No matter how cheaply you can purchase a flood damaged vehicle, it probably won't be worth it in the long run. We have repaired many flood damaged vehicles. Here in South Florida and coastal areas of Fort Lauderdale, rising water from flash floods are all too common. Salt water flooding is much more damaging than fresh water. Newer Mercedes and other European vehicles are particularly vulnerable to flood damage due to all the state-of-the-art electronic components they have. On top of that, the modern trend is to place these components in low places on the vehicle for better weight distribution for the best handling and dynamics of the vehicle.

The Mercedes 220 chassis (S430, S500, S550 and S600) have thousands of dollars worth of control units and modules located under the rear seats, only 6 – 8 inches off the ground. If a vehicle is driven into a puddle that is more than 6 inches deep, its possible that water can leak through the body plugs or seals and flood the area under the seats and carpets. Often the owner is unaware of the damage until some electronics malfunction. Meanwhile, the electronics and the electricity flowing through them that are surrounded by water, start to form acid (like inside a battery) that can ruin components, connectors and wires. When the damage is discovered it is usually too late, especially if the damage is discovered due to a musty smell or odor in the vehicle; this would indicate that the moisture (along with the electrolysis) has been there long enough to mildew or form fungus.

Completely submerged S500 Mercedes, note floodline on side of house.

If your car is flooded, the key to minimizing the damage is to (1) disconnect the electrical flow through water contaminated circuits. Disconnecting the battery should be the first step. (2) Get the water out and dry up the area as quickly as posible. A wet vacuum can be used to suck up excess water. The carpeting and foam backing on a Mercedes can be up to 4 inches thick. This acts as a sponge and traps the water inside, leading to long term musty smells. At Autobahn Performance we have a portable de-humidifier that can be placed in the vehicle to draw the trapped moisture out of fabrics, carpets and foam under padding.

The next problem to deal with is the electrical connections and components. Any electrical part that is contaminated with water should be disconnected and dried by blasting compressed air through it. The connectors should be cleaned with a solvent and scrubbed with a brush. Components can be cleaned with electrical cleaners. Corroded areas can be cleaned with vinyl bristle brushes and special solvents to remove surface corrosion. Electrical connectors need to be disassembled (pins removed from the connector) and cleaned in solvent. Any connections on components or harnesses that appear to be damaged beyond repair should be replaced. Many electrical connectors and terminals are available from the dealer, but due to their relatively inexpensive cost and difficulty to look up correctly, most dealer parts personnel will try to sell a complete wiring harness. Wiring harnesses can cost upwards of $5000 and can take over 60 hours to install.

At Autobahn Performance, we have access to most dealer parts data bases, so we can look up the wire connectors ourselves. Usually we can repair an expensive or labor intensive harness rather than replacing it. We also have affiliates that can repair some water damaged electrical components, or acquire used components and program them to the vehicle even if they are one time use (previously assigned to a vehicle or VIN).

The most troubling thing about a flood damaged vehicle is that there is usually no way to accurately estimate the cost or extent of the damage. Sometimes after the vehicle is repaired and everything seems to be fine, another problem arises from the same water damage, and still more repairs are needed.