Flooding can cause permanent damage to vehicles, mechanic warns
DANGEROUS. I MEAN, IT’S IT’S COSTLY. YEAH. MECHANICS SAY ANY AMOUNT OF WATER WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR VEHICLE IS BAD. THEY SAY DAMAGE CAN RUN THE GAMUT FROM WIRING ISSUES TO HAVING TO REPLACE YOUR ENTIRE ENGINE. SPRING IN OKLAHOMA MEANS A HIGH CHANCE OF FLOODING OVER THE WEEKEND, AREAS OF NORMAN AND MOORE WERE UNDER WATER AS HEAVY FLOODING TOOK OVER ROADWAYS. EVERYONE KNOWS THE SAYING TURN AROUND, DON’T DROWN. BUT MECHANICS SAY DRIVING THROUGH FLOOD WATERS PUTS MORE THAN JUST YOUR LIFE AT RISK. IT’S ALSO YOUR WALLET, WATER AND CARS DO NOT MIX WELL TOGETHER. WE HAVE. IN THE PAST WE HAVE REPLACED ENGINES FROM PEOPLE DRIVING THROUGH WATER AND LOCKING UP ENGINES. OWNER OF A TO Z AUTOMOTIVE IN OKLAHOMA CITY, SAYS IT DOESN’T TAKE A LOT OF WATER TO CAUSE A LOT OF DAMAGE. SO IF YOU GET WATER UP THIS HIGH, THIS ONE’S PRETTY HIGH CAR. BUT IF YOU GET WATER UP INTO THIS INTAKE BOX AND IT SUCKS IT UP INTO THE ENGINE, THAT’S WHERE YOU HAVE YOUR PROBLEMS WITH HYDRO. LOCKING WATER DOESN’T COMPRESS, AIR COMPRESSES, WATER DOESN’T COMPRESS. SO ONCE THAT WATER GETS IN THERE AND THE PISTON TRIES TO COMPRESS, THAT’S WHERE YOUR DAMAGE COMES FROM. AND ONCE INSIDE, WATER CAN CAUSE HAVOC ON THE ELECTRIC SYSTEM WITH ELECTRICAL, IT COULD SHOW UP TODAY, IT COULD SHOW UP IN SIX MONTHS TO GET WATER UP IN THIS AREA. THERE’S ALL KINDS OF WIRING AND EVERYTHING THAT RUN ALL THROUGH HERE. THERE’S SOME CARS OUT THERE. WE’VE HAD ELECTRICAL ISSUES THAT YOU JUST MAY NEVER CURE. NOW, MECHANICS SAY THEIR BIGGEST PIECE OF ADVICE. DON’T DRIVE THROUGH THE WATER. AND IF SUDDENLY FIND YOURSELF IN THAT SITUATION, AS THEY SAY, TO IMMEDIATELY TURN OFF YOUR VEHICL
Flooding can cause permanent damage to vehicles, mechanic warns
Heavy rain this weekend left Oklahomans with flood damage to their vehicles, and more rain is on the way.
Updated: 4:17 PM CDT Apr 28, 2025
Heavy rain this weekend left Oklahomans with flood damage to their vehicles, and more rain is on the way. Zach Vanzant, the owner of A to Z Automotive, said driving through floodwaters is more than just dangerous. It is also costly. The mechanic said any amount of water is bad when it comes to vehicles, and damage can run the gamut from wiring issues to having to replace an entire engine. “Water and cars do not mix well together,” Vanzant said. “We have replaced engines from people driving through water and locking up the engine.” >> Download the KOCO 5 App | Subscribe to KOCO 5’s YouTube channelVanzant said it doesn’t take a lot of water to cause extensive damage. “If you get water up into this intake box and it sucks it up into the engine, that’s where you have your problems with hydro locking,” Vanzant said. “Water doesn’t compress, so once that water gets in there and the piston tries to compress, that’s where the damage comes from.” >> Video Below: More flooding possible with upcoming storm risks in OklahomaOnce inside, water can cause havoc on the electric system. “With electrical, it could show up today. It could show up in six months,” Vanzant said. “To get water up in this area, there is all kinds of wiring and everything all through here.” The mechanic said whatever drivers do, they should not drive through water. “There’s some cars out there that we’ve had electrical issues that you may just never cure,” Vanzant said. >> Video Below: Heavy rain brings flooding Saturday to NormanIf anyone finds themself in that situation, they should shut their car off. Top Headlines TIMELINE: Tornado and severe weather threat increases across Oklahoma Person dies after being ejected from overnight rollover crash on Lake Hefner Parkway Ryan Reynolds celebrates Wrexham football club’s historic promotion Person taken to hospital after multi-vehicle crash on Broadway Extension Kansas City firefighter-paramedic dies after being stabbed; woman charged
Heavy rain this weekend left Oklahomans with flood damage to their vehicles, and more rain is on the way.
Zach Vanzant, the owner of A to Z Automotive, said driving through floodwaters is more than just dangerous. It is also costly. The mechanic said any amount of water is bad when it comes to vehicles, and damage can run the gamut from wiring issues to having to replace an entire engine.
“Water and cars do not mix well together,” Vanzant said. “We have replaced engines from people driving through water and locking up the engine.”
>> Download the KOCO 5 App | Subscribe to KOCO 5’s YouTube channel
Vanzant said it doesn’t take a lot of water to cause extensive damage.
“If you get water up into this intake box and it sucks it up into the engine, that’s where you have your problems with hydro locking,” Vanzant said. “Water doesn’t compress, so once that water gets in there and the piston tries to compress, that’s where the damage comes from.”
>> Video Below: More flooding possible with upcoming storm risks in Oklahoma
Once inside, water can cause havoc on the electric system.
“With electrical, it could show up today. It could show up in six months,” Vanzant said. “To get water up in this area, there is all kinds of wiring and everything all through here.”
The mechanic said whatever drivers do, they should not drive through water.
“There’s some cars out there that we’ve had electrical issues that you may just never cure,” Vanzant said.
>> Video Below: Heavy rain brings flooding Saturday to Norman
If anyone finds themself in that situation, they should shut their car off.
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