How much damage do you think ?

[noflac52]

Originally Posted by usernametaken

Not sure how I'm rubbing anything in anyone's face.

Perhaps, you need to tone down the fake outrage.

The OP doesn't seem too fussed.

This is not fake outrage.

Your armchair assessment of a situation you were nowhere near is totally unprofessional. A professional emergency service worker doesn't assess an incident scene unless they are there. Its just ludicrous and usually ends in an incorrect conclusion as it has here.

To me this criticism is similar to sensationalist reporting that is prevalent at these times. Things like reporters standing in flood water saying don't go into the water because its dangerous or standing outside in a cyclone warning people not to go outside etc etc etc. In this case usernametaken is assessing your situation from in front of his computer screen. Its just laughable!!!

In my case I have had four large trees in my property fall and do lots of damage around the place. Would you like to assess my situation usernametaken from your computer and use your emergency service experience and advise me of what I should have done to prevent this.

I have a long professional career as an emergency service officer and would like to apologise to Lisa for the criticism from this other alleged emergency service worker. It is highly unprofessional

I think the car will be written off too. I hope you get a nice new one.

Cheers Ken

[MrEL]

Originally Posted by aussiblue

Just a tip if you get caught like this ( and the water is not too deep and the current too strong) you can sometimes slowly get it the rest of the way or reverse out on the starter motor; if it's an auto in D or R (depending what dry land is closest) and just keep pulsing the starter motor with a few second between each key on to allow it to cool. Not good at all for the starter motor, battery or ring gear and may not work on all cars but worth a try in those sort of emergency circumstances and having to get a new starter motor might be a better outcome. For a manual usually 3rd or 4th gear (what is closest to 1:1 ratio) or reverse.

Off course you have to do some quick risk assessment; it might be best to evacuate while you can especially if you have kids or aged or infirm passengers and the water is rising quickly or the flooded area is very wide.

And flash floods can spring unexpected surprises so I don't think we can blame the OP or accuse her of being careless. Many years ago in the south west of WA (where flash floods are uncommon) I was driving solo on a back road in a work XE or XD Falcon through water probably six to 10 inches deep. I had walked it first; along the road crown to keep my feet dry. I was half way across when I was hit by a wave of water about 4 feet deep that pushed the back of the car to the right and killed the motor. I was less than a metre from the other side and the water subsided to about 20 inches after the initial wave so I made it on the starter motor but it gave me a fright. I guess if it hadn't been raining heavily I might have heard it coming while I was waking the crown (or perhaps a farm dam or natural dam form by fallen trees had just burst a little ways upstream). Twenty minutes later after I had got going again the ABC radio came out with a flash flood warning for the area.

Although it was an isolated area it was only a small creek in Jarrah forest so I don't think the car would have gone far even if it had been washed all the way off the road so I would have survived and car could have been recovered; still put me in shock for a few minutes after I got back on the dry side and looked back at the creek slowly rising again.

I also learned that when you have nothing else, Brut deodorant spray seemed to work as a dewatering agent, albeit not totally effective, in emergencies when sprayed into the distributor cap and on the HT leads and dried off with tissues; well it got me going with the engine missing at low speeds until I got to a servo, shelter and WD40.

Most stupid bit of advice given ever!
Yeah you can drive a manual in gear on the starter motor , but an auto no.
Besides the fact that they wont even turn over due to the inhibitor switch when in drive or reverse there is no way a starter motor will get a torque convertor spinning fast enough to drive the pump and make a car move.

Don't give dumb advice that one day someone might try and follow and end up dead.

[MrEL]

Just because its been in flood water doesn't make it an automatic write off.
Saltwater or brackish water above the sills yes its a write off.
Freshwater is 24 hours submerged for an automatic write off.

[aussiblue]

The worse flash flooding I have seen was in Makati Manila in August 1990 during Typhoon season.

I was in a taxi on a city street and in about 10 seconds we had gone from a dry road to where the water was up to the windows. By the time I had climbed out and got to dry ground (dragging the driver along as he was a non-swimmer about half my height so he was real danger of drowning) the taxi was completely submerged and floating away with only the roof showing. And apparently that wasn't even a bad flood year for Manila.

The bad part I anticipated flying back to Perth the next day so put the plastic bag with my sewer smelling wet clothes in my suitcase. The floods meant I missed my connecting flight in Singapore (sat in the aircraft for 3 hours waiting for the rest of the passengers who hadn't allowed a six hour delay to get there) and got stranded in Singapore for three days with no dry non-smelly clothes. My missus said in took a month before I stopped smelling like a sewer. At least the smell got me and my adopted son, who I was in Manila to collect, a row of seats to ourselves on the Qantas fight to Perth and rushed through customs..

[aussiblue]

Most stupid bit of advice given ever!
Yeah you can drive a manual in gear on the starter motor , but an auto no.
Besides the fact that they wont even turn over due to the inhibitor switch when in drive or reverse there is no way a starter motor will get a torque convertor spinning fast enough to drive the pump and make a car move.

Don't give dumb advice that one day someone might try and follow and end up dead.

You think so but I don't agree. It's still worth a try in some circumstances and where you have time as it certainly works on some auto trans cars if you have stalled and not turned the key back from the run position (which is the usual situation if water has killed the engine). Yes it will burn the starter motor out eventually and it will depend on the motor gearbox combination, gearing of the starter and the size of the battery. I haven't tried it on a recent model but I know you could certainly do it with my old CM Valiant (which were renowned for their low geared starter) if left in D and key left in Run position. Something worth testing with your car before you need to do it then.

[aussiblue]

..and in many cases the water will be above and within the inhibitor switch on the side of the transmission shorting it out so you can turn the starter in any position. Something to try when there are no other alternatives and leaving the car isn't an option. But it seems after mid 80's car it won't work unless that has happened.

[MrEL]

What a load of crap.

[aussiblue]

OK I may have to admit I was wrong (not the first or last time - just ask the missus). Checking the factory workshop manual for the CM Valiant which I still have (the manual not the car) it seems that even it shouldn't have let me start in D even with the key in left in run when it stalls. But it did; so all I can think is that I had a faulty neutral start switch and it does seem these switch were no more reliable than out Ford ones.

What we really need is someone with an old Val to test it on (some how stall the engine and see if it restarts in D when key is left in Run position) though I have a vague recollection of recalls related to Valiant ignition locks but I think that was about being able to lock the wheel with the steering lock while driving. I tested the two Fairlanes and they won't start in drive even if stalled with key in run and not turned back.
run position.

[noflac52]

There were automatic gearboxes that you could push start the car with like clutch starting so its not actually a load of crap. It may be a bit out dated now though in most situations.

[aussiblue]

Yes; it was also in the era of low compression motors and 2 and 3 speed automatics.

Nice to know it just that I'm just old and stupid not totally wrong :-)

[ute83]

Originally Posted by noflac52

There were automatic gearboxes that you could push start the car with like clutch starting so its not actually a load of crap. It may be a bit out dated now though in most situations.

The Humber Super snipe had a rear pump in the tranny which allowed it to be pushed started ( I think ), but there is no chance of moving an auto transmission car from the starter.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by ute83

The Humber Super snipe had a rear pump in the tranny which allowed it to be pushed started ( I think ), but there is no chance of moving an auto transmission car from the starter.

Assuming that you could find someone strong enough to push one of them.... they were heavy suckers

[chrisandsharon]

Originally Posted by lisa1760

I don't know if I've made a mistake or not but when I rang Allianz I told them exactly what happened - the woman was very helpful, told me of things I had on my policy that I had forgotten - use of a hire car (which I pick up tomorrow) asked about any other damages to items in my car & myself & that I won't be losing my no claim bonus - unlike a work mates partner whose Insurance Company has accused him of "on purposely driving into the flood water". My car will be assessed on the 30th so will let you know how it all goes

If it's a 'right off' Ford in Nowra (kinghorne motors) have the exact same colour parked out front ready to go.....looks bloody nice! 50th anniversary XR6 model - one owner

Here's the link to it...... I sent you a message also

http://mobile.kinghorn.com.au/view.p...Sedan/9489751/

.

[chrisandsharon]

Here's the nitro blue one.......50th anniversary one too......same owners.

http://mobile.kinghorn.com.au/view.p..._Sedan/9489797