The garages, service centres and towing services were already crowding up. Since our car was only mildly hit, I decided to take the DIY approach.

BHPian sathyasuri recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello everyone,

I have a soon-to-be 8-year-old (in less than a week) Mahindra TUV300. Here is my narration of the ownership story (well, that was the original idea of this thread until the flood hit us) and its DIY work-in-progress (WIP) revival after it got mildly hit in the recent Chennai floods. I am posting this while the recovery is still in the WIP stage so that I can get guidance and some useful info on things that I encounter in the process from our experienced forum members.

Some background:

About the bond with the car:

To start with, we (the entire family) adore this car in spite of its many quirks and shortcomings. We call it the "Yaanai Kutty" (baby elephant in Tamil) mainly because it is black, chubby and quite brisk to drive.

I have a strange philosophy (maybe it is not just me), that got built up over years of driving, that life is like driving on the road. You see cars (people in real life) of different shapes (character of people) and sizes (capabilities of people). Some cars are smart, some are refined, some are flashy, some are calm and composed, some punch way above their weight, and some are underperforming, so you get the drift, right? In short, if cars were people in real life, then according to me TUV300 is like a reasonably good person who is mostly reliable, practical, forgiving and has a group of people who like him for what he/she is.

Let me get back to the topic, too much of overwhelming situations in a short span of a week make one philosophical.

From now on, I will try to keep it mostly pictures with minimal words...

The car on the day of arrival at our home - it is a 2015 Nov model. Being a T4+ variant, it came all black right from the factory in 2015 itself.

It had a few initial issues like the ones below:

• RHS front door noise
• Vacuum resonator retrofit
• Fuel pump recall
• Driver side seat belt replacement
• Steering pump and fuel filter replacement

Later it got retrofitted with the MLD as I was facing severe wheel spin issues while climbing onto my home parking on a daily basis.

Down the years some accessories were added, like a pair of fog lamps, Hella 700FF AUX lamps and recently an Android HU and it continues to be an all-black themed car.

It has taken us to different places and terrains reliably and without much difficulty.

Actually, MLD makes it very capable in bad terrains. It was able to negotiate this terrain without breaking a sweat. Sad that Mahindra didn't make a 4x4 variant.

The kids love it

One of its shortcomings is the lack of power, but it surely makes it up with its torque. So, it may not make it to places in good time but people (lots of them) travelling together in it end up having a great time

Wrath of nature

It has weathered some nature's furies including the previous 2015 Chennai flood, but back then it was still at the dealer's yard and was relatively safe as the area did not get flooded, but it did face the heavy downpour though. I followed our Tbhp PDI checklist and ensured the vehicle was safe to be picked up before registration.

During the Vardah Cyclone of 2016, these videos (clip 1 and clip 2)were taken after returning from an urgent Doctor visit during the storm.

Some spotting pics from Wapp gp friends

Random insights from me on the TUV300 that I posted in the TUV300 thread.

• Spiritual mates
• I think Mahindra took this from me and never bothered to credit me.

Recent Chennai Floods

The day started like this:

The water level rose pretty fast:

Meanwhile, inside the home, the Ground floor evacuation protocol was activated.

The night was spent like this

Aftermath: the water level marks

Recovery DIY:

The garages, service centers and towing services were already crowding up, and our car being only mildly hit decided to take the DIY approach. Also, I was confident (I hope that it doesn't turn out to be overconfidence) about the level of damage and felt that I could do a careful job of putting it back into shape.

The DIY process:

Started the day by sharing the vehicle pics and discussing with Ignite Garage's Raghav (I have been servicing it there since the 6th year) and an ex-Mahindra engineer (cousin). As they had advised I checked the oil, and all appeared good, cranked it and it started on the first attempt without any white smoke.

It coughed up quite a bit of this gunk though.

I let the vehicle idle for about an hour or so. Then took it for a drive for about 10 km, varied the engine speed so that the water in the exhaust path was dried and left the vehicle in the sun with the doors open to allow sunshine.

The following day removed the seats.

First, discarded the Rexine cover, I never liked it from the beginning, but had it only for practical purposes as my kids were very young back in 2015.

Then removed the mats and the dampening material underneath.

Used cotton cloth and sponge to remove the flood water that had collected in small puddles, it had seeped in through the door beadings or through the floor openings (?), I need to ascertain that.

The floor being sun dried with a bit of assistance from the fans.

The condition is as above right now, I plan to dry the mats for another day or two.

Considering my needs, the utility it offers, the bond my kids have with the car (they swear that they will learn to drive only in this car) and the usage pattern (it has done only about 64K KM so far) I plan to keep the car for some more years. I service it at Ignite Garage and had all the fluids replaced about 4K KMs back in Jul 2023, the underbody was 3M coated in 2016.

So, Tbhpians, please suggest a way to treat the minor rust, observed on the front side floor, would a simple spray paint suffice, or is some extra care needed? Do comment if an oil change or other changes/points that I need to take care of. Also, I plan to sound-damp the car and upgrade the speakers, should I go for dampening the floor as well since it is anyway bare open now or just go for the door dampening alone and save some cash for the future?

Actually, the car as such is relatively calm compared to many diesel hatchbacks and monocoque SUVs, thanks to a good level of bonnet dampening and generous firewall shields from the factory itself.

I wish to hear from the forum members about their experiences with such DIYs. Most of the aspects about the car are already in the Tbhp TUV 300 review thread and yes, I would be happy to share my experiences on some specific queries about the car.

Thanks for your time!

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

What I find unethical is that the insurance company wants me to give an affidavit stating that I have found the buyer at XXX price and then Y will pay the balance of the IDV and also basically absolve them of all responsibilities.

BHPian Balboa recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Need urgent advice. My car, Honda City, got submerged in my apartment complex during the rains on September 4th in Bangalore.

It's more than 50 days since the incident but there has been no tangible progress. From what I gather, such rain affected cars where the estimate is more than the IDV, the insurance companies through their network have the cars listed on the car trader's website auction. It then goes to the highest bidder. What I find unethical is that the insurance, let's say Y for now company (withholding the name for now) wants me to give an affidavit stating that I have found the buyer at XXX price and then Y will pay the balance of the IDV and also basically absolve them of all responsibilities. I found this strange as I have had no contact with the buyer. I was assured that it's the industry practice and everyone does the same. Was also given to understand that the buyer would salvage the parts.

After 2 false starts, status quo remains and the buyer who was supposed to buy backed out and said that the dealer workshop where I had the car towed is insisting that as per Honda's instruction, it is recorded that the car is flood affected. I do not find anything wrong in this.

I did not get the car repaired outside at a much lower cost when I could have due to the fear of recurring problems, and I certainly do not feel comfortable that someone coughing up 9 lakhs or so is made to suffer through this devious exercise.

What options are available for me? I have already sent them a mail that I do not wish to give an affidavit anymore stating that I had found a buyer. My only dealing will be the insurance company and they need to either close it from their end or give me in writing as to why the claim will not be honoured. It looks like it will be long drawn affair, have to continue EMI payments for a car that I do not have and I have to pay for the new car as well.

Here's what BHPian vigsom had to say on the matter:

Am sorry to hear of your ordeal this far, and the path ahead until this gets closed. While I have no experience in dealing with insurers on claims such as this, the following thread will help you. Please go through posts by bhpian Shekar.ca and others to get an idea on what to expect going forward.

Link 1

Link 2

Here's what BHPian androdev had to say on the matter:

As long as you mention in the affidavit that you are selling a flood affected car in as-is condition, you are not breaking any law. It’s a common practice for the insurance company to find a buyer of a total loss car and make the buyer pay directly to the customer. Balance payment will be made by the insurance company to match the IDV.

You can probably get a legal opinion to ensure your affidavit is worded carefully to safeguard your interests, and can go ahead with such a settlement.

Here's what BHPian anjan_c2007 had to say on the matter:

It appears that this is becoming a SOP for some insurance companies to engage in such deals to enable the insured to redeem his insurance declared value or IDV. This could also be their SOP for cars etc that are damaged beyond repair and could be salvaged by a third party. This third party gets the chunks of metal and plastic of the remains through auction. And this enables the insurer to get the best value for the car.

There could be other fine print pages in waiting with this affidavit, also required to be signed by you. These need to be read carefully and if necessary shown to your lawyer.

The sentence "that I have found the buyer at XXX price and then Y will pay the balance of the IDV and also basically absolve them of all responsibilities" appears premature as of now, since there is no buyer. Signing on the dotted line for some potential buyer needs caution. These buyers are usually professionals who have a hot line with scrappers and get spares out of the salvaged car for the scrap market. Nothing bad about it, since the City is to be salvaged! But the signing can always be done only and only after your insurance company finds a buyer. Please request the insurance company to allow you to meet the buyer and verify his details. You may check his Adhaar card (original) and get its copy for authentication and record. Also, if he has a visiting card, that's helpful. Only after meeting this person can the affidavit be signed. Affidavits are always signed before a notary (executive magistrate) with all the signatories remaining physically present. Any signatory absenting before the notary, needs to give a "power of attorney" to his trusted person to sign on his behalf. Please follow this procedure and you can explain it fully to your insurance company.

Yes, the Honda dealer's document saying that the car is flood affected will help your insurer to make the car ready for sale and salvage.

And after the process is over, the pending loan amount needs to be foreclosed with the financer.

Last of all, but the most important point is that if the car is to be salvaged, it needs to be deregistered from the RTO records. The insurer needs to provide a document to this effect. This document will be an annexure with the form/application you fill up /write that should be submitted to the RTO for deregistration. And the deregistration will only happen once your loan is foreclosed and the joint ownership made single by following the due process and obtaining a NOC from the financer.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

No large lithium-ion battery pack is designed for long-term submersion in salt water.

According to media reports, the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Florida, USA, last week still seem to be mounting. Amongst the widespread destruction, EVs are now starting to spontaneously explode into flames all around the state. These latent fires are attributed to the mixture of electricity and salt water.

Reports suggest, no large lithium-ion battery pack is designed for long-term submersion in salt water. This, along with lithium's inherent volatility, makes dousing an EV fire an arduous process. Even when the flames are completely extinguished and the batteries are doused with water and foam, the fire can still re-ignite itself.

The reason for the fire is that saltwater corrodes the wires and the battery components, causing exposed wiring or a short, which even with a small spark could turn into a raging fire. This eventually results in a thermal runaway igniting the entire battery pack. Some departments quarantine EVs for 24 hours or submerge them in fresh water to stop re-ignition.

Reports state that while the problem could happen on almost all EVs, the focus has been on Tesla only because of their sheer number of sales compared to other EV brands.

Jimmy Patronis, a Florida State Fire Marshall, shared a letter on Twitter, calling flood-affected cars "ticking time bombs" in the caption. The letter asks federal regulators to share information about the risk posed by EVs in floods to first and second responders, while also asking if the EV companies are communicating these potential dangers to their customers.

Source: Road&Track / News Nation

My SUV is just 1-month-old and has done just 1,200 km so far.

BHPian shekar.ca recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello all,

I wanted to post on an evolving situation - Chennai has seen persistent rains for the past 2 days and due to resultant floods, the basement of my apartment complex is underwater. Amongst other vehicles under 6-7ft of water are my Jeep Compass 2.0 MT Diesel and Royal Enfield Interceptor 650.

Compass is just over 1 month old and has been driven around 1,200 km so far. The Interceptor on the other hand is 2.5 years old and in good condition, last ridden a couple of days ago.

I parked the Compass in the basement at 10 pm last night when there were no signs of flooding. I was woken up by the ringing doorbell at around 2.30 am this morning, saying water was flooding into the basement. By the time I went down, the water was at too high a level for me to enter the basement and it's been that way for 12 hrs now.

I have in the meanwhile reached out to a service advisor at VTK Jeep (the dealer) to understand the process I need to follow. He asked me to wait it out and once the water recedes, ask for the Jeep RSA to tow the car away, post which the damage assessment, claim processing, etc. will start. I guess a similar action needs to be initiated with Royal Enfield as well.

While I am helpless for the moment and am waiting for rains to subside, water to recede (or pumped out of the basement), there are so many questions running in my mind. Request help and inputs/ tips from the members in this forum on the following:

• Once I get the vehicles towed away, what happens then? Would this be a full loss kind of situation?
• If the insurance company insists on repairs, how do I handle it? Isn't it unlikely that both vehicles won't have a long term impact from this kind of exposure underwater?
• If approved for a total loss, would I get the IDV paid out by the insurance company? Am I eligible for a proportionate refund of the life/ road tax?

Thanks in advance!

Thanks for your kind words. The parking is in the basement and I do have the return to invoice cover. The below photos are all I could manage to give an idea of the situation.

Approach into the basement from the ground floor:

Basement view:

There must be 6-7 cars and around 10 bikes parked inside - nothing is visible right now and it's dangerous to attempt entering the basement until the water recedes at least a little.

I have contacted the dealer, who says the car will be fully repaired, but I am not sure if I should even consider accepting that. Or do I even have a choice?

Here's what BHPian libranof1987 had to say on the matter

Since you have RTI, you are looking at almost 0 financial loss (maybe barring some processing charge/deductible). A two-year-old X1 in my extended family was submerged (a little over half) in the Mumbai floods a few months back and was deemed a total loss. They had RTI as well and got the entire amount back.

Looking at the pictures, it seems that the entire vehicle is underwater. So, there is a high possibility of it being declared a total loss. But it really depends on how much the ASC calculates as repair cost. Whether it can be repaired - everything can be repaired, completely mangled or submerged-in-mud vehicles are repaired/restored. Whether you have a choice - unlikely. If the ASC comes up with a repair cost that is <75% of the IDV, there is nothing you can do to reject repair.

Work with your dealer and push for total loss.

That said, completely submerged cars are more often than not repaired and sold. Whether that's a good idea or not - is an individual choice.

Here's what BHPian windrider had to say on the matter:

There is no way your jeep can be repaired. My cousin lost a 7-month-old Polo in the 2018 Kerala floods. It was submerged up to the window level for 3 days and it was declared a total loss. At that time VW showroom was only trying to repair cars that were submerged up to a little above the axle. Cars that were submerged in deeper water were declared as a total loss. He lost only about 40-50k off the purchase price. The rest of the car value was paid back to him by his insurance. His 1991 re 350 was also submerged, but he was able to fix it completely and only spent under 2,000. Unfortunately since then, a lot of rust has appeared in various locations and he is trying to sell it off. If your 650 is repairable, get it fixed and sell it. There is no way that bike is going to last even if repaired since it has been completely submerged. The electronics and wiring might work fine for now, but eventually, you will run into trouble.

Here's what BHPian VW2010 had to say on the matter:

First thing, relax and stay calm. There is absolutely nothing you can do now to save or salvage that car. You will get your insurance claim and this car will be sold at auction. There is no way Jeep will risk repairing this car and it is cheaper to sell it in auction for the insurance company. You can calmly wait and get the same colour Jeep in 2 months time.

Cars are cheaper to make in the factory while replacing every part on the car will probably double the cost and hence repair cost will be way higher than the IDV in my humble opinion.

I am on the opposite side of your road and I parked my Nano and Endeavor on the street and will take it back to my basement only after Friday. My basement is dry for that matter and yet with this picture you have posted, I am not risking anything.

Remember, it is just a car.

Here's what BHPian Aniruddha_Ch had to say on the matter:

Having worked in an automobile dealership for a brief period, I can say that if water goes above the dashboard, then such cases are most likely to be treated as totalled loss (Add-on cover like EP, CM, RTI will come to your rescue). Glad that you're safe and protected inside your home.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

A huge number of cars comes to Taloja within 7 days to 15 days of a flood. Some of these cars make their way to the numerous mechanics in Taloja who work specifically on flood affected cars.

Thanks to the Team-BHP fan (he prefers to remain anonymous) who sent this information in. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing them with other enthusiasts via this Team-BHP share page!

I am writing this mail to make people aware of some shady practices going on with flood affected cars in and around Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

As most parts of Navi Mumbai, Kalyan, Thane, Shil Phata, and Panvel were affected by floods this year, there has been a multifold increase in the number of flood affected cars. I recently found out that the majority of these cars end up in Taloja for the following two jobs:

1. Repair
2. Transport to other cities without repair (Tier II and III)

In the first week of August 2021, there were more than 100 flood affected cars parked near Taloja Station being loaded onto container trucks very carefully for being transported to other cities. A colleague of mine interacted with a garage near my home, which undertakes jobs of flood affected cars only. He found out the following details of this business.

A huge number of cars comes to Taloja within 7 days to 15 days of a flood. These cars are bought from different locations and kept along the old Mumbai-Pune highway near Taloja Gaon, opposite the RAF camp, near Taloja Railway Station. Some of these cars make their way to the numerous mechanics in Taloja who work specifically on flood affected cars.

As per the garage owner, these cars are of the following ownerships:

1. Individual owner gets the car to these garages for repair and then either takes it back or sells it. Generally, these cars have their number plates on them.
2. Flood affected cars are procured by local dealers and online used car sites, repaired and sold to an unsuspecting client either locally or even online! Here comes the shady part. These cars bought to Taloja have their number plates removed in order to protect their identity i.e. photos going online suggesting that these cars were flood affected.
3. Cars procured by local dealers from insurance companies, which were declared a total loss. Again, these cars have their number plates removed and are repaired.

Even the garage owner doesn't know the method of registration of the cars in the names of the further 2nd / 3rd owners as they have been declared a total loss. As far as I know, total loss cars are generally de-registered. Are some heavy under-the-table dealings happening at registration offices? But here we are, these cars will be sold to unsuspecting buyers. Most of these cars are sent to other cities for sale.

This garage had cars bought in from as far as Pen and Chiplun. I myself saw a fairly new Creta and an Altroz apart from 13 other cars.

BTW, the workmanship at this garage was absolutely ridiculous. Three boys were jumping on the Creta's rear seat after it was removed and bought out in the open, in order to drain the excess water from it. Electrical parts' repairs are just jugaad. Engine repairs are completely unprofessional. I felt horrible just looking at these cars. What happens to all those sensors in these modern cars? One-by-one they will malfunction over a short period of time - pity the unsuspecting owners.

I have learnt that with such jobs, these garages make a fortune to such an extent that they do not even entertain cars for regular service and maintenance.

Add to this, there is a huge stockyard of two major online used car businesses near these garages in Taloja and right now, they have at least 100 used cars in their stock combined. The nexus between these garages and these used car dealers can not be stricken off.

Witnessing this has shaken me to the core. Recently, a colleague of mine was looking forward to buying a car. I had accompanied her 3 years ago when she bought her first used car on my recommendation. This time though, I wasn't confident enough to ask her to go the used car way, as I am scared after seeing these practices.

I would suggest everyone to exercise extra caution while purchasing used cars. These cars are flooding the used car market. They may still be in a small number proportionally, but you never know when you'll fall prey to such practices.

Here are some pictures taken by me.

This Creta was not bearing a number plate right from the day it was brought to this garage:

Same is the case with this Altroz:

A few more cars lined up and few stored in the bushes next to the cars you see:

Volkswagen has announced free roadside assistance and service support for customers affected by the recent cyclone in Odisha.

Customers can call on 1800 102 1155 or 1800 419 1155 for roadside assistance and get their cars transported to the nearest Volkswagen dealer for no additional cost. Besides this, affected customers will be offered a discount on the repair invoice. 

Volkswagen has issued repair guidelines across dealerships and has geared-up its technical support staff and parts supply chain in the region to cater to cyclone-affected customers.

Tata Motors has announced service support for all Tata vehicles in the cyclone-hit state of Odisha. Customers can call for Tata Motors Roadside Assistance on 1800 209 7979 to get their vehicles towed to the nearest authorized service centre.

Tata Motors is also offering 50% discount on spare parts and labour costs in cyclone-affected areas. Customers will not be charged for the towing service.

According to Tata Motors, service centres in the affected areas have been put on high alert. Additional towing trucks have been put into service and special call centre executives who are fluent in the regional language have been appointed.

Hyundai has created a Relief Task Force to support cyclone affected car owners in Odisha and West Bengal. 

An emergency road service team comprising of 26 flatbed trucks and 21 towing trucks have been deployed to assist customers. The toll free number for towing the vehicles is 0124-4343937.

Additionally, over 40 technicians have been appointed to service the affected vehicles. Hyundai is also offering discounts on lubricants and parts required to repair cyclone affected vehicles as well as a 50% discount on depreciation on insurance claims.

Ford has extended service support to customers whose cars were affected by the torrential rain and flooding in Mumbai and parts of Eastern India. The company has announced special discounts on repairs of flood affected cars.

Ford will absorb 50% of a customer's liability on replacement parts for which they have claimed insurance. Surveyors of insurance companies have been stationed at Ford service stations to facilitate swift processing of insurance claims. The company is also offering free engine oil replacement, 50% discount on anti-rust coating on underbody and 50% discount on labour charges for replacement of parts not covered under insurance.

Ford is also offering a 20% discount on self-driving rental car service - Zoomcar, if it takes more than 24 hours to repair the customer's vehicle. Finally, the authorised service centers in flood affected areas will remain open for extended hours to handle the influx of cars and speed up their repairs.

Hyundai has announced a Special Service Support Package for flood affected cars in Mumbai and Vapi. Hyundai car owners whose vehicles were damaged during the recent torrential rains and subsequent flooding will benefit from this package.

As a part of the support initiative, Hyundai has deployed 30 emergency road service vehicles to provide relief services. The cars that have been stranded since the floods will get free roadside assistance. Hyundai is also offering free engine oil replacement and 50% discount on antirust treatment. A check-up camp will be organized after two months to review the car's condition. The owners will also get a 50% discount on the liability post the insurance support. 

In cases where the car has suffered terminal damage, owners will be offered exchange schemes. Hyundai claims to have mobilized around 350 technicians and spare parts to workshops in Mumbai and Vapi to assist with repairs.