| Apocryphal tales of drivers taking on
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| | cars" you will get lots of pages about
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| deep water abound in pubs and works
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| | hurricane Katrina in the US, and also,
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| canteens. Did you hear of the woman who
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| | more helpfully we think, a link to our
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| drove her brand new BMW into floodwater?
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| | web site at Clean Image showing how we go
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| Apparently the thermal shock of cold
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| | about expertly diagnosing and planning a
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| water on the hot engine caused the engine
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| | course of action to deal with a flood
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| block to crack. If true, this was a very
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| | damaged vehicle .
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| expensive error of judgement, but it is
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| | You may think that my use of the word
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| very easy to find factual references to
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| | diagnosing is over the top in this
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| thermal shock damaging catalytic
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| | instance, but half an hour with the
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| converters in similar circumstances.
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| | floods specialist will soon disabuse you
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| I was talking to a friend this week,
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| | of this. The first thing to ascertain is
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| whilst researching these pages, who told
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| | what type of water the car has been
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| me of when he drove his Mk2 Escort into a
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| | flooded with; was it mains water, river
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| flood. He was taking the recommended
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| | water, sewer water or sea water - or a
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| precautions, of keeping in second gear
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| | mix? Mains water and river water can be
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| with the revs up to stop sucking water
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| | dealt with fairly straightforwardly with
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| into the exhaust and staying slow to
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| | decontamination, cleaning and drying
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| prevent a bow wave flooding his air
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| | techniques and is usually within
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| intake at the front, all good stuff...
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| | insurance company tolerances, so do not
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| until he lost the steering: the water had
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| | be surprised if your car is not written
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| become deep enough to float the car. He
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| | off. Similarly, cars flooded by sewage
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| was lucky the water was flowing in his
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| | water can be decontaminated and cleaned,
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| direction of travel: eventually the tyres
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| | just as one might a flooded house, but
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| made contact and he drove out. A lucky
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| | it will depend on the level of
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| escape, but the water had gone over the
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| | contamination and the value of the car
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| sills and soaked the carpets.
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| | as to whether this is cost effective. If
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| Drivers in Essex may be familiar with
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| | a car has been flooded by sea water then
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| Buttsbury Wash, a river crossing near
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| | the damage is likely to be irreversible,
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| Billericay, which claimed 3 overly
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| | because of the corrosive effects of the
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| optimistic drivers who drove into the
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| | salt, so prepare yourself for bigger
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| ford without realising the water was way
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| | premiums.
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| too deep, on one particularly rainy
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| | Whatever has happened to your car, first
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| weekend. Fire Brigade statistics show it
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| | aid is essential. If your car has been
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| to be the worst location of its kind in
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| | flooded, DO NOT DELAY as the damage is
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| the country and are asking the local
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| | still being done even though the car has
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| authority to put in depth gauges to give
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| | been removed from the water. It is more
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| local drivers a chance to decide whether
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| | important to get the car decontaminated
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| it is safe to use or not!
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| | than to get any mechanical work done. We
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| Driving through something labelled as a
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| | can recommend various specialized
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| ford is one thing, at least you are
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| | products that you can use to pre-treat
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| expecting it. Most of us who drive
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| | the car to deter bacteria and mould. This
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| regularly have experienced the other
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| | is the only way to prevent long-term
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| situation; you are driving along, radio
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| | problems with smells, and insurance
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| on, and windscreen wipers going, when
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| | companies do not always realise this -
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| you round a bend and you register a
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| | so you may need to insist. We often get
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| change in the road surface ahead. Perhaps
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| | cars that have begun to rot while
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| the centre line has disappeared or the
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| | sitting around having mechanical work or
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| colour of the road has changed. Stopping
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| | while an insurance company decides what
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| quickly seems like a good idea, and it
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| | to do with them.
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| probably is, though can feel perilous if
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| | Later in our workshop, we will strip out
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| a big bloke hunched into the Ford Ka
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| | the carpets, door trims, and seats. We
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| behind is close on your tail (voice of
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| | then clean every piece and every inch of
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| experience here), but assessing the
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| | the floor under the carpet with high
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| situation rather than simply ploughing on
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| | pressure and high temperature jet wash
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| always feels best to me, and if Big
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| | and use decontaminants to break down the
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| bloke wants to have a go then let him; at
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| | bacteria that cause the bad smells. We
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| least you will see how deep it is at no
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| | also use a technique called fogging. This
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| cost to yourself and your car. In this
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| | fogs the interior of the car with a
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| instance I watched and he did make it,
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| | decontaminant, because it is a vapour it
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| but he sent a 2ft bow wave across the
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| | reaches every surface of the interior as
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| neighbouring fields and I did not want to
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| | it tries to escape from the car through
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| risk damaging my much loved, low slung,
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| | every gap in the car body, consequently
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| VW Passat estate sports. I bet his
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| | it thoroughly treats the entire inside
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| carpets got wet.
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| | of the car. Finally we use dehumidifiers
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| Another thing is that the etiquette in
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| | and hot air blowers to dry the interior
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| these situations is not always
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| | and then we replace everything.
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| immediately apparent, but I think that if
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| | Obviously electrical components that have
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| you have to drive on the other side of
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| | been made wet may no longer be reliable.
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| the road to avoid the worst of the flood
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| | We routinely oversee the replacement of
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| then that's OK, as long as you give way
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| | air bag control units, along with any
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| to the traffic that belongs there. After
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| | other electrical units that were below
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| that it is best to go one car at a time,
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| | the water level.
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| exercising patience and a cheerful "all
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| | The processes we are able to use are
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| in this together" approach to fellow
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| | specialised and they work, you will find
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| drivers.
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| | illustrated examples of what we do and
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| But enough of this because if you Google
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| | how we do it on the Clean Image website.
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| on "driving in floods you will get lots
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| | Despite all this, I still think my
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| of links to expert advice on how to
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| | preference on coming across a flooded
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| manage this situation if you meet it,
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| | road, or Buttsbury wash in full flow,
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| but what if the worst happens, and for
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| | would be to seriously consider turning
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| whatever reason your car gets very wet on
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| | round and going a different way, at least
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| the inside; perhaps because of a flood,
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| | until I trade the Passat in for a Gibbs
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| a tidal wave or because you left the top
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| | Aquada.
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| down? Well if you Google on "flooded
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