The bottoms of my cars sat in water for ~24 hour best I can tell it didn't get into the engine and the inside stayed dry.

What do I need to do before I try to drive them?

Thanks!

Can't tell if the pic posted.

https://imgur.com/a/lxlJP

1agswitchin4lanes said:

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Once the water recedes and you verify that there is no water inside the cars, open the hood and check the air intake and filter, if you didnt start it, you should be fine.

If water got in the car, you need to disconnect the battery (lots of modules under the carpet of the LOLvo), pull carpet and remove the rubber plugs in the floorboard and let it drain.

Of course, if you did get water inside, you may want to let insurance handle it.

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I'd add in go buy a **** load of damp rid. After you drain the car.

I'd probably do all the fluids in the Jeep to be on the safe side.

The Volvo I'd let insurance handle.

The way it looks, the XC70 is talk enough so that I don't think anything happened to it.

Lots of newer cars are "sealed", meaning not easily serviceable, but most can be checked. Shop vac the hell out of the interior where water was after draining. Most carpets can be removed and cleaned.

I have a soft top Jeep and around the door as well as the top leaked during the storm. Seats are soaked and carpet has some standing water on it.

What would y'all recommend? Spray everything with light coach and let it air dry? Or do I need to do more?

Suck the water out with a shop vac as much as possible. You would be surprised how much it will get.

I got water in my 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT. It was at a park and ride at IAH during the storm. The floor boards were soaked and the rotors completely corroded. Checked the engine bay and air filter and could not tell how high the water got. The bottom of my seats were not wet so I think it only got a few inches in the car but there are electrical issues for sure. My key would not unlock the vehicle. Getting it towed and checked. Thinking it's probably totaled?

The carpet was so easy to remove. All had little snap clips.

No I have to figure out what some of the electrical things they had hidden under the carpet is. Been lucky.

Looks like the Volvo is repairable. Shampoo the carpets and replace a module of some sort. I really don't want the car back since it will have a flooded stigma. What are my options and how do I not get screwed on trade in of a flooded car?

Yes

If insurance paid a claim on it then you'd best dump asap before it hits carfax.

I moved my moms Genesis yesterday in the driveway and smelled the mildew. Seats and carpet out and currently drying in the sun. Looks like maybe only a tad bit got in but the sponge material under the carpet sucked it up.

Seats and seat rails looked dry and show no evidence of water intrusion.

1agswitchin4lanes said:

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If insurance paid a claim on it then you'd best dump asap before it hits carfax.

I moved my moms Genesis yesterday in the driveway and smelled the mildew. Seats and carpet out and currently drying in the sun. Looks like maybe only a tad bit got in but the sponge material under the carpet sucked it up.

Seats and seat rails looked dry and show no evidence of water intrusion.

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my adjuster told me they don't talk to carfax at all when someone hit me. he said that is the repair shops (sometimes) and the police reports that CarFax looks at. Basically, unless something was put in a file by the state, carfax will not see it. not sure if true but that's what he told me.

From experience, you have to remove the carpet if the water at any point filled the floor pan in any amount - you just do.

We initially left the carpet in, shop vac'd the hell out of it then sealed it up with a commercial dehumidifier and fan inside the car and sure enough the carpet felt bone dry. It even smelled fine.

I had a gut feeling though and pulled some carpet up, still essentially 2 inches of water soaked into jute, padding, and carpet forms.

Stripped everything out though and was able to dry and clean it sufficiently that I am 100% sure that car is back to as good of condition it was in before. It also gave me a chance to inspect and completely dry wiring.

For perspective, it took almost 6 days in a one car garage with multiple fans and the HD rented dehumidifier. No chance it was going to dry mold free in the car.

unless you keep it long term, i'd rather be safe than sorry and unload asap.

I can verify that carfax buys collision reports from most states in the US. Most states in the US have centralized collision reporting. It would have to have been in a wreck that a LEO responded to, and filed a report. For instance, if you have a collision in most parking lots, they will not usually file a report, and sometimes won't even respond.

Aggieangler93 said:

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I can verify that carfax buys collision reports from most states in the US. Most states in the US have centralized collision reporting. It would have to have been in a wreck that a LEO responded to, and filed a report. For instance, if you have a collision in most parking lots, they will not usually file a report, and sometimes won't even respond.

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Yep

Just heard many insurance companies are classifying cars with minor water damage as total losses.

Which means there will be cars on the market that were truly water damaged and some that had only minor damage.

If the carpet got wet then you must remove the seats, carpet and jute. All of this can be dried and reinstalled. Everything depends on how far up the water came into your car.