I am looking to buy a used car. However, I suspect there are cars that were watered or damaged by typhoon water. How can I tell if the car was watered. Pls note that I am not in the US. Is there any technique to discover whether the car was watered or not?
2007-06-23 04:22:20 · 5 answers · asked by Thomas 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Buying & Selling
Carfax.com is for US market right? I am not in the US. I am in a small islands that has a lot of typhoon year round.
2007-06-23 04:36:41 · update #1
You need to look in places that normally should stay dry for evidence of water intrusion. Looking at anything under the car such as brakes or suspension is meaningless since those areas routinely get soaked just driving on wet roads.
Pull up the carpeting and look for signs of silt. If it's dried, it will be a fine covering of dust, often thicker near the body drain points. Often the backing of the carpet will show signs of discoloration but some parts do get wet in normal use so be careful that you don't min-interpret things.
Pull out the back seat cushion and seat back and look for the same thing there.
Pull the door panels and look for evidence of standing water. The back of door panels is often made of fibreboard and will show discoloration if it has been in standing water, along with an obvious water line where the water level rose to.
Look in the trunk or boot for evidence of silt or water lines.
Pull apart electrical connectors in areas that normally should stay dry and look for evidence of corrosion or silt. Connectors that are exposed to the elements such as under the hood or bonnet or under the car are usually sealed against water intrusion but connectors inside the car or inside the boot normally are not sealed and will show signs of water if they are submerged.
2007-06-23 05:05:49 · answer #1 · answered by Bostonian In MO 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
go to carfax.com and list the vehicle identification number, year make and model may be necessary and it will give you a history on the car...where it came from is a good indicator of flood damage
2007-06-23 11:25:37 · answer #2 · answered by twhite 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Look for the signs,rust in brake lining,suspension,trunk,faulty wiring,sand in the trunk,or carpet,especially up under the dashboard,car fax report is a plus!
2007-06-23 11:32:51 · answer #3 · answered by jose_valle76 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
remove the back panels in the trunk or cargo space where the spare tire is stored and look closely at the interior cavity for water lines, rust or other signs.
2007-06-23 11:31:20 · answer #4 · answered by cgminime 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Does your island have inhabitants called "mechanics" that can check for you?
2007-06-23 11:52:42 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋