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Do not start that car
If the cabin got wet, or the street was over the rocker, treat it as flooded. A key turn can finish an engine that might have been an honest total.
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Step 1
Leave it off
Do not turn the key, press start, or jump the battery “to dry it out.” Water in a cylinder does not compress. Wet modules get worse when you crank them.
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Step 2
Document the waterline
If it is safe to stand there: body line, carpets, seats, the stall or street around it, and the VIN plate. Do not start it to roll a window.
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Step 3
Open the auto claim
Call comprehensive (or the commercial policy if it is a company car). Ask for a flood or comprehensive claim number. Ask where they want it towed. Write the number down.
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Step 4
Tow. Do not drive it there.
Tow to the shop or lot the insurer named. Keep the receipt. If the car is done, salvage paperwork comes after they say so. Do not sell it in a parking lot to the first guy with a wad of cash.
Tow vs total in place · Salvage paperwork · Getting around without the car