Coming back from the gym this morning, on the same road I was on just an hour earlier, I flooded out my car. We had some record rain in my area this morning and I hit the front end of it before dawn.
Intersection had some water over it, I was only car going in my direction, hit it at slow speed, bow wave (extremely unexpected by me) formed right away and went over my hood. My plan was to keep even speed and get through. A police car hit its lights from the side street and it is over, engine took in water and is stalled.
I know better than to try and start it, and while I was waiting to get it out, the water came up really high. About mid door, entire interior was holding water. The power door locks were not working when it came out and I did not try anything else. It was taken right away to the insurance shop. When I went by about 7 hours later, there was still some water on the floor, parking lights were on, but switch was off. I popped the hood and checked the oil, I did not see any water on the stick, but it was 1qt high or so, I am guessing water was on the bottom and oil covered the stick on the way out.
Car in question is a 2000 Lexus GS300 with 166k. It was to be my 'responsible' car that wouldn't need constant attention. My question is, how do you evaluate this type of damage? Do you have compression tests done on the motor? How do you look at electronics? Just kind of curious as to what to expect. The estimator at the shop said that these are generally write offs to avoid ongoing liability of future failing issues coming back to the original incident.
Unquestionably, it's a total loss. Once water enters a cars' interior to any significant degree, we typically start leaning towards total loss. Most cars have a lot of electronics running along the floor. While the car may "dry out" now and have most things working, it could wind up being a recurring headache for many years to come. It's a gamble, and insurance companies don't want to get involved. I allow a little more wiggle room with fresh water than I do salt water, but it's still not much. Insurance companies don't get involved with too much engine diagnostics, such as a compression test, in a case like this. If water got inside the motor, it's bad.
Sorry to hear about it, but from your description, it's a total loss.
I'm no insurance adjuster but as a purchaser here is the decision tree:
if (water->getType() == SALT) {
run_away();
}
else {
if ( car->really_cool() && car->cost() <= threshold) {
repair_vehicle(car, RACE_CAR_ONLY);
}
}
In reply to former520: Did you see any Bugatti submarines out during the flooding?
Heh, sounds like you were driving a Trooper. 
Seriously though, it's totaled. Or else strip the carpets out, put a new engine in, and add a snorkel... profit?
Yep that's a huge expensive problem. Insurance usually totals flooded cars, which is typically the right decision.
I would have had one hand on the ignition if I was crossing water that could get close to the intake level, ready to cut off if the water gets deeper or if the engine hiccups at all.
The hand on the ignition is not a bad idea, unfortunately, I didn't have a clue it had gotten so deep until I was in it. Lucky me being the first one to find out with the second car about 1 min behind me.
I was riding home with the tow truck driver from the shop and we went past it again at what should have been the peak as the sun was out. There was a lady with a baby who thought her AWD Subaru could get through and drove in past the police officer who was partially blocking the road. The water was even with the base of the wind shield and the officer was up to his waste carrying her baby (who would have been below the waterline) up to dry land. That lady was an idiot.
trucke
Reader
9/9/14 2:49 p.m.
Don't you look at it this way? 
