Post-flood Corolla

So, I drive a 2001 Corolla, keep it in great shape, and what happens?
We get 3 inches of rain in one afternoon. The interior is destroyed,
carpets and seats are soaked, and were still wet the next morning. I
thought that it was okay otherwise, but now the SRS warning light is
staying on. I'm taking it to the dealer on Monday morning and meeting
with a claims adjuster on Tuesday. I'm afraid that this warning light
could be a sign of electrical damage, sort of a sign of impending doom.

Anybody know if that's a good bet, or if I'm over-reacting?
Rachel, the proud owner of a swimming car

<starqueg@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1163831839.084702.45840@h54g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...[color=blue]
> So, I drive a 2001 Corolla, keep it in great shape, and what happens?
> We get 3 inches of rain in one afternoon. The interior is destroyed,
> carpets and seats are soaked, and were still wet the next morning. I
> thought that it was okay otherwise, but now the SRS warning light is
> staying on. I'm taking it to the dealer on Monday morning and meeting
> with a claims adjuster on Tuesday. I'm afraid that this warning light
> could be a sign of electrical damage, sort of a sign of impending doom.
>
> Anybody know if that's a good bet, or if I'm over-reacting?
> Rachel, the proud owner of a swimming car
>[/color]

If the vehicle was submerged, it is time to get another one.
--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

Thanks Ray. I guess I already knew that, I just keep hoping that
someone will have a magical way to save my car. I'm quite frustrated,
mainly cause this happened right before Thanksgiving break (I'm away at
college) and was my way home.
Thanks again.
Rachel
Ray O wrote:[color=blue]
> <starqueg@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1163831839.084702.45840@h54g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...[color=green]
> > So, I drive a 2001 Corolla, keep it in great shape, and what happens?
> > We get 3 inches of rain in one afternoon. The interior is destroyed,
> > carpets and seats are soaked, and were still wet the next morning. I
> > thought that it was okay otherwise, but now the SRS warning light is
> > staying on. I'm taking it to the dealer on Monday morning and meeting
> > with a claims adjuster on Tuesday. I'm afraid that this warning light
> > could be a sign of electrical damage, sort of a sign of impending doom.
> >
> > Anybody know if that's a good bet, or if I'm over-reacting?
> > Rachel, the proud owner of a swimming car
> >[/color]
>
> If the vehicle was submerged, it is time to get another one.
> --
>
> Ray O
> (correct punctuation to reply)[/color]

Ray O wrote:[color=blue]
> If the vehicle was submerged, it is time to get another one.[/color]

Surely rain water is not as bad as sea water.
I'd have been out there extracting the water from everything
with the carpet cleaner or shop vac, ASAP, maybe parked
at a very steep angle to help it drain. The WD in WD-40 is
"water displacer." Too bad it stinks...

The SRS light simply means that the airbag(s) will not deploy when called
upon. If you manage to avoid those situations, then you will be fine. Take
the drive home for Turkey Day.

The SRS system looks at the seats and seatbelts to set itself up properly.
If the system detects any anomoly during the self test -- the period
immediately following turning the key to ON -- then the light will come on.
SRS is a "safety of flight" item that will not reset itself, even when the
condition is corrected or mysteriously goes away. (By definition, this is
not a condition that can "mysteriously go away.") Earlier I said the self
test period, but that is a bit erroneous, the SRS system continuoulsy checks
itself to determine its integrity. All this means is that the sysem could
pass the self test period, but the light can come on at any time while the
vehicle is in operation. The bottom line is that once the light comes on,
the system will not reset, it must be reset by a technician -- presumably
after an exhaustive check to ensure system integrity.

My guess is that you have a problem with one or more of the switches in the
seats and seatbelts.




<starqueg@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1163860861.225082.93250@m73g2000cwd.googlegroups.com...[color=blue]
> Thanks Ray. I guess I already knew that, I just keep hoping that
> someone will have a magical way to save my car. I'm quite frustrated,
> mainly cause this happened right before Thanksgiving break (I'm away at
> college) and was my way home.
> Thanks again.
> Rachel
> Ray O wrote:[color=green]
>> <starqueg@gmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:1163831839.084702.45840@h54g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...[color=darkred]
>> > So, I drive a 2001 Corolla, keep it in great shape, and what happens?
>> > We get 3 inches of rain in one afternoon. The interior is destroyed,
>> > carpets and seats are soaked, and were still wet the next morning. I
>> > thought that it was okay otherwise, but now the SRS warning light is
>> > staying on. I'm taking it to the dealer on Monday morning and meeting
>> > with a claims adjuster on Tuesday. I'm afraid that this warning light
>> > could be a sign of electrical damage, sort of a sign of impending doom.
>> >
>> > Anybody know if that's a good bet, or if I'm over-reacting?
>> > Rachel, the proud owner of a swimming car
>> >[/color]
>>
>> If the vehicle was submerged, it is time to get another one.
>> --
>>
>> Ray O
>> (correct punctuation to reply)[/color]
>[/color]

[email]starqueg@gmail.com[/email] wrote:[color=blue]
> So, I drive a 2001 Corolla, keep it in great shape, and what happens?
> We get 3 inches of rain in one afternoon. The interior is destroyed,
> carpets and seats are soaked, and were still wet the next morning. I
> thought that it was okay otherwise, but now the SRS warning light is
> staying on. I'm taking it to the dealer on Monday morning and meeting
> with a claims adjuster on Tuesday. I'm afraid that this warning light
> could be a sign of electrical damage, sort of a sign of impending doom.
>
> Anybody know if that's a good bet, or if I'm over-reacting?
> Rachel, the proud owner of a swimming car[/color]
=====

Sorry to hear about your misfortune. I'm kinda curious though.
How did the interior become soaked from a rainstorm? Were the
windows down or something? In any case, good luck.

On Fri, 17 Nov 2006 22:37:19 -0800, starqueg wrote:
[color=blue]
> So, I drive a 2001 Corolla, keep it in great shape, and what happens?
> We get 3 inches of rain in one afternoon. The interior is destroyed,
> carpets and seats are soaked, and were still wet the next morning. I
> thought that it was okay otherwise, but now the SRS warning light is
> staying on. I'm taking it to the dealer on Monday morning and meeting
> with a claims adjuster on Tuesday. I'm afraid that this warning light
> could be a sign of electrical damage, sort of a sign of impending doom.
>
> Anybody know if that's a good bet, or if I'm over-reacting?
> Rachel, the proud owner of a swimming car[/color]


Water is a weird thing in a car.

I just read an article that said the low intakes on new cars can cause
Hydraulic Lock, a condition where water gets into the engine. Liquids are
not compressable, and can severely damage an engine if you start the car
with water in the engine. Hopefully this is not your case...

Water also seeps places. I used to work at a dealer where we sold flooded
cars. If you have the equipment and the know-how, you can salvage the car
in decent shape. This means removing the seats and carpeting, and having
an 'extractor' helps; kind of a super carpet cleaner designed to extract
water from upholstery. They are expensive; a good detailer will have one,
but expect to pay!

After reomving the carpeting, you need to use a Shop Vac (or better!) to
collect all the water from the creases and folds in the body panels. It's
nice to have a nice, warm sunny day to to this! You extract the water from
the seat and carpeting and let them sit in the sun; if you get to it RIGHT
AWAY they won't smell musty when you're done.

Then, you have to get the water out of the other body panels, like rocker
panels and the trunk, etc. This requires removing the panels from the
doors, the rear panels, the seats, and any sound deadening or insulation
materials, so you have a bare interior. Again, vaccum all the water out
using a good wet/dry vacuum. Then, get a 5 gallon pail of hydraulic oil
and a sandblaster with a good compressor, and spray the oil into the
creases and crevices (note: this is ILLEGAL in some states! In Mass it is
not allowed, but in Vermont, it is!) until no water can be seen in the oil
(this is also a good way to rustproof the car.) You may have to punch
holes to spray the rocker panels, and spray the floor of the car and the
body panels, doors, fenders, etc. Five gallons (~$30) should do it.

You can see, this is a pretty involved operation, and you may still not
get all the water out, leading to early rusting. A good detailer can do
this in a couple days for a couple hundred bucks or so, anything less than
that and you want to watch the guy to make sure he does it right! Or, if
you have someone car savvy with the right equipment you can get to do it
for you, so much the better.

After the interior and the body panels and rockers are done, you want to
put the car on a lift and spray the underside thoroughly, also, and chase
any more water away.

"Hachiroku" <Trueno@AE86.gts> wrote in message
news:P_H7h.1911$Kw2.1131@trndny05...[color=blue]
> On Fri, 17 Nov 2006 22:37:19 -0800, starqueg wrote:
>[color=green]
>> So, I drive a 2001 Corolla, keep it in great shape, and what happens?
>> We get 3 inches of rain in one afternoon. The interior is destroyed,
>> carpets and seats are soaked, and were still wet the next morning. I
>> thought that it was okay otherwise, but now the SRS warning light is
>> staying on. I'm taking it to the dealer on Monday morning and meeting
>> with a claims adjuster on Tuesday. I'm afraid that this warning light
>> could be a sign of electrical damage, sort of a sign of impending doom.
>>
>> Anybody know if that's a good bet, or if I'm over-reacting?
>> Rachel, the proud owner of a swimming car[/color]
>
>
> Water is a weird thing in a car.
>
> I just read an article that said the low intakes on new cars can cause
> Hydraulic Lock, a condition where water gets into the engine. Liquids are
> not compressable, and can severely damage an engine if you start the car
> with water in the engine. Hopefully this is not your case...
>
> Water also seeps places. I used to work at a dealer where we sold flooded
> cars. If you have the equipment and the know-how, you can salvage the car
> in decent shape. This means removing the seats and carpeting, and having
> an 'extractor' helps; kind of a super carpet cleaner designed to extract
> water from upholstery. They are expensive; a good detailer will have one,
> but expect to pay!
>
> After reomving the carpeting, you need to use a Shop Vac (or better!) to
> collect all the water from the creases and folds in the body panels. It's
> nice to have a nice, warm sunny day to to this! You extract the water from
> the seat and carpeting and let them sit in the sun; if you get to it RIGHT
> AWAY they won't smell musty when you're done.
>
> Then, you have to get the water out of the other body panels, like rocker
> panels and the trunk, etc. This requires removing the panels from the
> doors, the rear panels, the seats, and any sound deadening or insulation
> materials, so you have a bare interior. Again, vaccum all the water out
> using a good wet/dry vacuum. Then, get a 5 gallon pail of hydraulic oil
> and a sandblaster with a good compressor, and spray the oil into the
> creases and crevices (note: this is ILLEGAL in some states! In Mass it is
> not allowed, but in Vermont, it is!) until no water can be seen in the oil
> (this is also a good way to rustproof the car.) You may have to punch
> holes to spray the rocker panels, and spray the floor of the car and the
> body panels, doors, fenders, etc. Five gallons (~$30) should do it.
>
> You can see, this is a pretty involved operation, and you may still not
> get all the water out, leading to early rusting. A good detailer can do
> this in a couple days for a couple hundred bucks or so, anything less than
> that and you want to watch the guy to make sure he does it right! Or, if
> you have someone car savvy with the right equipment you can get to do it
> for you, so much the better.
>
> After the interior and the body panels and rockers are done, you want to
> put the car on a lift and spray the underside thoroughly, also, and chase
> any more water away.[/color]

I had a friend from work sucked water up into her Fine American Car trying
to get through a viaduct one day after a good rain and totally ruined the
engine. The insurance company was a bit snotty about paying out, too.

Charles of Schaumburg

<starqueg@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1163860861.225082.93250@m73g2000cwd.googlegroups.com...[color=blue]
> Thanks Ray. I guess I already knew that, I just keep hoping that
> someone will have a magical way to save my car. I'm quite frustrated,
> mainly cause this happened right before Thanksgiving break (I'm away at
> college) and was my way home.
> Thanks again.
> Rachel[/color]

You're welcome.

If the carpets are a little wet, then the car is probably fine. If the car
was submerged, most the elctronics will eventually fail.


--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)[color=blue]
> Ray O wrote:[color=green]
>> <starqueg@gmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:1163831839.084702.45840@h54g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...[color=darkred]
>> > So, I drive a 2001 Corolla, keep it in great shape, and what happens?
>> > We get 3 inches of rain in one afternoon. The interior is destroyed,
>> > carpets and seats are soaked, and were still wet the next morning. I
>> > thought that it was okay otherwise, but now the SRS warning light is
>> > staying on. I'm taking it to the dealer on Monday morning and meeting
>> > with a claims adjuster on Tuesday. I'm afraid that this warning light
>> > could be a sign of electrical damage, sort of a sign of impending doom.
>> >
>> > Anybody know if that's a good bet, or if I'm over-reacting?
>> > Rachel, the proud owner of a swimming car
>> >[/color]
>>
>> If the vehicle was submerged, it is time to get another one.
>> --
>>
>> Ray O
>> (correct punctuation to reply)[/color]
>[/color]

I guess I didn't make myself clear in my initial post. The rain caused
the storm drains to spew water into the parking lot where I was "lucky
enough" to park (what is a hard lot to get a spot in at my apt). My
car was partially submerged, maybe 4/5 of the tires were underwater.
The waterline on the back was midway on the rear bumper, and there was
also a waterline on the inside of the doors. I didn't have time to
check on the condition of my car today, but it is still going to the
dealer for an intensive check-up on Monday.
Ray O wrote:[color=blue]
> <starqueg@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1163860861.225082.93250@m73g2000cwd.googlegroups.com...[color=green]
> > Thanks Ray. I guess I already knew that, I just keep hoping that
> > someone will have a magical way to save my car. I'm quite frustrated,
> > mainly cause this happened right before Thanksgiving break (I'm away at
> > college) and was my way home.
> > Thanks again.
> > Rachel[/color]
>
> You're welcome.
>
> If the carpets are a little wet, then the car is probably fine. If the car
> was submerged, most the elctronics will eventually fail.
>
>
> --
>
> Ray O
> (correct punctuation to reply)[color=green]
> > Ray O wrote:[color=darkred]
> >> <starqueg@gmail.com> wrote in message
> >> news:1163831839.084702.45840@h54g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> >> > So, I drive a 2001 Corolla, keep it in great shape, and what happens?
> >> > We get 3 inches of rain in one afternoon. The interior is destroyed,
> >> > carpets and seats are soaked, and were still wet the next morning. I
> >> > thought that it was okay otherwise, but now the SRS warning light is
> >> > staying on. I'm taking it to the dealer on Monday morning and meeting
> >> > with a claims adjuster on Tuesday. I'm afraid that this warning light
> >> > could be a sign of electrical damage, sort of a sign of impending doom.
> >> >
> >> > Anybody know if that's a good bet, or if I'm over-reacting?
> >> > Rachel, the proud owner of a swimming car
> >> >
> >>
> >> If the vehicle was submerged, it is time to get another one.
> >> --
> >>
> >> Ray O
> >> (correct punctuation to reply)[/color]
> >[/color][/color]

<starqueg@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1163925733.939527.291610@h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...[color=blue]
>I guess I didn't make myself clear in my initial post. The rain caused
> the storm drains to spew water into the parking lot where I was "lucky
> enough" to park (what is a hard lot to get a spot in at my apt). My
> car was partially submerged, maybe 4/5 of the tires were underwater.
> The waterline on the back was midway on the rear bumper, and there was
> also a waterline on the inside of the doors. I didn't have time to
> check on the condition of my car today, but it is still going to the
> dealer for an intensive check-up on Monday.[/color]

It sounds like the car was submerged enough to cause some serious problems.
At the very least, all of the fluids will have to be changed, including
engine, transmission, differential, steering, and brake fluids; I would also
change the wheel bearings and every sensor and computer that was submerged.
Computers are about $1,000 each and can include the engine, transmission
(for automatic transmission-equipped vehicles, air bag, cruise control,
antilock brakes, air conditioner, etc. You may have problems with interior
electrical connectors corroding because they are not designed to be
weatherproof so you may encounter future electrical problems.

I would also pull the interior out, including the seats, interior door trim,
and carpets for a thorough cleaning and drying of the trim and what is
underneath so you don't get mold buildup.

--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

On Sun, 19 Nov 2006 12:18:43 -0600, "Ray O"
<rokigawaATtristarassociatesDOTcom> wrote:
[color=blue]
>
><starqueg@gmail.com> wrote in message
>news:1163925733.939527.291610@h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...[color=green]
>>I guess I didn't make myself clear in my initial post. The rain caused
>> the storm drains to spew water into the parking lot where I was "lucky
>> enough" to park (what is a hard lot to get a spot in at my apt). My
>> car was partially submerged, maybe 4/5 of the tires were underwater.
>> The waterline on the back was midway on the rear bumper, and there was
>> also a waterline on the inside of the doors. I didn't have time to
>> check on the condition of my car today, but it is still going to the
>> dealer for an intensive check-up on Monday.[/color]
>
>It sounds like the car was submerged enough to cause some serious problems.
>At the very least, all of the fluids will have to be changed, including
>engine, transmission, differential, steering, and brake fluids; I would also
>change the wheel bearings and every sensor and computer that was submerged.
>Computers are about $1,000 each and can include the engine, transmission
>(for automatic transmission-equipped vehicles, air bag, cruise control,
>antilock brakes, air conditioner, etc. You may have problems with interior
>electrical connectors corroding because they are not designed to be
>weatherproof so you may encounter future electrical problems.
>
>I would also pull the interior out, including the seats, interior door trim,
>and carpets for a thorough cleaning and drying of the trim and what is
>underneath so you don't get mold buildup.[/color]

If it were mine, I'd make a path to my insurance agent and get a new
car...


--

Scott in Florida

"Scott in Florida" <askifyouwant@mindspring.net> wrote in message
news:0e91m2t52esknkt9nili82hkgj7k0vjahr@4ax.com...[color=blue]
> On Sun, 19 Nov 2006 12:18:43 -0600, "Ray O"
> <rokigawaATtristarassociatesDOTcom> wrote:
>[color=green]
>>
>><starqueg@gmail.com> wrote in message
>>news:1163925733.939527.291610@h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...[color=darkred]
>>>I guess I didn't make myself clear in my initial post. The rain caused
>>> the storm drains to spew water into the parking lot where I was "lucky
>>> enough" to park (what is a hard lot to get a spot in at my apt). My
>>> car was partially submerged, maybe 4/5 of the tires were underwater.
>>> The waterline on the back was midway on the rear bumper, and there was
>>> also a waterline on the inside of the doors. I didn't have time to
>>> check on the condition of my car today, but it is still going to the
>>> dealer for an intensive check-up on Monday.[/color]
>>
>>It sounds like the car was submerged enough to cause some serious
>>problems.
>>At the very least, all of the fluids will have to be changed, including
>>engine, transmission, differential, steering, and brake fluids; I would
>>also
>>change the wheel bearings and every sensor and computer that was
>>submerged.
>>Computers are about $1,000 each and can include the engine, transmission
>>(for automatic transmission-equipped vehicles, air bag, cruise control,
>>antilock brakes, air conditioner, etc. You may have problems with
>>interior
>>electrical connectors corroding because they are not designed to be
>>weatherproof so you may encounter future electrical problems.
>>
>>I would also pull the interior out, including the seats, interior door
>>trim,
>>and carpets for a thorough cleaning and drying of the trim and what is
>>underneath so you don't get mold buildup.[/color]
>
> If it were mine, I'd make a path to my insurance agent and get a new
> car...
>
>
> --
>
> Scott in Florida
>[/color]

I guess that was the point I was trying to make - doing all that work could
cost more than the car is worth, without even taking into account the other
problems that may surface later.
--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

Ray O wrote:[color=blue]
> "Scott in Florida" <askifyouwant@mindspring.net> wrote in message
> I guess that was the point I was trying to make - doing all that work could
> cost more than the car is worth, without even taking into account the other
> problems that may surface later.
> --
>
> Ray O
> (correct punctuation to reply)[/color]

lol, yes it would have to be a classic or uninsured even for me to
bother with that - and you know the work Ive done on mine!