Well, after 288K miles my 1995 E300D was parked on the street in front of my house yesterday and Chicago had the rainstorm of rainstorms... My car was buried under water, up to the middle of the doors. Obviously, the rain water is totally in the car. The floors have about 1" of nasty water that are still in there, and the seats no longer work. My insurance company has advised me NOT to try and start it. It STINKS in there, obviously. I am SOOOOOO bummed!

It can be saved. It takes some work but can be done.

i'll agree with the insurance company. if any water got in the combustion chamber you can bend rods very easy trying to compress the water.

with what the above poster said. it'll take some work but all could be fine again. there are a lot of electronics that once they dry out will work again. and get the water, if any, out of the combustion chambers.

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-Trevor

OBK #12
1980 300SD 333,XXX miles - Totaled
1986 Mazda RX-7 212,XXX miles - impounded and auctioned off
2005 Jeep Liberty CRD Limited 33,000- SEGR, Provent, Fumoto

Hopefully you have full coverage.

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DJ


84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012

Be advised. A flood car will never stop smelling unless you replace every portion of the interior includign headliner. I know. I bought a 2002 F350 crew cab. It had new carpet, still smeled in the hot summer, replaced the seats, still smelled, pulled the dask and replaced firewall insulation pad, still smelled, finally pulled all seats back out and replaced headliner. It is fair now, but still smells a bit when closed up on a hot summer day. I assume it is in the dash yet.

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1996 E300D
1996 E320 Wagon 4MATIC
2003 Jetta TDI- GLS, 5-spd
1997 Passat TDI
2002 F350 Crew cab 4x4 Powerstroke
Jacobsen HR 15' cut ZTR w/ 80 HP Perkins diesel
Hustler 6' front deck with 28HP Kubota diesel

I don't know if you're the DIY'er type or not, but flooded cars can be rejuvenated.

First thing to do is to minimise damage, if you intend to repair the car. Check for water in the oil. Remove the air intake assembly to ensure no water will be ingested by the motor. Pull all of the plugs, and crank the motor over to clear any ingested water out of the combustion chambers. Shoot a teaspoon of motor oil in to each cylinder and crank it a few more times. At this point, you can check your motor oil again for water, and if present, change the oil. Once the motor is clear of water and the oil is mostly oil, reinstall the plugs and use engine compression to blow the flood water out of the exhaust. Next, move on the the transmission and differential fluids.

As for interiors, everything must be pulled and cleaned. Seat foam likely must be replaced, as well as carpet padding, etc. I've had good luck cleaning some very nasty carpet with things like laundry detergent, and a garden hose. Lysol for all the hard surfaces is handy, as is a lot of time with the windows cracked slightly, and a portable electric heater running full-blast in the car.

I could go in to more detail, but I've likely just confirmed for you at this point that the car is toast without a lot of work.

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- K.C.Adams

'77 300D Euro Delivery
OM617 turbo / 4-speed swap
404 Milanbraun Metallic / 134 Dattel MB-Tex

Current status:
* Undergoing body work

My '77 300D progress thread

Yes, it is insured... lucky.

The car was not being driven, so it should be fine on the water on the intake ideas... it was parked in front of our house. The seats have got to be toast, but the electrics will all be on the fritz forever if they've gotten wet. It is a battle I most likely won't want to fight.

I will most likely just drive my company car, and wait for the W204 C220 CDI Blutec to make it to the USA.

If water was up to the doors, it's best to just consider it a total loss or a parts car rather than try to mess with it.

Actually I watched a video where a british show drove a Gasser MB wagon (W124) into water up to the roof, it stalled out (they drove into the water with it RUNNING)....their mechanic pulled the spark plugs and cranked it, it still turned over and cleared the water out of its cylinders (280 engine), put the plugs back in and cranked for about 10-15 seconds and it came back to life, shot a ton of water out of the exhaust, and then was idling smooth.

The power windows/locks/wipers/radio, all began functioning again the following day after the car had a chance to dry out. EVERYTHING worked. The engine even survived ingesting water while running! I bet you could get it back on the road. Biggest issue will probably be the interior and getting the water out of everything. I bet the drive train and electronics will still work.

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-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

But will it be running after six months of daily use? I'd vote no.

Even if the electronics weren't affected (and they would be), the rods would be bent. An engine will run with bent rods, just not for very long.

With water 1/2 way up the door panels I doubt there is water in the engine....the electronics are another issue as would be cleaning up the interior.

Prob best to let CoPart have it and get a replacement.

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Terry Allison
N. Calif. & Boca Chica, Panama

09' E320 Bluetec 77k (USA)
09' Hyundai Santa Fe Diesel 48k (S.A.)

There is a gentleman here locally in Dallas that became very weathly by building a junkyard empire. He has a 280SE cabrio that he bought as a flood water salvage. He told me that it was completely under water and all he did was drain the gas tank and it's been fine ever since.

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With best regards

Al

My brother was on his way to work, for his first day on a new job, in his 1973 Camaro when his car got caught in the Marin County flood of 1982 and the car instantly got flooded to the level of the dashboard.

I would have junked the car, but he had it cleaned up and made to run again.

Flood cars are nasty, I would want nothing to do with them. Just imagine the pathogens, mold, mildew, toxic chemicals, dirt, human/animal remains or waste that could get into the car, and stay.....a real health hazard...
plus the "ewwwwwww" factor to boot.

My brother, though, is still driving the flood car today, now with over 400,000 miles on the thing, it's a bit grubby, and would be in showroom condition only in Atlantis.

And along the way it got a new transmission, 350 V8 new crate long block, a paint job (now needs another) and some rust repair, but it still runs and looks very good. Of course the car had no computer systems, power electric anything, or airconditioning.

So I guess it can work out sometimes. But I'd want to avoid a car that was in a flood, at all costs, personally. The smell, toxics, and filth might never be gotten rid of, properly, and clean unflooded cars abound.

I saw pictures of some of the Katrina cars, in a wreckers yard. They made me shudder. To me, having one would be like owning a mobile sewer.

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

I spent the majority of my adult life living and working along the Gulf Coast.....the first thing that came to mind was, well at least it was fresh water.....in Chicago.....those vehicles that were flooded during hurricanes Katrina/Rita were flooded with salt water...this makes a huge difference when it comes to rust/corrosion issues and electrical problems.....salt water is conductive, fresh water not nearly as much so....

If it was my car, I would have already washed the entire car down with a pressure washer......and then opened any electrical boxes i.e. Fuse Box....and if there was any sign of water, wash out with distilled water....THEN...I would let my insurance company total the car, and then offer to purchase it back (you will get a salvage title) and use it ad a daily driver in the city.....and then get the new Bluetec and use it when the occasion warrants.....Sunday drives in the country, etc.......having the previously flooded car for city use will save on parking lot dents and such, as well as salt from winter driving.....

Of course I would check the fluids and stuff that the others have already mentioned.....

SB

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Diesels:
'85 300D, "Max, Blue Benz", 155K, 27.0 MPG
'84 190D 2.2, "Eva, Brown Benz", 142K, 40.2 MPG
'77 240D (parts car)
'67 Eicher ES 202 Tractor "Otto" (2cyl, Air Cooled, 30HP)
Gassers:
'94 Ford F-150, "Henry", 170K (300 Six) 17.5 MPG
'85 190E 2.3, 148K....Parts Car
'58 Dodge W300M Powerwagon (Flat Fenders) Less than 10 MPG

watched a guy launch a newish audi at the boat ramp
in salt water up to the windoz

they pulled it out quickly 1/2 hour or less
and after it drained the fool started it
we were shocked when it started and ran
I told the fool to get it over to a hose and wash the salt off
as much as possable any way
but he let it run and shortly it caught fire
all that lacked was ice to go full cycle