Flooded!

'96 Toyota Corolla DX 115,000 miles, stock tires Radial P185/65R14 and rims

Car parked, parking lot flooded, 17 inches water at front bumper, at least 8" water inside vehicle, front seats in at least 1 inch of water, perhaps 2 inches. 4WDs buzzed the lot creating waves and making the situation worse. It was like this for about 1 hour before water started going down. Battery disconnected after water went down. Car has not been moved, no attempt to start engine. Engine Oil at same level when checked Friday afternoon. Transmission fluid two inches over "Hot" mark on dip stick, doesn't look like water is present. Seats and carpet have been removed.

What else should I be concerned about? Are there any electronics that need attention? What about mechanical?

Reply to
Marc
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I would still drain and refill the crankcase and the tranny before starting the car.

And, let it thoroughly dry out before starting. Leave the hood open and let it get plenty of sunshine for a day or two.

Once you get it started, park it on a steep incline, firwst one way and then the other to let the watrer drain from the rocker panels, etc. If necessary, drill some drain holes in the rockers, and then you can use these holes to spray in some hydraulic oil once they are dry. This will help disperse the water and give you an edge on staving off the rust.

Yank all the seats while the car is drying, yank the console, etc and yank the carpets, clean them and let them dry thoroughly before replacing. You might even want to lightly spray the floor with hydraulic oil; LIGHTLY, since it can kind of stink for a while. Check the condition of any electronics under the console or the seats.

Let the trunk dry, and again have the hydraulic oil handy, spray into the ares above the wheel wells, etc.

Take it apart asap, because if you don't it's going to *STINK!!!*

Good luck!

Reply to
Hachiroku

You should be able to turn this into your insurance company. Of course, you won't get that much for it.

jeff

Reply to
Jeff

Transmission fluid two (2") inches OVER the HOT mark and you don't think there's water in it? Did you overfill it before the flood?

Jack

Reply to
Retired VIP

As hachiroku suggested, change the engine oil and transmission fluid before starting the car. Also make sure the differential is drained and refilled. I would follow all of his suggestions except drilling because rust will definitely form unless the areas where the paint is broken is re-sealed.

The reason the transmission fluid level went up but you couldn't see water in the fluid is because the water is heavier and sinks to the bottom, and the ATF floated to the top.

There should be some rubber body plugs in the floor pan and in the trunk at the bottom of the spare tire well. Remove the plugs to help drain the water.

Remove the door threshold to let the area under there air out. Also remove the kick panels and B and C pillar trim. Pull the seat belts all the way out of their retractors so the belts can dry out.

Unplug the #2 O2 sensor and make sure there is no water in the connector. If there is, give the connector a good shot of dielectric grease.

I would also replace the wheel bearings and make sure no water is trapped in the CV joints.

If the bumpers were submerged, remove the bumper covers and foam backing and let the foam dry before putting it back in contact with the steel bumper reinforcement.

Reply to
Ray O

He is not checking it with the car running. Most cars will show the automatic transmissions overfilled when the engine is not running because the fluid from he torque converter has drained into the pan. The proper way to check the fluid is hot idling in park. Checking it cold, with the engine off, is not going to tell you anything, unless the fluid is discolored.

Ed

Ed

Reply to
C. E. White

I'm pretty sure that the transmission has a breather vent on top so I would not start the engine and risk circulating water. Better to change the fluids I mentioned before starting the engine to check the fluid level in the transmission. It is cheap insurance.

Reply to
Ray O

When you change transmission fluid, what about the fluid in the torque converter. Will that have water in it? One would think not, but how do you tell?

Reply to
Jeff

If one has the tranny power flushed, the converter is flushed as well.

mike

Reply to
Mike Hunter

I am not a fan of power flushing transmissions that are not regularly power flushed, but in this instance, I think a power flush is in order, regardless of whether or not you routinely have this done.

Reply to
Ray O

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