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Hurricane Wilma spared lives, but not vehicles. In less than an hour, storm
surge turned the Keys into a car graveyard, with Key West, Marathon and Big
Coppitt Key receiving the worst of it.
Flood waters moved down the streets so fast that residents had no time to
move their cars to higher spots, which were far and few between. Seventy percent
of Key West was underwater at one point, city officials estimated. Some
residents hoped the flood waters would subside before cars were flooded out.
They were disappointed. Many people attempted to start their cars after the
waters receded, but they could not because of damaged starters, alternators and
computers and shorts in the electrical systems.
Small spontaneous vehicle fires were reported throughout the Lower Keys, as
vehicles began to dry and electricity was restored to some wires. Other wires
were still damp and caused a short circuit in the car's electrical system. The
shorts can burn wires, molding and plastic casings. To prevent this, owners can
disconnect loosen the screw holding the cable terminal onto the negative post on
the battery and pull it out. Usually the red one is positive and black is
negative.
Motorists who have airbags in their cars are at risk of shorts causing the
bags to deploy without warning. Key West Division Chief David Fraga reported
that three incidents of surprise airbag deployments had been reported in Key
West on Wednesday.
"Luckily, no one was hurt," he said, "but the potential is
always there."
He suggested that the best way to ensure safety might be to leave the vehicle
where it is and call an insurance company to let an insurance adjuster handle
the situation.
Automobile service and repair businesses and dealerships were flooded with
calls on Wednesday. Richard Hoeffer's, of Richard's Tune Up, estimates that 70
to 80 percent of the vehicles in Key West are destroyed.
“I have gotten 80 calls,” Hoeffer said Wednesday. “I'm so backed up. It
will take me weeks to do all the work. It's first come, first serve right
now.”
“It's been crazy,” said Mike Young of Oily's Auto Center on Stock Island.
“I am trying to help as many people as I can but the demand is great.”
Mechanics recommend that people who have not tried to start their flooded
cars refrain from doing so.
As soon as a flooded engine turns over the gas, oil and water can mix and
that means a car owner is in possession of the car's death certificate instead
of a title. Even if the car hasn't been started, it could still be a total loss.
“Pretty much at this point, we're telling people that if the water got up
to the flood board, it might be salvageable. If it was higher than that, call
your insurance company because it's probably junk,” said Steve Pearson, owner
of Marathon Auto and Air.
According to Pearson, a car has three vulnerable points in a flood — the
air intake manifold (usually at the top of the engine); the fuse box (located at
about the same level as the brake pedal) and the transmission and axles.
A flooded fuse box usually means the electrical system is shot. The car may
function for a while, but will eventually sputter to a stop. Some flooded fuse
boxes resulted in spectacular fires when sparks from shorting circuits ignited
the car.
“The crank case is sealed,” Pearson said. “But the transmission and
axles are not. They have vents to the atmosphere. Water doesn't just creep into
the engine, it fills it up.”
When transmission fluid and water mix, it turns into a “milkshake” and
that's the beginning of the end, said Bob Dagnall, a Big Pine Key mechanic.
Dagnall said that driving the car only a few miles can cause considerable
damage.
Using a dipstick is not a reliable method of determining if there is water in
the engine. Water is heavier than oil and will be at the bottom of the pan.
Pearson said that oil and gas are lighter and will be at the top of the tank.
If the vehicle has not been started it might be possible to save the car by
draining all the fluids out and flushing the system.
Duncan Auto Sales lost 135 vehicles out of 140 because of flooding. They
began receiving calls and putting people on a waiting list as of Wednesday,
Duncan vice president Sheila Duncan said. The company sent of one of its
employees to the Atlanta area to look for used cars. The company did not want to
chance buying used cars in Florida, which could have suffered salt water damage
in the storm. Duncan is looking to open its auto service center by Friday. The
company lost of many of its tools to flooding.
“We are working as fast as we can,” Sheila Duncan said. “The factories
are helping us the best they can.”
Largo Honda in Key Largo also began receiving calls from people in the Lower
Keys, who were looking for new cars, General Manager Rick Lemaier said.
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