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ronw

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#303259 28-Jan-2023 13:08
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I mentioned in another forum that we suffered in the deluge yesterday. One of the victims is my I20 Hyundai. It was parked on the pad outside the garage when the river burst its banks and flooded everything. There was about a foot of water inside the car and I guess it came up from beneath. The water apart from getting inside the car also managed to float the car and move it along the driveway. There it wedged itself into trees and stayed there. The head and taillights then came on and I could not turn them off. They stayed on full until around midnight and then went out (flat battery presumably). What I need to know is can the vehicle be restored to working order it looks ok this morning with just a puddle of water on the floor.  It is insured but will it be easy to get it going?  Obviously, the battery will need recharging but is the damage to the electronics likely to be severe should I take it to the garage or maybe to Hyundai themselves? Not sure how to charge it probably call AA for that but then how to get the car to a garage

 

Any suggestions would be gratefully received 





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Gurezaemon
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  #3028272 28-Jan-2023 13:11
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To be honest, if it got enough water into it, I would be pushing the insurance company to write it off.

 

Cars that have had that much water in them are, if you get them going again, going to cause endless grief with rust and messed up electronics.





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ronw

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  #3028275 28-Jan-2023 13:16
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Thanks, I tend to agree. I need a car but it is going to take some time to get the company to settle. I heard that done 15000 claims were logged yesterday so insurance companies will be busy




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richms
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  #3028277 28-Jan-2023 13:19
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Its a writeoff. Do not accept any repair on it. Water has clearly got into part of the electrics causing who knows what long term problems with it. An i20 isn't worth doing a restoration on like some nice simple classic muscle car.

 

I would also not be buying a used car in Auckland for a while as there will be a lot of uninsured people who clean it up and sell it "because we are leaving the country" etc.

 

Right now, seeing a years worth of grime in a car for sale would be a selling point because you know its not been cleaned up from flood damage.





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BlakJak
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  #3028282 28-Jan-2023 13:30
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Did you consult your insurer before you posted here?

 

 

Basically you want to take the insurance companies steer until you get advice from them that 'feels wrong'. As noted, there'll be thousands of claims (getting time out of your insurer will be tough!) but the decision as to whether to repair or write-off is fundamentally theirs.

 

 

(They're unlikely to repair for all the reasons others have added. Water damage like this can create long-lasting effects undetectable until the reveal themselves later. So the car will become a massive liability over time).




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Eva888
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  #3028288 28-Jan-2023 13:35
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Geez sorry to hear. Can’t begin to imagine what you people in Auckland are going through. Makes our problems feel paltry.

k1w1k1d
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  #3028289 28-Jan-2023 13:42
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It's a write-off.

 

I would assume that water has got into the electronics/body module if the lights came on. 

 

The other issue is what was in the water that flooded the car. Floodwater can often include sewage etc.


Gurezaemon
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  #3028304 28-Jan-2023 14:22
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Also remember that the water that got into the car will probably have soaked into all the upholstery, carpets, etc.

 

And we're not talking nice clean distilled water. This is stormwater/sewage with a diverse collection of viruses, bacteria, and all manner of other horrible stuff mixed in.





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ronw

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  #3028314 28-Jan-2023 14:43
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Thanks, everyone for your help. I agree that I should try to get a payout. They are not going to like having the car and freezer, washing machine and Dryer plus at least one Aircon heat pump then there are all the tools in the garage lawnmowers, etc then there is all the fencing the flood carried away. Not to mention all the other stuff in the garage.  What makes it worse this weekend is AUcklands Anniversary which means no insurers to talk to until Tuesday. I have lodged a tentative claim via email so that may help. I really appreciate the answers I get from Geekzone





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  #3028324 28-Jan-2023 14:59
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Does your insurance policy allow for a rental car as a replacement until you can replace the car?

ronw

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  #3028329 28-Jan-2023 15:06
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Not sure will go have a read of it
Thanks for tip




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Scott3
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  #3028604 28-Jan-2023 22:01
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2015 quote from AIG spokesperson, in relation to otago flooding:

 

''If there was water inside the car, then they are being written off.''

 

https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/most-flooded-cars-write-offs

 

 

 

 

 

In OP's case, the flood water definitely got into the electronics (lights can on and couldn't be turned off), and the flood water was enough to float the car away. Seems highly probable their insurer will write the car off.

 

If you didn't snap a photo of it floating, try and see if you there is a tideline on the car that you can photograph to show the insurer the water depth.

 

 

 

General advice is not to attempt to start a car that has been flooded. (If it is to be saved, it is important a mechanic check there is no water in the engine air intake etc, before this is run, as if there is this will break engine internals). So just lodge a claim and see what happens.

Perhaps bail out the interior and try to dry it if viable.

 

 

 

ronw: Not sure will go have a read of it
Thanks for tip

 

Typically it is an add-on. Mostly applicable to repairable damage. If the car is assessed as a write-off, the insurance should pay out fairly promptly.


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  #3028605 28-Jan-2023 22:20
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All insurers will be working over the weekend, there is no need to wait. Sadly there will be a massive queue but they will get to you.

 

A friend lost their car in the Edgecombe flood a few years ago and they were paid out full price same day.

 

Start making a list of everything that is missing and dammaged, take photos and good luck.

 

We only had water in the garage so biffed some rugs and I have pulled up some carpet tiles to dry.





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Wheelbarrow01
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  #3028628 29-Jan-2023 00:10
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I was living in Newcastle NSW when the great flood of 2007 hit. I got caught out in the deluge and while making my way home in the floodwaters, the 'check engine' light in my car came on.

 

No water got inside the car and at worst I probably only drove through 200-300mm of water. Anyway I lodged a claim with my insurer just to be on the safe side. A truck turned up the next day and took my car away for inspection and I expected to get it back in a few days. I never saw it again - I got a cheque in the mail for agreed value (which was more than I paid for it).

 

Part of me was annoyed because it was a good car and after the floods, dealer stock became scarce and more expensive. The other part of me was relieved I had gone for the agreed value cover which went in my favour.

 

I agree with what most people in this post are saying - if the ECU and/or the inside of the car got wet, it's a write-off.


steve2222
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  #3029075 29-Jan-2023 22:06
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Have a look at One News 6pm tonight on TVNZ +/On Demand.

 

 

 

They had a very knowledgable AA Insurance guy on for an interview. I am sure he said claims for flooded cars could be done online and would be dealt with promptly


ronw

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  #3056282 29-Mar-2023 19:22
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Just an update the insurance company IAG agreed to write off and the money was in bank the next day.  I had to add a  bit of money to the insurance and now own a Nissan Leaf. Very different to  petrol cars and I am learning slowly.

 

 





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