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It is likely through the winter months that you will encounter some flood water, either as large puddles on the road, or where a river/stream has burst its banks.
Take a different route where possible.
Never drive through flood water when you cannot see the ground under the water. It could be far deeper than you imagine, and if it is a river in flood there is a danger you and your vehicle could be swept away.
- On encountering flood water, get out and check the depth. Water which comes above the bottom edge of your door can cause problems with the engine. Water can get splashed up into the engine compartment, leading to stalling.
- Drive slowly. Put your vehicle in 1st gear and maintain a very slow, steady speed. If you hit flood water at speed you will first lose control, then come to an abrupt stop.
- If you do stall in deep water, get someone to tow you out. If you are unsure of the depth of the water, or if it is moving water, stay in the vehicle and await rescue. Use your mobile phone to call for assistance.
If you have been driving through flood water, even if your vehicle seems fine, take time to check it over before driving it again.
- First, walk around your vehicle looking for any obvious scratches, bumps, cracks or things hanging off.
- Next, check the interior for damage. Look at the upholstery, carpets and door panels for areas of damp. If you find damp patches, don’t be tempted to just leave them to dry out – this will result in a rather unpleasant musty, damp smell. Instead, take your vehicle to a garage and have it professionally cleaned and dried.
- Check the engine oil and transmission fluid. If the fluid on the dipstick looks diluted, milky or beige, then water has got in. It is advisable not to drive your vehicle at this point, as it may cause further damage to the internal components of the car. Instead, have it towed to your nearest garage for repair.
- Check the air filter. If it is damp, replace it and change the oil.
- Take a bit of time to look underneath the vehicle for stuck-on dirt, mud, grass and bits of debris. If you spot any, wash it off as soon as possible to avoid it causing damage to the undercarriage.
- The brake system is crucial so it is best to take it to your nearest garage to have it professionally checked.
- Check the lights and indicators for rust and water damage. If there is water in them, replace the bulb.
- While the engine is running, listen for any abnormal running sounds, and have them checked out as soon as possible.
Remember – It is better to go through the time and costs of checking your vehicle now, rather than wait until the vehicle is in need of greater repair, or causes an accident.
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{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
I’d also say keep your vision much closer to your car than usual. Years ago I hit water and the backpressure on my exhaust blew the head gasket because I was looking at the exit of the puddle and hadn’t slowed down enough to see how deep it was on my side, compared to the kerb.
In the time I waited for help I had a great amount of time to re-check that height!
I made a big mistake in driving the family Serena a 2.3 diesel into very deep water last Saturday 16th Aug. I got the bow wave going at the front but as the water got deeper the motor stalled. I did try to start it but it would not start. I did manage to get towed out, and tried to tow start the motor it seems to be locking the rear wheels it is rear wheel drive.
Can anyone give good advice on what to do next.
I have a little knowledge of cars.
Regards Mark
Hi Mark,
You should always, where possible, avoid creating the bow wave – you don’t want to create a bow wave as it can swamp your exhaust and cause the engine to stall.
Unfortunately, if your car is not coming back to life, then you may be in big trouble. It’s possible that the engine will require a complete strip down to remove any moisture.
If you have been operating the car for a while you could well end up with a cracked catalytic converter too. Bad news.
You could always try removing the spark plugs then turning the engine over as this may expel the water that’s causing a problem.
Regards,
car stall in flood water from Tropical Storm Fay. The car sounds if wants to turn over but it will not start. It is making a errrr sound when you try to starts. Please advise if need to dry out or have possibale damage the motor.
Can anyone define what depth of water consitutes a flood. What depth of water should one be able to drive a Volvo V70 D5 through?
Hi Martin,
I haven’t heard of a specific depth ever being described as a flood – however driving through ‘floodwater’ quite often constitutes around 4-3 inches of water.
As mentioned above, you don’t want to create a bow wave when entering water so slower is better.
If you are driving a V70 through water, I wouldn’t recommend going too deep. I couldn’t find exact stats but the XC version has much higher ground clearance than the standard model and it still wasn’t up there with Jeeps or other SUV/off road vehicles. Perhaps consulting your manual will give you a better idea of the ground clearance of the V70.
I recently stalled in a flood that about 6 inches deep. I had to have my CRV towed to my mechanic. He told me all it needed was to dry out and he checked everything. I told people this and they are surprised. Does this sound right?
Hi Jim,
The air intake on cars tends to be low down at the front. Not a good position (obviously) if you happen to drive through water. However, if very little water gets drawn in then there’s no reason that your vehicle couldn’t dry out – especially if you’re now driving it.
From the rear end, catalytic converters can crack if submerged. Perhaps some water merely went up the exhaust pipe and was forced out later.
To confirm that your mechanic is correct, check the engine oil and transmission fluid. They should be the colour you expect them. Discolouration (beige, milky or with any kind of buildup) could well indicate water has got in – in which case you may need to change the air filter and oil.
Do these checks and if everything checks out perfect then take your car for a run (in the dry) listening for any kinds of unusual noises from the engine.
Hi we have a toyota proud hybrid and was wanting to know if you drive them through flood water if it will do any thing to the hybrid battery.
Hi Austin,
That all depends on the location of the battery – but to be honest due to the metals that the battery is made of then I can’t imagine it would be put in a position where it could be exposed.
Think of the position of your standard car battery – as far as I know most hybrids put the needed battery in the back of the car. It should therefore be safe. Check your owner’s manual for confirmation of the location and possible risk factors.
Hi Mr Butterscotch, I drove my corsa 1.2 through some flood water that was about 5-6 inches high. I made it through no problem but now my car makes like a grinding/squeeling noise whenever I depress the clutch. Can you think of anything?
Hi Ryan,
A common culprit for squealing from a clutch is worn or seized bearings. Whether this is the root cause of the problem remains to be seen. As always, go immediately to a mechanic to have this checked over. Continuing to drive a car under undue stress can cause much more expensive problems to develop.
I drove through a flood a couple of days ago. Now when it has been parked for a while and I start it up it feels like the back wheel has seized, I have to rev it up to get it moving, after it frees it drives okay but should I go and get it checked.
Hi Jacquedaw,
You don’t mention whether it’s a rear wheel drive or front wheel drive car, or how high the water level was. Is it possible that any water might have gotten into the engine? If so, that would explain the laggy response. I’d suggest a check from a reputable local garage explaining the symptoms. Whatever they charge you for the check will give you peace of mind but more importantly it’ll be cheaper than an engine rebuild. Think yourself lucky.
hi, my car was flooded when the drains over flowed. the water came into the car and if your was to put your feet on the floor in the back the water would of gone past your ankles. my insurance are saying that they can repair it but Im worried that the electrics are damaged and thinking of safety can the insurers actually repair my car.
Hi Michelle,
In order to protect themselves, insurers will go to quite extensive lengths to make sure that your car is not only safe but road legal. If your insurance company are offering the repair, I’d certainly go with it. However, make sure you do get a full statement from the auto electrician/mechanic listing what’s been repaired, as well as the likelihood of any further faults developing from the damage initially caused.
I recently went through a large puddle and feel that water has gone up my exhaust, i only have about 50% power. It sounds like water is in there as it gurgles when idling, will this water make its way out?
Hi i have a Mitsubishi lancer evo 7 and my gf today drove through about a knee deep worth of flood water. I just had a look at it and there’s water inside he air filter. And I’m more than sure there’s also water inside the engine. I was wondering if i should go and get it checked out or is it something that I can sort out myself.
Hi Ramim,
Take your Evo 7 to the garage as soon as you can (and preferably a specialist). Highly tuned engines, such as the one in your car, can suffer catastrophic damage from water. A mechanic spending an hour looking at and sorting any problems will be far cheaper than the £5,000+ it’ll cost you for a new powerplant!
Hey,
I just came to my car and found approx. 1 inch of water in it. (It was raining really hard here in San Diego today, and apparently the area where I parked got flooded a little bit). I got most of the water out, but my speakers were making a crakeling sound, (they are probably busted). I managed to get the car running (via a jump start) but there is still a lot of smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe and I am not sure how serious it is. Any idea, if my catalytic converter could be busted. (I don’t assume it is cracked because the car was parked for a while when the water hit it).
Any suggestions. I plan to get it checked out in the next few days.
I drove my Volvo S60 D2.4 (2006) through about 5 to 6 meters long of water which was about 20 cm deep about 10 days ago. Unfortunately I was told to drive through it as fast as I could. The car entered the water and stalled just before coming out. Then i was told to try and start the car. We tried a good 10 times until battery died.
Then the car was toed away. The following day the mechanic looked at it. removed the heating elements and the air filter which was soaked. We started the car with the heating elements out to get the water out.
The we left the car to dry for 1 week and just yesterday, we started to car.
The engine started fine, sounds fine and runs fine. It took sometime for the exhuast to clear.
The car seems to be fine now, but it does not have the previous power it did and if I press on the accelator and it comes up with the message check engine. But then when you switch the car off and back on again and if you do not push the car to speed up fast it will go to whatever speed, but never with the boost of power it did. I know my previous BMW had a turbo charger, but I have been told that the Volvo S60 Diesel doesn’t have a turbo charger.
Does anyone have any idea what it can be? Can the engine be damaged, even though it is running OK and sounds fine?
Just a couple of days ago I drove my BF volvo s70 through a deep puddle of water. I didnt realize it at first but it was so deep that as i drove through it some water came up on the hood of the car. I drove fine for a day but all of a sudden the “check engine ” light came on and now its having some trouble turning over when it is first turned on. I have to really step on the gas to get it to start properly. Could it possible have engine damage. I want to take it to a volvo dealer to have it checked but I dont have the money and it usually costs an arm and a leg. Please help with any suggestions!
Jennifer,
Take it to the garage and ask if they’ll take a look and give you a free quote for any work that’s needed. This will then allow you to shop around. Potentially, by not having the work done, you may put yourself at risk of the car needing more expensive work done down the line.
Hi there,
I recently drove my car – Peugeot 307- through a flood and obviously the worst happened and the car was completely dead! luckily with dad being a mechanic i was able to get the engine replaced, but should i notify my insurance company? or get the V5 log book updated?
Just worried that in the case of an accident that with the change of engine, insurance would be void?