Expert tips on flood damage

Extra precautions are needed when purchasing used cars to ensure they aren’t flooddamaged.

While most caught up in February’s wild weather will be write-offs, uninsured vehicles could be dried out and then find their way onto the used-car market.

James Jewell, Toyota NZ’s technical service manager, recommends getting potential purchases checked out by a trustworthy expert.

“Insurers will quickly write off a car if water has been inside the cabin as the NZTA’s certification guide is specific on a large number of components that need to be replaced,” he says.

Flood water leaves very fine silt. It can create staining or early signs of rusting on untreated steel components inside cars, which can be spotted with careful inspection.

“Safety components, such as airbag inflators and seatbelt pretensioners, are highly vulnerable to moisture,” adds Jewell.

“Seatbelt devices that pull them tight in a collision are under seats and easily damaged by water. They may dry out, but could then malfunction and not operate as intended causing early deployment, no deployment or

more force than was intended.”

Jewell says many SUVs and ute owners think they can drive through deep water unscathed, but no vehicles should go through it deeper than recommended.

“Any higher than maximum wading depth will result in water entering breather pipes for transmissions and differentials. A tell-tale sign of water getting into driveline fluids is milkiness. If the fluid looks like strawberry milkshake or mushroom soup, you’ve got water in the oil, and it needs to be flushed and replaced.”

Even SUVs and utes with snorkels aren’t immune. Jewell says snorkels are designed to provide clean, dust-free air to the engine, “not turn utes into submarines”.

“If you have driven your vehicle through high flood waters, I would get it serviced immediately and replace transmission and drivetrain fluids.”

Dealers sold 16,530 second-hand passenger vehicles to public buyers last month. That was up from 16,134, or by 2.5 per cent, when compared to March 2022.

There were 13,950 trade-ins last month, which was an increase of 5.4 per cent from 13,235.