[momsonlydriver]

Introduction

A warm 'hello' to the ones reading this post. We all have been going through these difficult times due to the lockdown (covid-19) and here in Kolkata we had faced a deadly cyclone that has destroyed most parts of the city.

My apartment complex. See the Honda City? It doesn't function right now (like the sx4).

I wasn't really affected be the cyclone but the rain has caused flood in our area (Ballygune). Due to the massive flood our wifi and cars have been out of order. My car was parked on the second highest spot of my apartment complex and still both my cars were attacked.

Due to the lockdown and barricades we failed to save our cars before the disaster.

This is not the first time my car has sunk. My sx4 has been drowned thrice and this is the first time for my Seltos which is not as badly affected as the sx4. This post is specifically for Seltos.

Discovery:


Notice the mud mark on the front door? The water had reached around 200-250mm

That night the water levels were fine and the rain had stopped and thankfully the water never entered the car. Next morning all the road water came inside our complex and made matters worse. We waited till the water levels went low so that we could open the car door.

Door was open-able at this stage.

The water had reached till the fuel lid opener in the interior. That resulted in the bose amplifier to be under water. The middle seat mount wasn't wet but water was equally distributed. There was no water found in boot. (SX4 seats, handbrake and boot were affected). Surprised to see the Seltos being comparatively great.

Our Action:

Our immediate response was take mugs and throw away the excess water. It took 3 hours to empty both the cars. We even took micro fiber cloths and soaked the water and rinsed it in buckets. Obviously the dampness was still there and the bose amplifier was releasing continuous water even after several wipes.

We removed the water but the mats were damp.

Note: We did not start the engine and the battery was alive.

Problems were noticed:

Remember this important formula:

Feature loaded car = money loaded bills

I have the top of the line trim and it's filled with all the bells and whistles that the car has to offer. Since the car is full of electronics and the main enemy is water you can very understand the pain I'm going through right. The amount of testing it will require to bring it back to what it was.

Problem 1: Airbag lights (6 airbags)
Problem 2: Ventilated seats buttons were glitching
Problem 3: No sound from Bose speakers

There might be quite a few problems that were not seen. I am confident that the car has no engine problem. Once again, we only checked the electronics to see if all the switches were working or not.

Kia UVO Service:

UVO button redirected me to a number and the call wasn't going from my car because my area has tons of network problem due to the cyclone.

I noted the number from the infotainment screen and went back home and gave a call from the mobile phone. The road side assistant toll free number asked for my car registration number, color, fuel type, full address and towing space availability.

It was definitely a time consuming process but they were not sounding sure. They lacked confidence in their voice. They mentioned: "We will let you know by tomorrow". Well the next morning they gave an unexpected call and they asked for the specific local safe routes and within an hour they reached at 10:00 AM. It wasn't even 24 hours that I contacted them and their service was very quick

Heros are here..

Really didn't expect a good service. My Maruti Suzuki service experience has always been average. I had been satisfied with Kia's first service. Their ambience, atheistic and equipment available to work on cars are very advanced.

Kia's Arrival

Since my Sx4 was dead and parked in front we removed that by maneuvering the car with no power steering assist. Man power, handbrake and hand power worked to remove the car from slopes.

Ultimately I sat on the Kia, shifted the car to N with the help of shift lock button. Went to second step with the engine start button to release the steering wheel from lock. (We did not start the engine)

My complex has narrow twist, turns and slopes that made it a struggle for my hands and the people pushing the car.

Me looking like a 15 year old sneaking my head out I'm 20

Ultimately managed to put the car on the flat bed and the car was towed to the bed where the tires were tightly tied for a firm grip to lead it's journey to the service station.

I received a comment: "Lamborgini wala service mila tereko" that translates to "You received a Lamborghini like service"

Since all the cars were affected, my Kia was the first Kia to be taken to the Kia service station due to this flood attack. The man said there is one more Kia appointment he received. Seems like only a few Kia's were affected due to the unfortunate locations. My neighbor isn't yet bothered to call Kia service personally.

Here we say a goodbye to our car!

Kia service calls us:

After 30 minutes or so the service station professionally contacted us where they declared that the car had successfully reached their service station and they will start their work from today.

I was asked if I saw any possible issues with the car to which I answered the three problems I sighted. They are keeping the car for minimum 2 weeks (not confirmed, might be longer). I personally don't mind because as it is we can't travel anywhere due to the lockdown, might as well fix my car.

They are taking the responsibility to strip my car interior trims off and electronics where each one of them will be dried. The carpet will go for a heavy cleaning and sanitisation. They won't return the car till everything dries.

They mentioned that after drying the electronic parts, they will test all the electronics to see what works and what doesn't. They will replace the electronics as required.

We are ready to spend for this car but I want everything to be back to order and they are assuring that. I will keep y'all updated with whatever information comes and we will hope to see a bright future in the coming next month where we see a Kia Seltos rolling out with no issues. I'm not keeping any expectation level from a new brand in India. Their first impression seems positive.

[jetsetgo08]

That's an ordeal to pass through, even more when it's a new car. Engine and the DCT electronics should undoubtedly be functional, as they sit higher. So do the other higher perched electronic components.

But, it would be great if you can get any replacements for the affected components through insurance as sun-bathing(esp. sensors) may make them throw unnecessary tantrums at a later stage.

[Bibendum90949]

Always a deplorable sight to see cars getting damaged, whether it's an accident or by nature's fury. Sorry to hear about this buddy.

If not for those Bose amplifiers and the power seat mechanisms under the front seats, you may have come out of this ordeal unscathed largely. Hope that it hasn't caused further damage than this.

I'm sure Kia folks would do the best they can to restore everything back in order. I would suggest you visit the service centre and see for yourself what all have conked up and take a stock of the situation by yourself. Request them to show it and seek an explanation too. Be on top of things.

I guess the repair work should get covered under insurance. Keep us posted on the developments and hope to see you soon behind the wheels.

Cheers,
Bibendum.

[Fordlover88]

Sad to see a new car in such a state. The storm left a devastating effect in Kolkata. Good that Kia acted promptly and towed your car to their service centre. Have you informed your insurance service provider about this incident? Hope you get your car back soon.

[momsonlydriver]

Originally Posted by Bibendum90949

I'm sure Kia folks would do the best they can to restore everything back in order. I would suggest you visit the service centre and see for yourself what all have conked up and take a stock of the situation by yourself. Request them to show it and seek an explanation too. Be on top of things.

I have visited their service station in the past and everything is professionally laid out. There is a key bonus to this situation that our known family friend works there and has taken the responsibility to keep in touch on a regular basis.

We might pay a surprise visit this week to see what is progress the car is making. We shall give it a weeks time.

[libranof1987]

Sorry about the tragedy that has accompanied the storm in WB and Orissa.

Insurance companies (at least on paper and in news) have been very proactive in registering claims during all the calamities that have hit India in the very recent past. Keep following-up with your SA, ask for the extent of damage (esp to electronics and mechanicals) and ensure there are no short-cuts to reduce insurance cost. If this is a flood affected total loss, so be it. Tough but better in the longer run.

[momsonlydriver]

Originally Posted by Fordlover88

Have you informed your insurance service provider about this incident? Hope you get your car back soon.

We had got Kia insurance and they have stated clearly that the insurance can be availed for any electronics parts being replaced. We are still now sure that we will avail or not. If bill exceeds 1L by any chance, might think of availing. The sad part is that my family has barely any love for the SX4. It is right now in a sorry state and Maruti hasn't even opened their service station.

[Miyata]

Depending on the estimates from Kia, you could choose to invoke an insurance claim on it?

Also, from the photos posted of the cyclone devastation by the Kolkata BHPian folks, it appears many people have parked their cars by the road and in path of potential falling trees/branches. With so many cyclones over the years, would it not be beneficial to move the car out of the any tree ranges - like dedicated multilayer parking lots at nearby malls or offices?

Also, I was thinking, if you have contacts of few truck-bed people, you might be able to coordinate with them and move up the vehicle for storage prior to the cyclone making landfall? I don't know what their charges would be, but certainly much less than the overall toll the car and owner takes in the event of such water induced damages.

[momsonlydriver]

Originally Posted by Miyata

Depending on the estimates from Kia, you could choose to invoke an insurance claim on it?
Also, I was thinking, if you have contacts of few truck-bed people, you might be able to coordinate with them and move up the vehicle for storage prior to the cyclone making landfall? I don't know what their charges would be, but certainly much less than the overall toll the car and owner takes in the event of such water induced damages.

Yes we can choose to invoke an insurance claim depending on the estimate from Kia.
If this lockdown wouldn't have occurred I would have shifted these cars (self-driven) to my grandmother's house who lives 10mins away (separating us from a bridge).
If I would have taken my car out it would have been seized by the police department where the car would have been further abused.

[AYP]

Sorry to hear about the ordeal mate. Wishing you the least of issues.

I have always had this 'idea' wherein if you have 2 lifting jacks lying with you, is it al right to use them both on a single car by placing them diagonally and lift the car so that it stays safe during floods?

Apart from the risk of the jack getting loose, are their any other risks associated with this step?

[momsonlydriver]

Originally Posted by AYP

Sorry to hear about the ordeal mate. Wishing you the least of issues.

I have always had this 'idea' wherein if you have 2 lifting jacks lying with you, is it al right to use them both on a single car by placing them diagonally and lift the car so that it stays safe during floods?

Apart from the risk of the jack getting loose, are their any other risks associated with this step?

We had this plan is mind. But the water and the waves caused due to the cars running on the road would have made it loose and propably caused a splash dive and some damage. Also note: Strong winds were blowing. It was a cyclone and not a mere rainfall.

"A connected app feature that lets you connect with your car"

I also have the update on my current UVO app. It seems that I was right regarding the airbags but surprisingly the ABS is also affected

[Nithesh_M]

Could be just the fuses blown in the best case scenario.

[boniver]

Good to know Kia was prompt to attend to your call for help. Let's hope the car gets back to its previous state very soon!
Thankfully my garage is located at a higher level from the road and the car did not suffer. Many neighbours faced water ingress in their cars and have been advised by their respective insurance companies to not touch them.

Here are some photos from a neighbouring building's basement:




PS: Off topic, but I think you live in the same apartment complex as one of my closest friends from school. The first picture resembles an area in his complex where we've played a lot of football. We used to keep our cellphones on that ledge while playing

[momsonlydriver]

Originally Posted by boniver

PS: Off topic, but I think you live in the same apartment complex as one of my closest friends from school. The first picture resembles an area in his complex where we've played a lot of football. We used to keep our cellphones on that ledge while playing

Indeed you are right. What not used to be played here? So many have visited! maybe in your times the building was pink.

[theautoman]

Very unfortunate to see a new car suffer such an incident, in such situations few people exacerbate the conditions by trying to start the engine and what not, and end up with issues ranging from bent connecting rods to broken cylinder heads.
hope your car is restored to its original state, Cheers.