SLK/R170: Ideas about recovering a flooded 2000 SLK230
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 241
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From: Houston, TX
2006 E55 AMG, 2018 Audi Q7, 2005 Porsche Boxster S, 1930 Model A Hot Rod, 744HP 1965 Shelby Cobra
Ideas about recovering a flooded 2000 SLK230
A friend has a 2000 SLK230. It was in a flood, and he's asking if I want to give it a go to get it running. No big $ at stake here, it's more of a "lets have a few beers in the garage and see what we can pull off" sort of thing. The good news is that it only flooded (fresh, not salt water) to about 2 inches below the top of the rims. I haven't seen the car yet, but I'm sure the seats and console went under. He was smart enough to not turn on the car so there was no electrical current sent through anything to the best of my knowledge.
It looks to me in poking around Google that the primary computer is at the top of the fenderline, so that was definitely not flooded. Obviously, I have to drain engine, rear and trans, that's a no-brainer. However, given that the dash was dry and the main computer was dry, what other sensitive components might have gone under water? I'm not that familiar with the SLK230, and where the main electrical components are located. I don't know where the anti skid computer is.
Given all the knowledge that you guys have with this car, where would you start, beyond the obvious engine, trans and rear draining and refilling with new fluids?
Thanks
It looks to me in poking around Google that the primary computer is at the top of the fenderline, so that was definitely not flooded. Obviously, I have to drain engine, rear and trans, that's a no-brainer. However, given that the dash was dry and the main computer was dry, what other sensitive components might have gone under water? I'm not that familiar with the SLK230, and where the main electrical components are located. I don't know where the anti skid computer is.
Given all the knowledge that you guys have with this car, where would you start, beyond the obvious engine, trans and rear draining and refilling with new fluids?
Thanks
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 241
Likes: 17
From: Houston, TX
2006 E55 AMG, 2018 Audi Q7, 2005 Porsche Boxster S, 1930 Model A Hot Rod, 744HP 1965 Shelby Cobra
Does anyone have anything they can lend to this that's actually constructive?
Thanks.
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Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 14
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2001 SLK320, 2001 ML320
This is an old thread, but I thought I toss my 2 cents in anyway: Water will cause corrosion between contact points in electronics, especially if there was any current at all while wet. All non-permanent points of contact (plugs, connections, switches, points on non-sealed relays, etc) would need to be checked and maybe cleaned. Cleaning just to see if it works could be as simple as unplugging and plugging back in a couple times, wiping contacts with a q-tip, or using a dremel with a brass wire wheel for the bigger, badder spots.
If the battery was not disconnected, then any circuits which remained live while wet may have corroded beyond the point of no return. In which case thank goodness for eBay.
If water got into the engine, transmission, differential, gas tank, etc, then it'll settle to the bottom and should come out first when drained, which naturally you may want to do at least to check due to the poor lubrication and combustion properties of water.
If the battery was not disconnected, then any circuits which remained live while wet may have corroded beyond the point of no return. In which case thank goodness for eBay.
If water got into the engine, transmission, differential, gas tank, etc, then it'll settle to the bottom and should come out first when drained, which naturally you may want to do at least to check due to the poor lubrication and combustion properties of water.
