# diesel car engine flooded, insurance write off ?



## LouisCribben (23 Nov 2009)

My mother drove into a fairly deep flood a few days ago in her one year old diesel engine VW.
The engine cut out, and a couple of hours later, the car was towed away to a garage.
The engine was flooded, the car itself was not flooded though, as the shell is waterproof

The engine wont start since, there may be quite a bit of damage to the engine, we're not sure how much damage though

A loss assessor is coming soon.
We dont know a lot about car insurance claims as we never had one before.

Any advice on how to deal with the loss assessor?
Is it likely to be deemed an insurance write-off ?

We're just a bit worried that the loss assessor may deem that the engine should be repaired, and that the car may never be as good as it was before the incident.
A repaired /rebuilt engine, in my view, is never going to be as good as it was before the accident. But I could be wrong

Any advice ?


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## mercman (23 Nov 2009)

A diesel engine can be repaired from flood damage a lot easier and effectively than a petrol engine.


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## mathepac (24 Nov 2009)

I agree with mercman. A water-flooded diesel engine can in certain circumstances stay running. What messes up modern diesels is the water attacking the electronic gizmos but these can be replaced.


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## Bills Bills (4 Dec 2009)

My wife's car stalled in a bad flood. At first we thought it was serious so we called our insurance company. By the time the Accessor called out, our mechanic got the engine going with very little effort. We were relieved. However the assessor wants to write the car off because water got in to the floor of the passenger side and coroded an electric unit. Our mechanic says it is very fixable (the unit) and it is nonsence to write the car off. Also, the assessor wont allow my mechanic to buy rhe car as a breaker. Apparently he sends all his breakers to one guy who has a breakers liecence.
They are offering us a sum of money €1500 less than the value if it wrote off. All we want is to have our car back on the road and we will pay for the costs ourselves (under €1000).
Has this scenario happened to anyone else?? Please help. We feel like we are bullied in to having it wrote off.


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## Guest128 (4 Dec 2009)

Did you ring the insurance company and tell them that you dont want to claim, its your car at the end of the day - if you cancel the claim is this eejit of an assessor cancelled as well by default?


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## Bills Bills (4 Dec 2009)

Ya rang the insurance company and told them we dont want to make a claim. They said they have great "respect" for this assessor. 
He is trying his hardest to get this car wrote off as a category B.
I agree with you, it's our car at the end of the day but we are being bullied into having our perfect car wrote off.
At this stage we will be taking the case to the finnancial ombudsman. I'v had enough with these insurance firms. I was doing up the sums in my head. They wont be out one penny regardless if we claim or not. But if we do claim I will have to question weather or not I will see our car driven by someone else in the future??
On this case the assessor will meet his match. I'd rather keep the car in my garage than hand it over to him.


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## LouisCribben (4 Dec 2009)

Bills, you're having a laugh I think !

At first I was going to explain that an insurance company cannot force or bully someone to make a claim if they dont want to (esp a claim which pays 1500 less than the market value), then I realised

You're having a laugh !! There is a word for this this, it's not trolling, I dont know what the word is.


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## LS400 (4 Dec 2009)

Bills, you dont have to make the claim. Simple as that. If you do, the assessor is right to write the car off if water possibly entered the electrical components. There is every possibility corrosion, in time can cause a fire risk, and thats as simple as that. He will not put his name to that risk or anyone else the mechanic sell the car to.


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## Bills Bills (7 Dec 2009)

We  dont want to make a claim. He wants to send in his report and get the car wrote off. He is taking us for a ride. I swear I'm not having a laugh.


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## LS400 (7 Dec 2009)

He is only sending in report so he will get paid for inspecting the car. You still, even now, can cancel the claim. Call your Insurance and speak to claims handler, and tell them you do not want to take it any further. You will only have to pay for car hire if you got one.


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