PETALING JAYA: It’s monsoon season, and the rain will be coming down hard and furious almost every day.
With that comes the expectation that many places will get flooded especially near areas where there’s heavy construction works going on and where drainage is poor (a norm rather than the exception in Malaysia).
Expect flash floods as well. As a motorist, you have to stay vigilant. But if you “accidentally” drive into a flooded stretch of road and the engine dies on you, knowing what to do will save your car from further damage and keep your sanity intact.
Assume the water has risen to bonnet level, and you are in the car and starting to panic.
Here’s what you need to do.
1. Stay calm. Don’t try to start the engine. By now, any efforts to resuscitate the car is too late.
2. Turn on your car’s emergency signals.
3. Call for help. Calmly explain to your rescuer what has happened and your location.
4. You either need to stay in the car and wait it out or abandon it. This depends on whether your car is stuck by the roadside or in the middle of the road. If the car is not in the way of passing vehicles such as pick-up trucks or buses, sit it out inside.
But if the car is blocking the road, abandon it when it is safe to do so and wade to safety.
In both cases, wait for the water to subside below the car’s doors. Get help from fellow motorists or a road assist service team to push the car to higher ground. If you open the door in the flood, you will end up damaging more things inside the car such as seats, door panels and electronics.
5. Get the car straight into a workshop. Make sure the technician drains the engine and gearbox immediately, and not attempt to start the car again, or the engine will suffer further damage. Overhaul the engine and gearbox, and also check for possible scratches or damage from hard debris that may have entered them during the flood.
It’s a lot of work cleaning up a water-damaged car.
Inside your car, the carpets would need to be removed and dried and the car floor (including the spare tyre compartment in the trunk) cleaned as well to ensure rust does not form. Also dry and disinfect the upholstery.
At the end of it all, the best way to avoid all the drama, hassle and costs is to think first and avoid crossing a flooded road if you assess it as too risky.
Living in the tropics where it pours when it rains, it might not be a bad idea to get insurance cover for natural disasters. Think about that.
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Keyword: Stuck on a flooded road? 5 things you should do next