl/maps/XJtySvYQYFZ8UYX49 has a metal
rail to prevent cars being washed off the ford. I've seen a 4x4 driving
through this ford when it was in spate (we parked where the red car is in
the photo, and looked at the flooding from the old bridge alongside the
ford) and the driver was having to steer suddenly away from the barrier as
he entered the water - which was about 2 feet above the road and really
thundering along.

This ford https://goo.gl/maps/XxWwtzKK88CkbLKt7 and
https://goo.gl/maps/y962wBCWRJyvHpLN8 is an intriguing one, because you
drive along the *length* of a stream for about 100 yards. The first time we
encountered it, I stopped and my wife walking along it in bare feet to check
that it didn't get any deeper, before coming back and telling me it was OK.

I wouldn't like to try either ford when they were full. I remember driving
down to the second one when there had been heavy rain, with no intention of
going through, but just to see how high it could get. You have to reverse a
long way to get to a turning-round spot, if the one by the gate in
https://goo.gl/maps/XxWwtzKK88CkbLKt7 is several feet under water ;-(

Cycling through that ford is scary because even when the water is at its
normal level and flow (as in the photos) the current tries to move the bike
wheels off course as you turn the corner at the far end
https://goo.gl/maps/y962wBCWRJyvHpLN8

nightjar wrote:
On 17/02/2020 15:04, Brian Reay wrote:
....
I stumbled across a manual intended for the emergency services etc who
might encounter hybrid vehicles. I was surprised that the vehicle in
question (and I expect others) have a drain facility on the drive battery
to permit the draining of (presumably flood) water, along with procedures
to follow. While Im aware Lithium and water isnt a good mix, Id have
thought if the battery was flooded and anything bad was going to happen it
would have happened before anyone had a chance to drain it.


I saw mention online of somebody try to rescue a drowned Tesla.
Apparently, one of the cells exploded when he tried opening the battery
pack in order to dry it out. Whether that would have been the case had
he been able to drain it first is unclear.


Im not sure.

If the water can get in, the pack cant be water tight. Perhaps the action
of opening it weakened the structure.

I cant help thinking the battery would be scrap once flooded.

On 17/02/2020 17:30, Brian Reay wrote:
nightjar wrote:
On 17/02/2020 15:04, Brian Reay wrote:
....
I stumbled across a manual intended for the emergency services etc who
might encounter hybrid vehicles. I was surprised that the vehicle in
question (and I expect others) have a drain facility on the drive battery
to permit the draining of (presumably flood) water, along with procedures
to follow. While Im aware Lithium and water isnt a good mix, Id have
thought if the battery was flooded and anything bad was going to happen it
would have happened before anyone had a chance to drain it.


I saw mention online of somebody try to rescue a drowned Tesla.
Apparently, one of the cells exploded when he tried opening the battery
pack in order to dry it out. Whether that would have been the case had
he been able to drain it first is unclear.


Im not sure.

If the water can get in, the pack cant be water tight. Perhaps the action
of opening it weakened the structure.

I was wondering whether opening it allowed air to get in, which fuelled
the explosion.

I cant help thinking the battery would be scrap once flooded.

IIRC about 80% of the cells were salvageable.


--
Colin Bignell

On Tue, 18 Feb 2020 03:21:28 +1100, jon lopgel, better known as cantankerous
trolling senile geezer Rodent Speed, wrote:

FLUSH senile troll****

03:21??? IOW, you ARE clinically insane! LOL

--
Richard addressing senile Rodent Speed:
"**** you're thick/pathetic excuse for a troll."
MID:

In article , "Dave Plowman (News)"
writes
In article ,
tony sayer wrote:
Indeed! But also there was that bit of vid on the BBC news showing a
street in Wales I think were a Audi was bombing down the road with water
up to and then over its bonnet makes me wonder just how it kept on f
driving maybe the air intake is just that little bit higher?

I've been told driving at more than a crawling pace can create a bow wave
that keeps the engine air intake above the water.
Standard practice for any off road driver. Original aim was to avoid the
water hitting the fan and being sprayed all over the electrics (petrol
engines in those days)
But just passing that on
with zero experience of doing so. The old Rover has the air intake as low
as possible to get the coldest air. So avoid puddles with it. ;-)

Problem with modern cars I think.
--
bert

In article l.net,
Dave Liquorice writes
On Mon, 17 Feb 2020 14:46:10 +0000 (GMT), Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Indeed! But also there was that bit of vid on the BBC news showing
a
street in Wales I think were a Audi was bombing down the road with

water up to and then over its bonnet makes me wonder just how it
kept
on f driving maybe the air intake is just that little bit higher?

I've been told driving at more than a crawling pace can create a bow
wave that keeps the engine air intake above the water. But just passing
that on with zero experience of doing so.

Well I got away with driving through a flood with the water lapping
up onto the bonnet like that Audi but it took a lot of throttle and
clutch slipping in 1st just to keep the thing moving and not letting
the water get further up the bonnet. Water does not want to get out
of the way like air...

I suspect that there is an "optimum" speed for going through a flood.
Too fast and water is thrown up into the engine compartment soaking
distributer or plugs, leads, coil packs or getting injested. Still
has to get past the air filter but I guess a soggy air filter won't
let enough air through. Too slow water can rise up into the engine
compartment with similar effect. "Optimum" the water doesn't get a
chance to rise up behind the grill, radiator, oil coolers, aircon
condensor etc. So the engine stays dry.

Yup. Enter slowly and go just fast enough to create the bow wave and you
get a dip in the water behind it.
The low down starter motor was never quite the same after my deep
flood drive but nothing else suffered.


--
bert

In article , NY writes
"Dave Liquorice" wrote in message
vidual.net...
On Mon, 17 Feb 2020 14:46:10 +0000 (GMT), Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Indeed! But also there was that bit of vid on the BBC news showing
a
street in Wales I think were a Audi was bombing down the road with

water up to and then over its bonnet makes me wonder just how it
kept
on f driving maybe the air intake is just that little bit higher?

I've been told driving at more than a crawling pace can create a bow
wave that keeps the engine air intake above the water. But just passing
that on with zero experience of doing so.

Well I got away with driving through a flood with the water lapping
up onto the bonnet like that Audi but it took a lot of throttle and
clutch slipping in 1st just to keep the thing moving and not letting
the water get further up the bonnet. Water does not want to get out
of the way like air...

I suspect that there is an "optimum" speed for going through a flood.
Too fast and water is thrown up into the engine compartment soaking
distributer or plugs, leads, coil packs or getting injested. Still
has to get past the air filter but I guess a soggy air filter won't
let enough air through. Too slow water can rise up into the engine
compartment with similar effect. "Optimum" the water doesn't get a
chance to rise up behind the grill, radiator, oil coolers, aircon
condensor etc. So the engine stays dry.

The low down starter motor was never quite the same after my deep
flood drive but nothing else suffered.

I am very cautious about driving through flood water, both from the
point of damage to the engine and the car being washed away by
fast-flowing water.

I notice that this ford https://goo.gl/maps/XJtySvYQYFZ8UYX49 has a
metal rail to prevent cars being washed off the ford. I've seen a 4x4
driving through this ford when it was in spate (we parked where the red
car is in the photo, and looked at the flooding from the old bridge
alongside the ford) and the driver was having to steer suddenly away
from the barrier as he entered the water - which was about 2 feet above
the road and really thundering along.

This ford https://goo.gl/maps/XxWwtzKK88CkbLKt7 and
https://goo.gl/maps/y962wBCWRJyvHpLN8 is an intriguing one, because you
drive along the *length* of a stream for about 100 yards. The first
time we encountered it, I stopped and my wife walking along it in bare
feet to check that it didn't get any deeper, before coming back and
telling me it was OK.

I wouldn't like to try either ford when they were full. I remember
driving down to the second one when there had been heavy rain, with no
intention of going through, but just to see how high it could get. You
have to reverse a long way to get to a turning-round spot, if the one
by the gate in https://goo.gl/maps/XxWwtzKK88CkbLKt7 is several feet
under water ;-(

Cycling through that ford is scary because even when the water is at
its normal level and flow (as in the photos) the current tries to move
the bike wheels off course as you turn the corner at the far end
https://goo.gl/maps/y962wBCWRJyvHpLN8
Land Rovers are excellent because a) the door seals leak and let in
water so they don't float and b) they have flat floors without sills so
having exited the water just open the door and the water flows out. Best
to be wearing wellies though.
--
bert

In article , "Dave Plowman (News)"
writes
In article ,
Andrew wrote:
On 17/02/2020 10:27, NY wrote:
but water got into the engine and knackered it. Being a diesel, with a
greater compression ratio, the damage was worse. Fortunately his
insurance paid for a new engine.

This storm was very well forecast many days ago, and anyone
paying attention to the jet stream and weather over in the USA
would have guessed quite accurately that we were in for a 2013/14
type of weather event even further back.

The Met Office have been giving yellow, amber and latterly
red alerts, so anyone ignoring those warnings and then
damaging their car might find insurance cos being reluctant
to pay out, just like they try to wiggle out of accident
or illness claims to anyone on holiday abroad.

It did seem odd to me, people shifting things like TVs upstairs, while
leaving a relatively new car parked outside? Cars tend to be the single
most expensive item most have?

Have you ever tried to get a car upstairs?
--
bert

On 17/02/2020 15:04, Brian Reay wrote:

I stumbled across a manual intended for the emergency services etc who
might encounter hybrid vehicles. I was surprised that the vehicle in
question (and I expect others) have a drain facility on the drive battery
to permit the draining of (presumably flood) water, along with procedures
to follow. While Im aware Lithium and water isnt a good mix

What makes you think that lithium is present as a metal?

Id have
thought if the battery was flooded and anything bad was going to happen it
would have happened before anyone had a chance to drain it.

Any 'explosion' with such a battery is very likely to involve a
component other than the 'lithium'.

There'll be a wiki article somewhere that you can use to become an expert.

--
Spike

In article ,
Jethro_uk wrote:
It did seem odd to me, people shifting things like TVs upstairs, while
leaving a relatively new car parked outside? Cars tend to be the single
most expensive item most have?

But are insured specifically ?

More comprehensive insurance on your car than house?

But I'd be surprised if insurance companies pay out on a flooded car to be
able to replace it like for like.

--
*Why do overlook and oversee mean opposite things? *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Spike Wrote in message:
On 17/02/2020 15:04, Brian Reay wrote:

I stumbled across a manual intended for the emergency services etc who
might encounter hybrid vehicles. I was surprised that the vehicle in
question (and I expect others) have a drain facility on the drive battery
to permit the draining of (presumably flood) water, along with procedures
to follow. While I?m aware Lithium and water isn?t a good mix

What makes you think that lithium is present as a metal?

I?d have
thought if the battery was flooded and anything bad was going to happen it
would have happened before anyone had a chance to drain it.

Any 'explosion' with such a battery is very likely to involve a
component other than the 'lithium'.

There'll be a wiki article somewhere that you can use to become an expert.


;-)
--
Jimk


----Android NewsGroup Reader----
http://usenet.sinaapp.com/

On Mon, 17 Feb 2020 17:05:57 +0000 (GMT), "Dave Liquorice"
wrote:

snip

The low down starter motor was never quite the same after my deep
flood drive but nothing else suffered.

BIL took us round an off road course in Abingdon a few years back in
his 2L auto diesel Discovery. It was probably the first (and last)
time it had ever been properly off road during his ownership.

At the end of the course was a long trench full of muddy water. The
idea is you gunned it though this and saw how high you could spray the
water.

Given this was his only / family car and daily driver we assumed he
was going to go though it like Ms Marple. No, to our surprise he did
give it some (for a 2L auto, 4 up) and I saw the water (just) come up
the front windscreen (and no snorkel)!

The Fire Brigade were there hosing the cars off for a charity donation
but nephew wanted to leave it as is for the drive home so we just
wiped lights and number plates etc. Apparently it had to be left like
that for a forthright for all nephews schoolmates to see. ;-)

However, about a month later the alternator failed and whilst it could
have been a coincidence, we think it was a side effect of it's muddy
dunking. ;-(

I have to say, given the lack of experience of the driver, it only
being a 2L diesel, std fit tyres and an auto ... and without any diff
locks, it handled the course very well! [1]

Cheers, T i m

[1] The towbar did ground out at the bottom of many of the hills, both
on the way up and down.

On 17/02/2020 13:09, williamwright wrote:
On 17/02/2020 09:06, tony sayer wrote:

Seeing a great number of cars in water recently, some just up to the
sills some to the roof bars.

IN this day of lots of electronics in cars what are the chances of them
working again, or are they all just insurance write off's, anyone any
idea?..

Both my daughter's cars were written off because they were at Fishlake.
My cousin who has a specialist garage says that cars should always be
written off after even a flight flood because no matter what you do you
can't get the reliability if you keep them.


About as good as a new FIAT then


--
Adam

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Jethro_uk wrote:
It did seem odd to me, people shifting things like TVs upstairs, while
leaving a relatively new car parked outside? Cars tend to be the single
most expensive item most have?

But are insured specifically ?

More comprehensive insurance on your car than house?

But I'd be surprised if insurance companies pay out on a flooded car to be
able to replace it like for like.

Some of ours do with newish cars, they will
replace it with a brand new car if it’s a writeoff.

On 17/02/2020 11:58, alan_m wrote:
On 17/02/2020 09:17, nightjar wrote:

As a general rule of thumb, it is recommended that the car be
considered a write off if the water reached the dashboard.

What about electric cars where the batteries are at a lower level?



Todays MATT cartoon in the DT ....

On 17/02/2020 16:52, nightjar wrote:
On 17/02/2020 15:04, Brian Reay wrote:
....
I stumbled across a manual intended for the emergency services etc who
might encounter hybrid vehicles. I was surprised that the vehicle in
question (and I expect others) have a drain facility on the drive battery
to permit the draining of (presumably flood) water, along with procedures
to follow. While Im aware Lithium and water isnt a good mix, Id have
thought if the battery was flooded and anything bad was going to
happen it
would have happened before anyone had a chance to drain it.


I saw mention online of somebody try to rescue a drowned Tesla.
Apparently, one of the cells exploded when he tried opening the battery
pack in order to dry it out. Whether that would have been the case had
he been able to drain it first is unclear.


Toyota dealers have a full NBC kit that the technician has to wear
when working on the high voltage battery.

On 17/02/2020 17:55, nightjar wrote:
On 17/02/2020 17:30, Brian Reay wrote:
nightjar wrote:
On 17/02/2020 15:04, Brian Reay wrote:
....
I stumbled across a manual intended for the emergency services etc who
might encounter hybrid vehicles. I was surprised that the vehicle in
question (and I expect others) have a drain facility on the drive
battery
to permit the draining of (presumably flood) water, along with
procedures
to follow. While Im aware Lithium and water isnt a good mix, Id have
thought if the battery was flooded and anything bad was going to
happen it
would have happened before anyone had a chance to drain it.


I saw mention online of somebody try to rescue a drowned Tesla.
Apparently, one of the cells exploded when he tried opening the battery
pack in order to dry it out. Whether that would have been the case had
he been able to drain it first is unclear.


Im not sure.

If the water can get in, the pack cant be water tight. Perhaps the
action
of opening it weakened the structure.

I was wondering whether opening it allowed air to get in, which fuelled
the explosion.

I cant help thinking the battery would be scrap once flooded.

IIRC about 80% of the cells were salvageable.


I read somewhere that Tesla re-use 2nd hand car battery packs in their
domestic battery storage system.

On 17/02/2020 17:26, NY wrote:
Cycling through that ford is scary because even when the water is at its
normal level and flow (as in the photos) the current tries to move the
bike wheels off course as you turn the corner at the far end
https://goo.gl/maps/y962wBCWRJyvHpLN8

The lady running a sandwich shop in Pontypridd said the granite
worktop in the shop needed 5 big blokes to carry it in.

The flood water just pushed it off.

The problem is, those cars aren't flooded with clean water, even though
it is from a river. The amount of fine mud and silt in the water
is what makes cleaning nigh on impossible because this infiltrates
all the seat fabrics and stuffing, the carpets, soundproofing,
everywhere.

Hence the news shots of people sweeping out a layer of sticky gooey
mud (and sewage) from flooded properties.


On 17/02/2020 15:12, Brian Gaff (Sofa 2) wrote:
I'd imagine it may well depend on where the electronics are and if they were
powered up. However one of the big problems of flooded cars is the
lingering smell afterwards. Even if you out everything and do the best you
can to make it clean, its never the same afterwards you know.
It may well be they are worth more for spares of the things like lights and
trims etc, which are seldom really damaged in a flood.
I guess some of the mechanical parts might be salvaged too.
Brian

crosspost removed