ATLANTA — The flash flooding from torrential storms earlier this week has mechanics busy working to repair vehicles damaged by high waters.
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“Under the carpet are electrical modules, connectors of course, the carpet molds, and smells, you’re talking about gutting the entire vehicle,” said Baxton Automotive mechanic Gill Saunders.
Saunders showed Channel 2’s Tom Regan a car towed to his garage in northwest Atlanta, after the car and driver became stranded in floodwater. He says even a couple of feet of water can severely damage a car when water is sucked into the car’s air induction system.
“It’s going to pull this water in like a vacuum, it’s going to send it through this tube into the throttle body, and the vehicle is running, so the throttle body is open, water going into the motor, and it’s completely waterlogged,” said Saunders.
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Saunders has not only repaired flood-damaged cars, but he’s also rescued drivers. He recalls a woman stranded in flood waters on Northside Drive two years ago.
“The lady was on top of the car. The water was knee-high. We got to her, brought her to the curb. But the vehicle itself was waterlogged,” said Saunders.
The veteran mechanic also says when buying a used car, it’s extremely important to check the vehicle’s history to make sure it wasn’t flood-damaged.
He said the owner of a used BMW brought in his car to see if they could fix whatever was causing a persistent, foul odor.
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“We found a fish in his HVAC system, in the climate box. The fish made its way into the car somehow and couldn’t get out,” said Saunders.
The mechanic said it’s important for those who get stranded in rising water to turn off the vehicle, to keep water from being drawn into the engine compartment. He also says driver should check their insurance policy to make sure it covers flood damage in all circumstances.
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