How to Identify Water Damage in a Car
Fri, 08/12/2011 - 23:03
Since 2002 to 2006, water-damaged vehicles have been seen largely on the market, as said by automotive dismantler Elite Rebuildables. Especially after the major hurricanes in 2005, these vehicles are still being purchased as well as vended in the market, even sometimes buyer don’t know that it is a water-damaged car. Here we will learn how to identify water damage in a car. This will let you enable to avoid buying such type of vehicles.
Things you’ll need:
The only thing you will require for this course is:
Step 1:
Begin with checking the seats and upholstery warily. See if there are water marks and toadstool plus smell the upholstery to find out a mold or mildew odor there. Keep yourself cautious about “too new” otherwise uneven seats as well as upholstery.
Step 2:
Take away the carpet panel underneath the driver’s side floorboard. See the carpet pad if there are chary and odors. It is somewhat easy to cover or dry the water stains in carpet although stains from the carpet padding cannot be dried easily.
Step 3:
Next, look at the metal floorboard that is there underneath the carpet panel, at the same time as you have the carpet peeled back. Check if there is dust or mud.
Step 4:
Now do away with the trunk liner plus spare tire. Mostly resellers of water-damaged vehicles overlook to take away the water from the spare tire well. Standing water, wet leaves and corrosion in the spare tire well indicate water damage.
Step 5:
Now open the hood and the carefully check the engine bay. See if there are any sign of water damage in the corners of the engine bay. Make use of a flashlight while inspecting the area; as it will advance your visibility.
Step 6:
After that test all of the electronics to verify that are working properly. It is not a problem if a car presents a single problem for instance a bad power window motor; on the other hand if most of the electronics (such as odometer, radio, warning lights, and power equipment) of the vehicle don’t work appropriately, you have to examine further.
Step 7:
See if there is dust or tarnish under the vehicle along the frame and undercarriage. Vehicles droved in cold weathers are probably became rusted due to the salt on the roads during winter. A large number of water damaged vehicles are usually found in the South. Southern vehicles are supposed to have slight or even no rust.
Tips & Warnings:
Step 2:
Take away the carpet panel underneath the driver’s side floorboard. See the carpet pad if there are chary and odors. It is somewhat easy to cover or dry the water stains in carpet although stains from the carpet padding cannot be dried easily.
Step 3:
Next, look at the metal floorboard that is there underneath the carpet panel, at the same time as you have the carpet peeled back. Check if there is dust or mud.
Step 4:
Now do away with the trunk liner plus spare tire. Mostly resellers of water-damaged vehicles overlook to take away the water from the spare tire well. Standing water, wet leaves and corrosion in the spare tire well indicate water damage.
Step 5:
Now open the hood and the carefully check the engine bay. See if there are any sign of water damage in the corners of the engine bay. Make use of a flashlight while inspecting the area; as it will advance your visibility.
Step 6:
After that test all of the electronics to verify that are working properly. It is not a problem if a car presents a single problem for instance a bad power window motor; on the other hand if most of the electronics (such as odometer, radio, warning lights, and power equipment) of the vehicle don’t work appropriately, you have to examine further.
Step 7:
See if there is dust or tarnish under the vehicle along the frame and undercarriage. Vehicles droved in cold weathers are probably became rusted due to the salt on the roads during winter. A large number of water damaged vehicles are usually found in the South. Southern vehicles are supposed to have slight or even no rust.
Tips & Warnings:
- Before buying a vehicle, first stare at the history report of that vehicle. Although this may not be completely accurate, you will probably identify a little signs of water damage by this history.
- Water-damaged or flood-damaged vehicles are usually sold at very cheap prices as compare to their “book value”; but they frequently have serious electrical as well as engine problems.
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