Tip of the day: Your car is not a boat

It’s been raining quite frequently here these days. This being the monsoon season, that means flood everywhere in my country. Well, I’ll post something my hubby told me quite a while back. If your car happens to be caught in a flood, there are a few things you need to know.

1. Firstly, the insurance doesn’t cover acts of god (at least, here in Malaysia) like flooding, earthquake, lightning etc. You have to pay a premium to cover that.

2. Secondly, if the car’s tailpipe (exhaust pipe ) is partially submerged, DON’T start the engine. It will cause water to enter the engine and screw everything up real bad. There is something called a backpressure where some air (and exhaust fumes) go back into the engine cylinder to push the piston back up for the next firing cycle. And water backpressured into the engine will……you know what.

3. Thirdly, if the engine is submerged in flood water, DON’T start the engine (you have to be an idiot to start it). You’ll make the mechanic richer. Push the car (if you can, ask people nearby to help) to a dry area, call a tow truck and tow to your mechanic. If the mechanic starts the engine after you’ve told him it’s been submerged, you know you need to find another mechanic.

4. Ask the mechanic to perform an engine overhaul as well as the transmission. While you’re at it, replace all serviceable (i.e spark plugs, filters etc) and worn parts so you won’t have to pay extra labor the next time you do it. Let the engine dry for a day or two, and then assemble it and start the engine.

Remember, for most people, this cost will come out of your pocket, so this is the most cost-effective way to do it. The car should be okay by now. There’s a more detailed version of doing this (something about injectors and valves), but you can’t expect me to remember everything hubby said – right? OK, post later. Ciao.