Car flooded

Long story short - torrential rain in my neck of the woods + high water level = leads to huge amounts of water in the parking lot where I was parked at the golf course.

Got to work at 6:30 in the morning at the course and it was bluebird. Got off, went golfing and came in due to a storm coming. All the other golfers come in leaving the cart guys swamped. I volunteer to help because I felt bad. Still raining hard at this point.

We get the carts in, close up the pro shop and decide to have a beer while the lightening begins to stop. Someone sends my friend a text saying - your car might be flooded. We didn't think anything of it.

Sure enough, there is water covering my front wheels and up to my seats inside. I craw through my trunk after wading through water to my waist and start it up and get it out. That was dumb. Water in the engine.

So, insurance lady is coming today at some point to assess the damage and see what we do next. All of my electronics are back to normal and we'll see how the motor is.

I'll pay my $500 deductible to get the motor back to normal (if there is any damage) and hopefully my already blown speakers in the front will get replaced. I didn't have any sort of important belongings in there. A pair of shoes, some hats are soaked but they'll dry.

Not sure what else I should do. I don't want to buy a new car now or look for something to get me by until that time comes. My car has been so good to me (knock on wood) over the last six years and she's paid off as well.

 

I'd try to get it totaled. Flooded cars are never the same.

 

I'd sell it to smallpotatoes, but make sure to drain any of the good green liquid first.

 

I was thinking the same, dixie. However, I really don't have the time to start a new car search or the funds. Well, I lie - I have a decent amount of money set aside for a rainy day and it would make a great down payment.

And I need a car to get to work and if I can pay my deductible and it is fixed - I'm going to go down that road. I mean, a new(er) car has been in my mind for quite some time now so, maybe now is the time.

Blah.

 

Even if the engine is OK, you better make sure the interior gets dried out good or it will mildew and get moldy.

 

I came on here looking for a sp joke, and you delivered quite well.

Also, that really does suck, Madhovak, but it sounds like a new car is probably needed.

 

Sorry, not looking to buy at this point.

 

sp, you know, you are the weirdest combination of "Guy who doesn't get the joke but generally isn't an ass about it" and "Guy who plays it too seriously" I've ever seen.

 

Yeah. Hopefully the lady comes by tomorrow because I've already starting looking through the auto ads/craigslist and have found a few vehicles I've always been interested in. Problem is, I live in the mountains and anything worth going to look at is going to be an hour or so away in the Denver area. And that's going to be tough with no vehicle.

If I get around 2K for it (by totaling) - KBB is about 3,300 - and use what I have saved up, I could like I said use it for a good down payment. Question is - do I go sorta new (10K+) or find something decent to get me through another year or two in the mountains where it is by law your vehicle will get trashed ?

 

After it sitting for almost 24 hours, it started up first try and sounds fine. I know it's probably not fine, but at least at this point, I'm sorta optimistic about it. I know my insurance company will cover (minus deductible) the cleaning of engine, interior, hopefully my front speakers, ipod dock, and well, that's it.

 

What you do:

1. Bend over for the screwing the insurance co will give you.
2. Be glad you don't have to have flood insurance on cars.

 

This is my first claim (and hopefully last) on my car and to be honest, I have no idea of the process or what is going on. Sure, I might get screwed but the woman on the phone sounded very comforting about the whole situation.

What I have found out from her is:
-if the total damage is more than the car's worth, it is totalled and I'll get some money. That's probably where I'll get screwed.
-if damage is less than the worth and is a viable option to keep it going, I'll pay the deductible.