Hello, I have a 2001 Honda S2000 that recently pooped out after a horrible hydroplaning experience where I hit a low spot on a highway during a MASSIVE rainstorm and spun out 3 times in the middle of highway.

As I was spinning out of control I could notice that I had been also manipulating the gears to try and stabilize myself and.. well not die.. as my car came to a halt.. it was dead. I thought ok.. damn im happy to be alive right now..

At the time I wasn't exactly thinking of damages from water , or why exactly my car died, I figured it was probably just due to me taking it out of gear..losing clutch.. yadda yadda..
As I started it back up... it sounded as if the battery was almost dead... which was impossible i knew because I had just put a new battery in it like a month prior. It didnt start right away.. I was kinda like shit.. it was getting dark.. it was pouring rain.. I almost died..AND to top it all off.. I was late to work... I was freakin out basically.

So I kept cranking it.. and it finally started... but it was like my whole car was shaking and it was idling reallllllly hard.. I was only a few blocks from where I work, and keep it mind.. its F'N POURING rain.. so i try to just get to work .. as I come to a stop sign.. it dies. .. so im like.. ah shit... it just got real.. something is bad wrong here.. I start it again.. does the same shaky business.. but i am like right across the street from my work at this point.. so i pull in.. as I am turning the corner.. and i put in the clutch.. it dies again.. boom.. im sitting in the entrance of the parking lot. .. I give it another try.. it sounds like its boggy.. like the battery was low.. I push it off to the side a bit.. and walk across the lot to work. after working a few hours.. and the rain calming down.. i try to start it.. nothing AT ALL.. just a click. not even trying to turn over.


This car has about 120k miles on it.. I left it over night and got a ride home.. the next day.. i tried it again.. thinking maybe if it sits awhile it'll be okay... WRONG.. still dead.. i have it towed to the nearest mechanic.. he tells me its seized up. cant even turn it manually , that it was impossible. Needed a new engine.. . I had it towed to the nearest Honda dealer afterwards.. paid to have it broken down. The advisor tells me his tech mentioned it seemed due to "Hydrolocking" ... the head was fine.. and only 1 cylinder was locked up/bent.. whatever.. said he visible saw water in it.
( this was days after the original incident at this point. )

Now I had no idea about this hydrolocking stuff AT ALL.. and I was going through alot of other issues family wise as we had just lost everything to a house fire.. so I had NO idea hydrolocking is something that could be covered by comprehensive coverage... well after the car has been in the shop waiting for me to make a decision on how to fix it.. time went by fast.. months passed with me not making a move.. they told me i needed to either to let them replace motor/tow it/or they are gonna charge me 30 dollars a day.. finally I started asking more questions.. and doing research.. I saw on various forums how people were covered in these situations... well. I called my insurance. Wont name them at the moment.... they seemed very hesitant to answer any of my questions bout the hydrolocking issue, and were saying if it was a mechanical failure they wont cover it.. So I presented the fact that it was due to the rain.. which i didnt know could have done that to the engine.. and that the tech said that was the reason my engine seized.. she said that the car was 10 years old and could have been due to wear and tear... and said that it would be the field rep who would assess if i would be covered or not..

OH by the way.. the night that I left it... it was vandalized .. broken window.. keyed completely.. dented in doors, kicked a headlight in.. various other damage.. this is like .. wow.. at this point.. got a police report done.. explained the situation.. its all documented.. about the rain incident .. car dying.. thats why it was left.. ( in a well lit area ) outside of my work.. Golds Gym.. in Plano, TX.. very high traffic area.. figure it would be okay right??? WRONG...

I also made a claim on the vandalization of the vehicle.. which .. could very well cause a total loss anyways.... it was a horrible experience .. and being a pretty immature young guy I never knew or questioned insurance stuff until now.. and I feel like if the car was running just fine before I hydroplaned.. and then it basically doesnt now.. and the tech said that basically was the issue.. that I should be covered.. right???

Any advice ??? I have to wait until next tues. for the rep to go to the honda dealership to look at the car.. which the engine is still broken down for easy viewing ...
IF you have dealt with this issue, feel free to shoot me a phone call on how you went about getting your insurance to co-operate with you, and what to expect when speaking to them, because I really don't wanna get screwed on this deal...

THANKS FOR READING!!!!!!

 

#1 Remove your cell phone immediately from the post - bad idea

#2 You were an idiot for not contacting insurance immediately after finding out there was an issue for both the hydrolocking and vandalism. (Sorry for being blunt, live and learn. I'm surprised your parents didn't tell you to call insurance)

#3 Because of the length of time passed you may not be able to file an insurance claim against it for the hydrolocking. Some companies have policies stating you have to file a claim within like 10 days (random number but you get the idea)

Given all the issues I think insurance would probably just total it and give you a check for it - whatever amount that may be.

*edit* Hopefully everything is documented from both the independent shop and Honda as to what was found and what the cause for the damage was.

 

#1 - Done

#2 - Yes, I agree with the idiot part. Part of the issue is during the same time-frame we had just lost everything in a house-fire and had all kinds of other issues flying around.. and I was in the process of buying another vehicle.. so I dropped the ball a bit on the insurance claim.

#3 - I had no idea that water damage IN an engine could be covered.. it was actually just now that the tech mentioned the part about the hydrolocking. The first shop wasnt every helpful, and when i got to the Honda dealership.. i couldnt afford a break down at the time.. I did file a police report the day after the incident .. so it is documented that it happened.. Honda didnt come right out and say hey u are hydrolocked.. this was a new discovery after i asked exactly what the issue was.. i was pretty detached from the issue, some SERIOUS life issues going on at the same time. The Honda advisor said he would personally show the insurance rep the damages and explain how they determined it was due to water not compressing and causing the damage. the independent shops guy ..died.. over the past 2 months.. so now the manager there is looking for my documentation .. but i feel the Honda tech's findings of water in there should be good enough evidence to conclude this was a freak accident... right??

P.S. I also have the police report that explains the issues leading up to the vandalization, and the photos i took the day of .. shows the damages.. and visibly water spots and dirt all over car... wet ground.. etc.. I just really didnt think responsibly and am definitely kicking myself in the ass right now.. but hoping for the best...

Thanks for Input

 

Plano, TX ? I haven't seen pouring in TX for a very long time...

 

yeah, he did say it was a couple months ago though.
either way, we really do need the rain

 

 

this happened back in Feb.

 

If you recall how horrible the rain/hail/snowy weather was back at that point.. it was terrible, on george bush turnpike, i am not from this area, definitely lowers in some points

 

Even with a very heavy rain water had to get into the engine somehow. Is the car stock? Did you go though a really deep pool of water? Basically from my undertanding for the engine to actually lock you have to get alot of water into the exhaust or intake and run the engine for a while. Maybe if a bunch filled the gas tank it can happen that way as well but you get the point. Good luck man I don't know why you would have waited on either thing to contact your insurance but you might be in trouble. See if you can find a used engine and swap that in.

 

Car is stock performance-wise except for a catback exhaust. it has a full veilside bodykit and wheels, the only mods.

I hit an area that was lower and this was like an extremely heavy rainfall that came on pretty suddenly, I'd venture to say flash-flood in areas. I remember vividly hitting a spot and my car seemed to slow instantly like 10mph and thats when i lost control..i mean.. going over it in my head, i remember my engine being loud during this incident, i very well may have been revving enough to catch any water that did happen to rush in somehow.. now i have no idea how the water issue happened EXACTLY either.. but they are the ones that took apart the engine and found water in it..'

I just had no idea this was something covered under insurance, i've always assumed if its something with an engine then theres nothing they can do. I never heard of the term before, and flooding is not common in this area really.. so I never even thought to ask.. being such an older car with that many miles on it. I just figured it was done. yeah I am a fool at times for sure.