[vigsom]

Originally Posted by Sanidhya mukund

carpet is so soaked that water oozes out upon pressing it.

I would really appreciate suggestions on drying it. I can't take the carpet out, as I don't want to visit a mechanic

If you want a sure shot way to dry the car out fast, please get the carpet out ASAP.

I've tried drying the carpet out without removing the seats and trust me, it isn't easy. The insulation under the carpet just doesn't dry unless it is out.

Please don't allow the pandemic to get the better of your car - call a technician home, get the front seats removed (or you can remove the seats yourself with a suitable spanner/ratchet), then remove the carpet, disinfect using a dettol solution or any other floor cleaner solution, dry it out till bone dry.

Clean and dry the floor and then reinstall the carpet.

I speak from experience.

[shb19]

Hello Everyone, need a advice regarding restoring my flood damaged Alto. Last week there was heavy rains which caused the water enter into my basement parking. Since the parking was on a slope and water level was just below the bumper, I was sure water levels was not alarmingly high and I could safely move the vehicle a bit forward on the slope.
I moved the car a bit forward & the engine was running for around a min. Next morning all the road water came inside and the water levels increased further, enough to drown half of the car in water even when the car was parked on a higher spot.
When I moved the car from the parking there were no signs of water entering the engine. Car started perfectly in the 1st crank, idled perfectly and no warning lights flashed.
After the water level receded I noticed engine oil leaking from the oil filter which was coffee coloured. Immediately I checked the dip stick and it was confirmed that the water has reached entered the oil sump.
I checked the Airfilter which seemed dry and no water was seen in the intake or throttle body as well. Also checked the sparkplug they were dry with no traces of water or oil on them. Checked the oil filler cap it was sludgy due to water mixed oil and I could see some fine debris on the cap threads.
Got the vehicle towed to nearest authorised service centre, where they only checked the engine oil and said that the insurance company would declare it a total loss as water as entered the engine oil and the IDV of the car is quite less since its a 12 year old car.
Attachment 2070609

Now I want some advice, what are the chances that if I just flush the engine, replace the engine oil, transmission oil & oil filter. I could get the car running for 6-7 months, as I will be shifting to a new city in 6-7 months time & I do not wish to invest in new car as of now and would like to get the alto running.

[ChoosetoCruze]

Originally Posted by shb19

Now I want some advice, what are the chances that if I just flush the engine, replace the engine oil, transmission oil & oil filter. I could get the car running for 6-7 months, as I will be shifting to a new city in 6-7 months time & I do not wish to invest in new car as of now and would like to get the alto running.

Just for 6 months, a flush of ALL fluids should theoretically be sufficient, provided nothing is severely damaged inside your engine.

Out of curiosity, what colour is your coolant in the radiator/reservoir/expansion tank?

Also, did water breach the cabin/interiors?

This thread may be worth a read - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techn...ed-advice.html (Drove through floods - Need advice)

[shb19]

Originally Posted by ChoosetoCruze

Just for 6 months, a flush of ALL fluids should theoretically be sufficient, provided nothing is severely damaged inside your engine.

Out of curiosity, what colour is your coolant in the radiator/reservoir/expansion tank?

Also, did water breach the cabin/interiors?

This thread may be worth a read - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techn...ed-advice.html (Drove through floods - Need advice)

No change in coolant color in the tank as well as the radiator, its normal faint green in color.

Thanks for the reference thread.

[pganapathy]

Originally Posted by shb19

No change in coolant color in the tank as well as the radiator, its normal faint green in color.

Thanks for the reference thread.

The biggest concern with just changing all the fluids is whether any other damage was caused when you ran the engine with water in the oil sump. In theory changing all the fluids and drying out the interiors of the car should be more than enough for the car to run properly. Just inquire what amount you would get with insurance and see if it makes sense to use that money, or preferably part of it, to buy a second hand alto or similar car

[shb19]

Originally Posted by pganapathy

The biggest concern with just changing all the fluids is whether any other damage was caused when you ran the engine with water in the oil sump. In theory changing all the fluids and drying out the interiors of the car should be more than enough for the car to run properly. Just inquire what amount you would get with insurance and see if it makes sense to use that money, or preferably part of it, to buy a second hand alto or similar car

Since the car is more than 12 years old IDV value is quite low. Also, tried to check pistons through the spark plug hole, found some rust building up on top of it.

[ChoosetoCruze]

Originally Posted by shb19

Since the car is more than 12 years old IDV value is quite low. Also, tried to check pistons through the spark plug hole, found some rust building up on top of it.

Does the rust feel fresh or old? If it’s fresh, you can probably get it cleaned using a long screwdriver with a clean rag at the tip & scrape at the piston tops.

On the other hand, if it’s old rust, you can choose to either live with it, or get it professionally cleaned.

Fingers crossed the engine serves well you over the near future with minimal fuss.

[Vinod_nair]

Get the petrol tank and the tubes and filter also cleaned, before moving on.
All the best.

[OSH]

Originally Posted by shb19

Got the vehicle towed to nearest authorised service centre, where they only checked the engine oil and said that the insurance company would declare it a total loss as water as entered the engine oil and the IDV of the car is quite less since its a 12 year old car.

Try taking a FNG mechanic with you so that he can give you a second advise after seeing the engine's condition. There is a chance that the ASC won't be interested in fixing the car for you due to the vehicle's age, lack of spares or fixing the more expensive cars on priority (Assuming they have a lot of flood damaged cars).

Also compare the IDV with the resale value (after your ~6 months of use) and take an informed decision.

Ps. See if you can contact D.BHPian Leoshashi and take his advice. He can let you know about the spares cost/availability if at all you decide to fix the engine damage.

[WhiteSierra]

Power of WD-40: 10,000 rupees quote by mechanic for repairs - saved by 325 rupees worth WD-40, with almost 50% of it still remaining in the spray can.


Hey guys, My Tata Sierra was affected by flood but in a strange way, the flood water did not enter the cabin, the water level was well below the door level, I covered the exhaust with plastic cover, so the water did not even enter the engine through exhaust, but what took hit was the clutch. Sadly my Wagon-R got flood affected (only the carpet, the vehicle is in perfect run and drive condition, I posted regarding the same , here (Maruti Genuine Parts (MGP) Catalog: Post your queries here (model list on Pg 1)) and here (Maruti Genuine Parts (MGP) Catalog: Post your queries here (model list on Pg 1)). Thanks LeoShashi for all his assistance, I'm waiting for the carpet which I placed order from MGP.


Now coming back to my Sierra, other 2 Sierras were saved, all the other cars (our Toyotas) are safe, this one was in the last spot of the parking place where water was stranded for a long time, anyway, I removed plastic covers from exhaust (I used 2 of them, 1 inside the exhaust, 1 around the exhaust, secured tightly with a rope and a rubber glove on top of it, I did the same for all the cars, and all of them are working fine now, all the other cars in my colony are affected one way or the other.

I also disconnected battery terminals of all the cars during flood, So I put the terminals back, checked engine oil dipstick for any water ingress in the engine, the engine oil is on the same level, it did not increase which will be seen on dipstick if entered, also the color and thickness of the oil would change, everything was good, so I went ahead and cranked the engine, the vehicle started and when I tried to put it in gear, it simply refused to go into gear. I was shocked. I switched off the engine, put it in gear, it went into gear, so the gear doesn't engage when the engine is ON, I confirmed that it is pressure plate which is jammed, I was not totally sure, but I was looking at complete clutch overhaul. Before calling my FNG, I opened YouTube and went to my trusted YouTuber Mechanic, Scotty Kilmer channel, and typed in my issue in video search, and I found a video in which he pointed out the issue to be clutch master cylinder, but the symptoms in my car were not the same, to double check, I opened top part of carpet and checked near master cylinder, there is no leak whatsoever. I called my FNG and told him that master cylinder was fine, without any leakages so he told me to get complete clutch plate assembly replaced. (Clutch plate + Pressure plate + Flywheel + Release bearing + 2 litres of gear oil). But he told that he's extremely busy with all flood vehicles with engines , heads, other components of multiple cars opened and he can attend me only after 2 weeks. I thought why not do a DIY clutch plate replacement as I've got all the tools, seen multiple videos on Youtube channels (ChrisFix, goonzquad, etc)

Before buying the parts, I just wanted to see how it looks underneath and if I alone can work on it or not, and out of curiosity, I went under the car and found some surface rust on the visible pressure plate. This assembly is usually sealed in all modern cars and even on a 20 year old Qualis. I don't know why Tata did not give protective cover for this part. I already have WD-40 in stock, I sprayed WD-40 near and inside the pressure plate, flywheel assembly and again cranked the engine, it was still locked, I gave it a couple of minutes, started it again, tried to put it in reverse and 1st gear, it was still struck, I switched off the engine, put the vehicle in 1st gear, dumped the clutch and started it again, it was released.

I did this procedure previously before applying WD-40 multiple times but it did not work, after spraying WD-40 generously, all the surface rust was removed and it got released. I'm just amazed on how well this works, this is a must have in your tool kit. I mentioned the use of WD-40 here as well. https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/diy-d...ml#post4890806 (Tools for a DIYer)


Pardon me for posting only a few pictures, my hands were dirty with all the oil dripping from the surface, I took these pictures after spraying WD-40 in abundance, it was dripping all over the mat which I put on the ground, I also lost that red straw which they give with this spray can, so I used 50% of it, and sprayed it generously over all the under body components near the pressure plate.









The car now drives like brand new without any issues. I've driven for 5 kms, the gear shifts are smooth clutch response is same like before, the engine screams and kids in our colony go crazy on seeing a special car - the Tata Sierra.

[Grease_Monkey]

Hi all,
Yesterday while returning home from Kailsagiri, me and my 2017 Alto K10 vxi(o) got caught in a flash flood as it had been raining heavily in Bangalore since few hours just a few kilometers away from my home. As it was quite dark (it was around 8 pm), I couldn't judge the water depth correctly. Few more cars also got stuck, while one stalled and broke down. The water level rose from zero to just about the door sill level in a just a few meters. To add to this, some moron in a Fortuner flew past me while I was stopped trying to figure out the path ahead. Due to his idiocy, the water level rose beyond the door sill level and water seeped into the car.

Keeping the revs high (~4k rpm), and using the clutch, I inched at snail pace in first gear till I was safely out of the water. I could smell the clutch burning, and getting weaker so took a few minutes break before moving ahead.

Basic checks after reaching home
- all electricals working properly (lights/ horn / power windows / air conditioner / ICE etc)
- air intake, air filter element, throttle body was dry. But removed the Air filter element and aired it out just in case
- gearshifts, clutch, and engine sound were normal. Nothing unusual identified
- no change in engine oil level / colour as per dipstick. No frothing observed
- no change in coolant or brake fluid levels / colours as well
- water didn't rise beyond fog light level as per my understanding but had filled to half of one of the fog lamps as the glass has a crack
- whole carpet was totally soaked. I spent couple of hours draining the water using mugs + microfiber towels. Now have put multiple layer of newspapers on top of the carpets. Also, cleaned and dried the spare wheel area, as it had traces of water. I removed the rear seat base and wiped clean the metal base below the seat as well. The seat base is out for drying as the water sloshed around a bit and the foam absorbed some water but the seat top surface itself is dry. Today morning I replaced the newspapers with fresh ones but looks like it won't be enough as the insulation below the carpet is drenched still.
- 2 malfunction lights lit up on the dashboard (marked inside the box in the pic attached):
a. Airbag light
b. Door lock canceller indicator light (although the remote is working fine)
- Strangely, torque lite is not able to find any codes so couldn't try clearing the codes if they would go away

I will be taking the car to the A.S.S tomorrow for checkup. The carpets are still having loads of mucky water and I will replace them if required. Also the floor beneath the carpet would need cleaning perhaps to prevent corrosion.

Can anyone suggest if I can try saving the airbag controller and/or security system module using WD40, and where are they located in the Alto K10. I couldn't find them in the oriparts/boodmo catalog.

Also, anything other things I could perhaps check? I looked underneath and removed all the objects stuck to the underside. Inside the hood, the water level didn't rise beyond the transaxle housing as per the water marks. Could the water have seeped inside vis the breather hole?
Should I ask them to replace the transmission oil as well?

Any suggestions?

[Torq]

Guys, looking for your advice. As you all know, Raigad / Ratnagiri districts faced severe floods last week. During the same calamity, my nexon diesel Amt, brother's ertiga petrol and a friends wrv petrol was submerged under about 12-15feet of water for about a day. Nexon and wrv had some sort of battery short and a window opened in case of nexon and in case of wrv, the sunroof opened up. There's a lot of mud and muck top lying around inside the cabin now. Let the photos speak for themselves.

Nexon xz+ AMT diesel (2020)


Back seat


WRV petrol 2017


Sunroof


Ertiga petrol 2016



The local authorized service center for Tata and Maruti are inoperative as they too suffered flooding in their premises. Pune TASS recommends we declare total loss as there's no point in repairing the cars, since they have a host of sensors and modules which may not be financially viable in the long run.

What do you experts opine on the same?

P. S. The water flow was in such a force that the front compound fell and backside grill compound bent. So, water must've seeped up in seemingly the most inaccessible areas too.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by Torq

... submerged under about 12-15feet of water for about a day.

... ... ...

Pune TASS recommends we declare total loss as there's no point in repairing the cars, since they have a host of sensors and modules which may not be financially viable in the long run.

I agree. Water (and muck) will have penetrated everything and everywhere. Gave up my Polo after Chennai 2015 flood, and it was not even completely submerged.

Very sad for your loss, both vehicles and damage done to your homes. Been there: feel for you.

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by Torq

.

What do you experts opine on the same?

P. S. The water flow was in such a force that the front compound fell and backside grill compound bent. So, water must've seeped up in seemingly the most inaccessible areas too.

Very unfortunate that you had three cars undergo this mess. But the most practical solution would be to declare total loss on all three of the cars. When the car is completely submerged, as you say water would have reached every bit of the car and it is impossible to clean up the mess. Even the service center would give such an estimate that it would come under total loss itself. But due to this, you will end up having to pay a difference amount of money in order to get a new car as a replacement. But I dont see repair an option for all three cars. Its somewhat practical when the flood water has stayed below the seat level and that time the floor would be the most critical area to take care of along with a few electronic components on the floor. But the rest of the stuff like ECU, infotainment, instrument cluster would all be still at a higher level. But once the water level crosses the seats, then its difficult to bank on repair irrespective of whether the insurance agrees or the owner themselves want to pay up. Never a good idea IMO.

But the sunroof opening in both cars sounds interesting to me if its due to any safety concern that they open when car is waterlogged. If thats the case then thats a thoughtful move.

[ADI7YAK]

Originally Posted by Torq

Guys, looking for your advice. As you all know, Raigad / Ratnagiri districts faced severe floods last week.

My 2019 Hexa was also caught in flood and was completely submerged in water. It had already broken down on my drive a remote village called Anjarle and had to be towed till Mahad (nearest authorised service centre) just a couple days ago. At that time it didn't make financial sense to tow/flatbed it back to Pune. The issue was related to fuel injector going kaput but guess it's all irrelevant now.







Fortunately I do have return to invoice and engine protection plus add-ons included in my insurance policy. The survey was done today and I will get the results in a few days from ICICI Lombard.