Pagoda SL Group
W113 Pagoda SL Group => Drive train, fuel, suspension, steering & brakes => Topic started by: BaronYoungman on April 22, 2013, 02:43:01
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I as most of us have seen nice cars underwater and wondered why did they not move it? How hard can that be? My wife woke me up Thursday around 3 am saying it is really raining out and the far back yard is filling up. I looked outside and , yes there was water there, but have seen that before, no big deal. I looked over and my neighbor was also up and there was a County vehicle out . I threw on some clothes and went out to talk, found out that the sewer system was nearing capacity. Now I was unsettled, my garage was lower than my house so I thought maybe I would get some water on garage floor I got some items off ground. I went inside told my wife we would keep an eye on it. Maybe 10 minutes later I could see that our downstairs bathroom , the toilet was overflowing. I had to figure out what would get flooded with sewer water in basement. My wife stated that the water was really coming fast outside. We looked and determined we have to get the cars out of the garage and at least onto the driveway, way higher. The rain was coming so hard now, it was difficult to see. Water as now rising fast, we had 4 cars at house we needed to start moving them. got 2 out then hear backflow preventer in house explode. WE had to go, now sewer water was gushing in downstairs... 3 foot in maybe 10 minutes... power went out... we grabbed some clothes and cat figured we would move minivan and my pagoda (was last because only 1 car driveway and it was the farthest in garage. we stepped outside the water was barreling down the main street, I did not know if the minivan would make it out, the pagoda had no chance. I left it at the highest point on driveway and we sputtered out in minivan...still when I left all 4 wheels on pagoda were dry. just stuck on an island of dry driveway. Tried calling tow service... nothing... these photos are from my neighbor at 8AM. I am heartbroken. It all came so fast, I can armchair quarterback all I want , but when it is happening to you it all goes so fast, it is surreal. I do not know what insurance will do about the car, I already heard they will not cover my belongings in the house with my renters insurance you need special flood insurance. I know people say they are only things, but they are things I worked very hard to afford, worked very hard to restore and deserved to enjoy. My wife was besides herself, she say the pictures first, it was our car we dated in it, she learned about cars through it. A 1971 Mercedes does not just grow on trees. So thinking positively what would be the ideas for getting the water out of the engine and transmission?
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Hello Baron,
What a terrible thing to happen! It hurts to see these pictures of your pagoda. Let us know if there is anything we can do. Drain and change all fluids, as soon as possible. Remove air filter and dry it out. Remove the spark plugs and crank the engine before trying to restart. Get the car running as soon as possible, so it can dry itself out. the heat of the engine will dry out exhaust, crankcase, etc. Re-place fluids again if needed.
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Very sad to hear ... good to know that you and your family are okay.
Bon Courage!
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I cannot imagine how you must feel. Yes it's just stuff but as you say, it's YOUR stuff and you worked hard to get it, cherish it and look after it
Must be devastating all round and that's without seeing your car under water (and no doubt worse!)
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That is so terrible, really feel for you.
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What a nightmare. Feel so sorry for you.
You'll be terribly busy doing other stuff, but do what Joe said and when safe, get it up and running but get lots of pics for the insurer. Maybe remove all the carpets, seats, etc now as they'll hold a ton of moisture and probably need to be rebuilt and get clean water running through her. I had a flooded car. The thing I'd like to have done was to chuck it in a swimming pool or, better, park it in a fast flowing and wash out the mud.
Assume the battery is disconnected for now? The electics will be a real pain to dry out but at least the mechanicals will be OK. If there's a way of isolating the electrics whilst still getting the car running, look at that lest you fry something else when it's started. You could remove all by the most necessary fuses and relays when it comes to starting it.
Good luck.
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I am very sorry to see these pictures.
I once restored a BMW 3.0 CSI that had been flooded up to half the windshield. It is a LOT of work !! Flooded cars are often totalled by insurance companies and there is a reason for that.
In my case the water was carrying a lot of silt, which was left behind after flushing and drying. Silt acts as a lapping paste everywhere it got in (bearings, inside the engine, injection pump etc.). From the pictures you posted the water seems to be reasonably clear, so you have to check how much silt/sand may have gotten in all the mechanical systems before trying to start the car. If you feel you have some of it, restarting the car without taking everything apart and cleaning first may cause further damage.
With Huriccane Sandy I'm sure a lot of people have been recomissioning cars so there must be stories on the net on how to do it best.
To give you some courrage, below are two pictures of my BMW after I restored it. So it is possible !
(http://www.benzworld.org/forums/attachments/w126-s-se-sec-sel-sd/322229d1280374172t-any-w126-sec-owners-compare-drive-csi-1.jpg)
(http://www.benzworld.org/forums/attachments/w126-s-se-sec-sel-sd/322230d1280374172t-any-w126-sec-owners-compare-drive-csi-2.jpg)
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What a terrible ordeal.. you must have felt so powerless and frustrated. Hope that you can recover as much as you can of your car and household...
Peter
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So sorry to see those pics, that must be the worst feeling in terms of material loss that I can imagine :-(
Ulf
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So sorry to read your story, you must have so much to sort out but I would echo other members comments regarding the Pagoda and change all oils and remove as much interior trim as soon as possible and put a de humidifier in the car to remove wet and moisture that you can't see.
Neil
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I too feel for you, but do not despair, she'll breathe again.
Strip out as much of the interior as you can and see if you can enlist the help of your local bodyshop by putting her and her clothes into the spray booth for as long as possible. Do it ASAP to minimise damage. One of the best things about these cars is the lack of electronics; they are what really kill a flooded car.
Then here's what I would do:
Remove all of the fluids as a priority, DO NOT TRY TO START THE CAR! Remove the plugs, disconnect the fuel hoses from the injection pump, install new oil(s) & filter(s), crank the engine with the plugs still removed until you get oil pressure. Drain & re-fill the oil and change the filter again.
disconnect and safely isolate the LT leads at the coil.
FILL the fuel tank with a mix of ethanol and fuel 50/50. Ethanol absorbs moisture. Energise the fuel pump and discharge a couple of pints of fuel through the disconnected fuel delivery pipe. Install a new fuel filter. Disconnect the fuel lines at the injectors, re-connect the delivery lines and crank on the starter to eject fuel/ethanol mix through disconnected lines then re-connect them.
Leave for a while to allow any spilt fuel to dissipate, then re-connect coil leads and install new plugs.
Start engine and all being well she'll run fine. Run for a few minutes only and then switch off and drain fuel/ethanol and discard safely. Replenish tank with full fuel.
If automatic then elevate rear wheels and engage drive for a minute or so then switch off and drain fluid & renew filter. Repeat.
It's unlikely that your brake fluid reservoir will have been immersed but if you think it has then change the brake fluid too.
Have the dried carpets cleaned at a valeters.
re-assemble and enjoy her again.
Good luck.
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Back in the late 70's my mom was driving during a rainstorm in Stuttgart in her 300d.
The road flooded and the car ended up in several feet of water.
The told me that the car was towed to MB Sindlefingen,
The car was put into a paint booth and dried the car out.
I am sure they changed the fluids, filters etc as well.
Not sure if this is a good idea or an option for you.
still have the car... 200,000 Miles and running strong.
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Back in 1985 we had a huge flood in Virginia. I knew an insurance rep that was handling submerged vehicles. I purchased a almost new Chevy truck with 20,000 miles for $1,500. I gave it to my Dad. He worked on the truck for about a month. Got it all fixed up and drove it for 15 years.
My advice would be, time is your enemy when it is out of the water. Drain all fluids, get the upholstery out and try to get it dried. The seats will probably need to come apart. My Dad had to get the foam out of the seats and run through a machine to get the water out. You may need to change fluids a few times crank over engine and trans by hand and change again. Don't put a battery in until you have cleaned and lubed all connections.
There are probably web sites with list of things to do. Don't let your Pagoda sit at a shop and wait. Take action to prevent much worse damage.
Good Luck, Glad you are safe.......
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I can understand that you'd be heart-broken. Best of luck. Thank goodness that the family is safe.
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Bob,
I just saw this for the first time.
I'll call you later in the day and see if I can come by this weekend and help with anything.
Mark
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Bob,
This is something that all of us fear, but knowing you you'll have this baby up an running in no time.
let me know if I can help you with any parts.
Good Luck.
Shaun
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I can't add much , but my heart dropped looking at those pics!,, good luck .
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Bob
All I can say is we are so so sorry to read what happened to you and your family.
Frank
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Ohh, Bob........just so very sorry.
Denny
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Thank you everyone, I guess part of the reason I posted was so that I would not feel like a freak. I understand it is irrational to have such a attachment to a inanimate object but after all the time and effort I feel a real loss. People just kept saying it is just a thing and I thought I was going crazy. After all the great words of encouragement I have started on getting "Veronica" back on the road. So the interior has been stripped out, but that great Duramat I put down just refuses to move and water is trapped between that and the metal. I was thinking of either freezing it and braking off strips at a time or using a body shop heat lamp to heat it up and hopefully the water will evaporate. Still no adjustor from Insurance but I am not waiting any longer. I know the trans is full of water from the breather tube so will drain that and rear diff next.
Here is picture it is from my cellphone so not great quality.
Again thank you EVERYONE for your prayers and support
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Try one of those multi fiunction oscillating tools for removing the duramat. They are amazing at removing stubborn stuck on things. Maybe a heat lamp too.
Best of luck - think of the bond you will have with your Veronica after this ordeal.
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Byron,
I read your post for the first time soon after you wrote it Sunday evening and have checked back many times since. When I first saw the pictures of your car my heart sank and I honestly did know how to reply to your horrible situation. We have all seen the pictures of the aftermath to homes and possessions when natural disasters occur but to see your car underwater was really painful. Since then other members have offered sympathy and suggestions and I guess it is now my turn to add my name to that list. I am glad to see you are making some progress in getting things dried out and I am sure in time your car will be back on the road better then ever..
John
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you can take the wire off the distributer from the coil to distributor to crank the engine with a battery
on another not
I drove a show car thru a flood once, after a concourse, summer storm
everyone got stuck but me, fire trucks were racing by with boats on trailers behind them creeks overflowing every where, rode blocked etc
the 280SL alternator was above the water, line!
the water was up to my door sill...
Car Ran Fine!!!
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I am so sorry. Absolutely gutted for you.
Just a suggestion, if you havn't already blown rust proofing through the sills during the restoration then I would be drilling some strategic holes and investing in a cavity wax gun and several tubes of good quality wax/rust preventative. While the interior is out most of the hard to get to places are exposed. Another product that I would probably blow in before the wax is a something like Brunox (http://www.brunox.com/website/productpages/Epoxy-Spray-en.html) which is really viscous and will seep into all the seams (pagodas weak spot) and neutralize the rust and coat it with a very hard protective epoxy coating ready to take the wax.
I pushed about 10 cans of this stuff through mine after finishing the rust repairs. I was quite startled at the lack of protection the factory afforded the inside of various hard to get at cavities.
I wish I was a bit closer so I could come over and help out.
Cheers
Andy
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Sorry for your troubles, but they can be overcome. If it had been a salt water immersion there would be no salvation.
The following is a picture of cars ravaged by the waters of Superstorm Sandy that are awaiting disposition on the runways of the former Grumman Aircraft Peconic River Plant in Calverton, New York:
(http://i33.tinypic.com/2wqtrao.jpg)
Regardless of claims to the contrary, nothing can be done to assure long term survival of a vehicle that has been exposed to salt water, hence the insurance companies' policy to immediately "total" such vehicles.
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Although Homeowner policies do not cover flood, most auto policies that have comprehensive coverage (not just collision) do cover flood. Call your insurance carrier.
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Veronica after much work, sweat and tears IS BACK ON THE ROAD... Did 1st 100 miles this week got up on rack changed all fluids for the 4th time.. HOUSTON I THINK WE ARE A GO! Thanks you everyone for your thoughts and prayers... 90 days from disaster to on the road again... most work done by me with lots of help from Hi-Line Automotive, some money from State Farm didn't hurt... BUT EVERYONE CHECK YOUR POLICY IF YOU HAVE NOT CHANGED THE VALUE OF YOUR CAR IN YEARS DO SO NOW!
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Congratulations!!!!!!
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Great news well done :) :)
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Great to see you have your car back on the road! Excellent advice about the policy update.
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Not only did the Baron get his car up and running in 90 days, but he had a few other things going on ... like moving out of a flooded house, finding another place to live, moving there, dealing with his other cars .... I'm sure there were a few more things.
The man must not sleep ! :D
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Great news.
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Mark, none it it would have been possible without the help and support of my VERY UNDERSTANDING WIFE Ariana! She was a trooper and helped where she could! Big shout out to HiLine Automotive in Downers Grove for letting me use their lifts and shop at a moments notice and even on weekends when they were closed.
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Excellent news,,
You should be an inspiration to any of us who suffer problems of a lesser magnitude,
Brilliant work
Paul
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90 days!, fast work, I'm sure all here are pleased with your great news, congratulations.
Neil