The Water Line SCAM on a 2015 BMW 228i Salvage Auction Flood Cars

[@yourhandlehere1]

Take the doors apart you'll find the real waterline.

[@charlesgunzelman3323]

Bring a bore scope with you, there should be somewhere to stick a bore camera through to the inside of the door.

[@JC-11111]

@@charlesgunzelman3323 down next to the window glass would be the easiest spot. Take a wedge with you like locksmiths use the wedge to glass away from the felt and slide it down. That's if they won't go down. If they roll down, it's make it even easier.

[@vintran2106]

Good idea! Thanks...

[@drivexyz2297]

thumbs up for the chickens

[@ozielgarza8934]

Lol at 1:27

[@stwhite5135]

Yeah I agree. Cluck Cluck.

[@buddyclem7328]

Why did the chicken cross the driveway? To go viral on KZbin!

[@sadobito5845]

She's famous now yeay

[@juanalvarado8625]

If you look closely at the picture where the full car comes out the water line mark is not there. The only picture where the water line comes out is in the close up showing you the line. They probably marked the car when they where taking the pictures.

[@izzeww8487]

Juan Alvarado Holy shit, you are right ! Someone should report these fuckers

[@craftsoda]

came here to say this too. IT could be photoshopped - added to the picture only...

[@djjezza]

This was what I thought the video was gonna be about haha. Noticed it was missing as soon as we saw the first front quarter wide shot

[@SmOgER10]

One way or another, flood line doesn’t tell you the whole story. Even if it’s accurate doesn’t mean that it specifies the highest water line the car has been submerged into. It could very well be measured / observed after or before the peak of that flood. Not to mention that if someone was trying to drive through the flood the actual wave from the movement raised that water much higher.

[@gliuchnikoff]

I as also noticed that at the very first moment

[@D.SN0W]

I can't be the only one who tried to scroll while he was going through the websites ...

[@zoinksxscooby]

Yup me too

[@brandon071194]

Ahab The Crusader i was why would I do that wtf...then is tried scrolling 😂😂😒

[@TheSynStalker]

Ahab The Crusader I saw your comment before the website part and thought, "haha that's silly," and then I immediately did exactly that. lol

[@hiddenhistoryny129]

Ahab The Crusader yep... Fml

[@grd760]

Jajja me too

[@excoto4229]

Just lay it in a bowl of rice

[@Clipper1094]

Who the hell would buy a flood BMW? Those things have enough electrical problem as is now you're adding water to the mix.

[@robinturner2300]

I had a 325i which hated the water more than my dog...(schnauzers hate water) central locking module is in the tail gate where it gets wet and shorts out for instance... Idiosyncratic canbus is a nightmare...

[@danielzychniewicz2633]

@CarFreak what do you mean? my 2002 bmw has never had an electrical issue.

[@anderson573]

same thing i was wondering. but not everyone does the same research

[@DS-hf9nd]

I bought one before a1999 BMW 528i ,the water reached the glove box( accident car ended up in a ditch) cleaned it ,had some electrical problems ,hood wipers headlights and ignition, fixed it all by myself , and I'm not a mechanic.. everything on KZbin. Drove the car for 3 years..was I lucky ? I have no idea, but it can be fixed.

[@mustangboss1246]

Just change the fuses and relays... And the computer box... Driving car

[@edenk3500]

The waterline may have been correct but I think what might have happened was when the BMW was driving behind another car, the car ahead created waves that could have gone into the air intake through the grill

[@thisisurcapt]

MagicBlueWatermelon Your right, I saw a car plow through 3 inches of water and it spray up over the hood.

[@JohnSullivan-pg3ys]

MagicBlueWatermelon that could be a good possibility but if he drove into the water it could've flooded the engine

[@mytruckinlifeace4047]

Thisisurcapt yes the car probably drove through a deep puddle sucking in water and died shortly after. And now it might be running on three cylinders with the other three are broken because water can't compress.

[@JohnZappone]

^ this is exactly what I was thinking myself.

[@samthenerf]

No way, the air filter will stop anything short of immersion if you look at the intake system www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=1F53-USA-09-2014-F22-BMW-228i&diagId=13_1498 you can see that the intake is actually quite low, this car was likely driven through 6 to 8 inch deep water and got hydrolocked.

[@panzerfaust5046]

"A flood usually comes from the ground, up." God have mercy on your soul if it's anything else.

[@ami3214]

Some crazy mamas like my wife oh and me have left sun roofs and widows open in rain storms

[@Rowgue51]

Yeah you nailed that one. That engine is hydro locked without a doubt. And you also covered another key point. Never trust any car where the seller is telling you it runs and drives and there are tow hooks still attached to the front.

[@texasscooter]

Something to note here. Some Cars and Compact cars (even some trucks) have air tubes that run to low points in the bumpers. And I have seen in some cars that the water drain or even the Intake tube lower then that line. Water ingestion is all relative to how fast the engine was spinning (IE how much air was being drawn into the engine) most modern cars have water traps and such to keep things like even mild water ingestion from causing failure. (i have seen ford focus's with the drain clogged with at least a gallon in the dump) however you failed to mention that ALOT of never cars place the PCM\ECM and even TCMs that low in the car! So yes they could have also been exposed to water. As for the interior. its mostly harness and basics in the floor board however Depending how how high it got ( a inch really in most) It can soak the SRS module or even a yaw rate sensor (if its external) Causing SRS and ABS issues. Water damage is hit and miss. There is so many variables to consider. I work for a company that buys and sells cars at actions and I have seen lots of water damage. If your going to spend that kind of money its best to do as much snooping as you can Remove some door thresholds and pull up the carpet its not hard and if your gentle you won't damage anything. But pull it up and see if the under mat or metal is damp or rusted.! That kinda money being spent its worth a SNOOP WHEN IT DOUBT SNOOP IT OUT!

[@blainefleetwood1134]

Probably drove through rain/ flood too fast and the water crests higher when you drive through it (can't think of the term) in the front of the car; which I believe is what happened and he sucked water into his manifold.

[@timothybarney7257]

Bow wave is when you push water up in front of you as you push through it. Wake is the waves behind you, or from the rear of someone ahead of you.

[@ryanz9513]

Kawasaki Jeeper doppler effect

[@Soulvex]

if its a boat its a bow wave, but this is a car.

[@Speedy2222]

this is my thoughts, drove fast through a flooded low lying area and sucked in water. hence not really any interior damage, atleast not one that sat in a flooded area( overflowed river or such) for any length of time.

[@InputCity]

There's no such thing as a cow wave....unless you're driving a herd of cattle.

[@bigd494]

Your going to blow up on KZbin mark my word you are the truth thankyou

[@dorothyparker100]

As someone with no practical ability who bought the worst? car in the world at auction , many years ago, I found this video very interesting. Thank you.

[@madern7]

first red flag came when Jose was searching for a BMW

[@JDQproducciones]

Hi, I'm José and I daily drive my own BMW

[@madern7]

Boy oh boy oh boy.

[@Fifth_Ace]

Madern jealous cuz we take your job without having skills or ability to speak English?

[@allmyfriendsaredead3107]

228i also lmao

[@jaydenthompson1747]

Jose David Quintero did you pay cash?

[@jamesnall569]

I don't know if somebody caught it but Samcrac, in the photo of the right side at 1:43 it doesn't show the WL mark like in the other picture at 1:18 That's a red flag

[@aSinisterKiid]

I Think you nailed it with the tow hook and recognizing the air filter. I have a feeling the owner of this car DROVE into flood waters rather than the car sitting and a flood happening to it. My guess would be the driver thought they could make it through (and the waterline probably is correct) but upon driving into water 1-2ft deep it made it into the air filter and engine bay. Stalled out the engine and it was dead in the water. Tow truck had to pull it out.

[@ivanthiel6219]

You could be right , that could explain why interior has no water signs.

[@clintmcwilliams2017]

Thanks for your video, some additional thoughts. Some vehicles pull the air from a lower spot on a car (not sure where BMW does) second thought was what if the owner drove into water, this could of cause water to reach higher (say the air box) but once the car stopped aka died the waterline was only at the height indicated.

[@turbointegra82]

CM Will Most BMW air intake is through the kidneys grills

[@charlesmcgehee3227]

Your knowledge base is massive. I restored a flood/water damage 2001 Miata. It came out perfect. No existing signs left of damage. I am proud of this one. It is my daily driver. I found some N.O.S. seats at a dealer in Arlington. That really made the job easier. It is worth the time to be patient and search for parts needed. Thanks for this video presentation.

[@doofykouki494]

I'm happy I found this video! I was looking to buy a car from auction! And hey if you didn't notice! That BMW was actually missing bracing in the engine bay and much more!

[@yousifhussein138]

Not every car pulls in air from the grill, My stock 2002 Camaro SS LS1 is designed to take in air from the bottom... Not all cars designed the same!

[@bobalobalie]

Most actually take the air from the the front wheel wells.

[@619guy202]

@BewareTheIdes lol where they can scoop up the most water

[@livemeyer]

I bought a "flood" car - 2006 Toyota Highlander - on eBay from third owner. Car runs/drives perfect and shows no signs of water damage, owned it for a couple years now. The story I got from the last owner was somewhat verifiable from the CarFax. When new the car was from the Philadelphia area, and was not technically a flood but a huge rainstorm when the windows were down that caused rain damage. Dealership can't sell it as new after water damage, so it was totaled by insurance and auctioned off. It had a measly 76,000 miles in 2016 when I bought it. Telling my story because not all flood cars are the same. I don't see this BMW listing as a scam (it's not the first misleading samcrac title I've watched), but the problem is we don't know the story and can't ascertain from the photos. My best guess is this car went nose in to water, but not far enough for the cabin, only the engine bay. Basically a nice, nearly new car from the firewall back. Unfortunately here, what you pay for in a BMW is mostly in the front. I would need to see that car in person and hear it run before making a bid.

[@clagger02]

I was driving down a road a few years back in my 2004 Mitsubishi Eclipse GTS when it started pouring rain. A car coming in the other lane went through a big puddle of water and splashed water up and over my car all over my front bumper/hood/windshield. My care immediately died. Water had been splashed directly into the factory air intake and locked up the engine. When my car rolled to a stop there was a flash flood and water got up to about as high as it did on the BMW there. So even though the "Water line" of the water damage wasn't quite to the lug-nuts on my wheels the engine was locked up. The flash flood was over as quickly as it came, the car was only sitting in water for 10-15 minutes. Side note: My insurance replaced the engine and carpets...but the car was never the same. It had odd electrical issues ever after until i finally got rid of it a short time later.

[@BustedWalletGarage]

I give this video 3 out of 10 chickens

[@cliff4482]

In the picture directly beneath the air intake box, it shows the vehicle running and idling where it should be (tach a little under 1k rpm).

[@kermittfrog480]

A friend of mine bought a 2006 mercedes cls 50 amg from copart for around $1700 with shipping. Small accident with a clean title. He spent around $2500 at the body shop getting it fixed. At the time (2 years ago) the car was still worth over $20,000. I wouldn't have believed him, but I saw all the receipts and the title. He's driven it almost everyday with no problems besides an ABS sensor.

[@bobalobalie]

That car isn't/wasn't worth $20k with it's salvage title. Unless you're running one of those buy here/pay here used dealer joints. He will never be able to sell the car for it's KBB value. Take 80% off of KBB's value and that is about how much that Mercedes is truly worth. However, if he just plans on driving it himself forever he got an okay used car for not too much of a cost.

[@Milhouses45]

Beware it says clean title. God lord read

[@quancars9569]

Sometimes if you register a car I'm a different state than were it was registered as a salvage title will make the title clean and you wont know it's been in a accident until you run the vin.

[@jimmygrant3212]

Yeah BMWs also have computers in the floor boards…

[@aSinisterKiid]

Exactly, not only will this car have the mechanical issues from water in the manifold/engine, but BMW's a notoriously dependant on electricity throughout the car for all its features. Computers in the floorboards, Electrical wiring beyond your imagination, even batteries under the rear seats. I wouldn't touch a BMW that's been anywhere near water.

[@stwhite5135]

Any modern car is full of computers and they operate on very low current. Any water damage at all in a modern car is fatal.

[@VancouverCanucksRock]

Why wouldn't they put that stuff in the Roof? WTF, oh right, need more People replacing their Vehicles=More Production

[@goldaria9228]

VancouverCanucksRock if there are more than just wires it makes sense to put it low because cars need low center of gravity. Also where would the sunroof go.

[@jimmygrant3212]

St White not really Mercedes placed the main canbus computer under the ac condenser and well it fills with water on a humid day and completely shuts down the car. Shake the computer out of water and you're good to go.

[@CerealKiller.]

Sam, I like your channel, you mentioned BMW air intake filter, keep in mind in some cars air intake ducktwork is in low spot on a car and maybe this one was tilted forward when flood happened that explains clean inside

[@samthenerf]

Yep www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=1F53-USA-09-2014-F22-BMW-228i&diagId=13_1498

[@mswerdna]

thats what I thought too

[@eightwo1]

I have to agree. I work for insurance Co and typically air filters are set low in which, what appears to be minor flooding can cause some issues. However.....even with that type of water line it would just call for a clean and replace for the filter fluids etc. that typically still wouldn't warrant a total loss

[@heinz490]

im a BMW mec and yes the intake is placed wery low and waterline this high goes into the intake and ruins the engine seen it so many times the only cars that made it was the ones where the mec didnt conect the top conection its i level with the Hood Lock far away from the original intake

[@MichaelAStanhope]

Vehicles are considered a total loss for flood at the wheels halfway point. That's likely what the mark on the fender is, not necessarily how high the water was. Insurance companies will typically contract out with someone who will try to get the car to run and move and have them detailed, hence your nice looking BMW here. This will assure they can reclaim top dollar for the car to offset losses. It isn't a scam per se, they just paid out $40k to total that car and the car is essentially worth a quarter of that amount as it was, so they are just trying to make as much as possible. Personally, I have owned a flooded car like where the water barely made egress into the passengers compartment and overall had few issues, but it did require a new transmission after a short time because of water damage. This is the stuff you need to be prepared for.

[@Godscountry2732]

Yes, I agree Sam...Saltwater and hydrostatic lock are two things you want to avoid. Waterline only means it spent some time in a set amount of water. The car could have been fully submerged momentarily with the hood, engine, electronics underwater. These types of cars are great for sheet metal, hard parts, providing you can get them cheap. Don't attempt to clean for resale, No, you will get burnt and or end up with a lawsuit...

[@mrmidnight32]

1) WL is Copart's quick scan markings. They don't do a full 5 star check. They literally look for the first thing of damage and go into the next car. They hardly care at all. 2) tow hooks just mean the tow driver didn't want to go under and hook the car. Even if it was 2" would you want to get on your knees and get down there? Or use the tow hook? Also many cars like this run risks of being damaged with normal towing methods, let alone in water. So no, not abnormal. 3) If you don't have experience, and can't see all of these auction cars in person, do not buy sight unseen. - Multi-year CoPart broker OCAutoKings

[@thyssenm]

Copart employee would have no reason to put a fake Waterline mark on a car. That would have been either the tow operator or the adjuster.

[@therealgaragegirls]

One of your best vids. Bring back this kind of content!

[@tannerperry1642]

Why am i watching this... im not buying a car?!

[@tlf361]

+Tanner Perry Most people watching aren't either smartass

[@jediael9906]

I'm not even old enough to drive or own a car yet I watch

[@sol1996sg]

my friend convinced me the river ford wasn't very deep (which it usually isnt) however I had been away and she neglected to tell me it had rained the day before...a lot. I drove through at around 10mph and the water went over my bonnet, into the air intake, into the cabin through the doors and climate control vents etc. thankfully I am fairly mechanically minded so when my car ground to a halt I dismantled the air intake, removed the spark plugs and dried everything. I then disconnected the top of the carburettor to allow the water inside to shoot out when I revved it. Fortunately after all this my car fired up, dried out and has been fine ever since

[@h5mind373]

If your car has a carburettor it probably doesn't have much in the way of computers or electronics. That's the only sort of flood car I would buy.

[@timrepetunov7124]

I had an 08 350z lightly boosted that had cold air intake way low (in the bumper), anytime car was driven in any kind a rain it would take in some water under boost like a giant vacuum cleaner. When water got to mass airflow sensor it would cut power and prevent the engine from taking damage. My cold air intake had diverter valve on top that would open up if bottom filter would get clogged and it did just that after vacuuming the streets and highways of Tampa Bay Area. I would clean my pod filter every 2 months after those cleaning sessions. So in conclusion it takes submerging the whole air intake system to damage the the engine or high rpm throttle to suck in enough water to cause serious engine damage. That BMW was flooded to the steering wheel or above!

[@MrPaulMorris]

As others have commented, the water line could be accurate but this does not mean that water did not get into the air intake. If a driver goes at any speed through standing water they create a bow wave which can easily reach the level of the intake. Once that happens the engine has only a very short time before catastrophic damage is almost inevitable. I've experience of this, ironically enough, from the days (a couple of decades ago now) when I worked for the RAC (Royal Automobile Club - a national roadside rescue service) here in the UK. When our patrols got new vans we had a rash of hydrolocked engines because, unnoticed by the drivers, the air intake had been shifted a lot lower. When attending members they had a good idea of the depth of water they could safely cross in the older vans but this was about 6-9" lower in the new ones and therefore within the bow wave. Red faces all around as the patrols had to wait for recovery of their own vehicles! The state of the vehicle interior suggests that the depth of standing water was low. The tow eye, removed filter and reported mechanical damage all point to the engine ingesting water probably due to being driven through water at an excessive speed.

[@RainmanRaysRepairs]

Perhaps the BMW driver was only in 8-10" of water. I imagine the vehicle was moving and the water was sucked into the intake. At that point the engine shut down from ingesting water. Therefore the primary damage would be mechanical and the listing is misleading.

[@kennethwalker4551]

I have over the years bought several flood cars but only when the price is low enough that I can pretty much dismantle it for inspection and then buy a crashed car to replace what was water damaged. This isn't easy or for the faint of heart also if you have a spouse in your life they don't understand that after you pay for the flood car this is just the start for emptying your bank account. I'm made killer deals and I have been skinned so bad I swore I would never buy any of these F&$32n cars again. One final caution is to NEVER BUY SALTWATER DAMAGED ANYTHING unless it is for scrap metal price and even then it's a lot of work and time for very little profit if any. I have grown up learning the art of scrounging from my dad who could do most anything starting out with very little or nothing. We also never talk much about the ones that we paid too much for and put too much more in them and ended up getting sold in pieces.

[@mwmm]

One of my family members drove thier mini cooper SD (BMW) through a small flood on a road too fast which was also the height of that waterline, no interior damage or anything but the engine got completely hydrolocked. car was an insurance write-off

[@Cragified]

Samcracc, just so you know water doesn't have to get into the engine intake to cause mechanical damage. Not saying your analysis is wrong in this case, the air filter sitting aside is one heck of a red flag of someone at the very least being worried water went into the intake snorkle. All transmissions, all differentials, and even some hubs depending on design have breathers. Doesn't matter if they are 'lifetime sealed' or not. Lubricants heat up, they expand, they pressurize the air in the casing, that pressure needs to be relieved. And when they cool down air has to be drawn in to equalize the pressure. So if a vehicle sits in a shallow flood long enough with the transmissions, diff, or hubs covered water will ingress and cause damage.

[@Codethe_Road]

My first instinct was hydrolock too. I did that to my first vehicle. It was never the same, and ended up throwing a rod shortly afterwards. Lesson learned.

[@maxspeed06]

Water level that low wouldn't get in the intake. If the intakes out water got in there. Safe to say that's not the water line.

[@vgidenko47]

Good informative video samcrac. About the benz, dont forget wheels spin so dirt at top of the wheel doesnt necessarily mean thats how high the water got , cant always judge just by wheels

[@tonybutcher4762]

The air filter case has one clip closed one open in the photo.

[@atcmadness4351]

Sam, the only thing I could suggest, is that it's possible to drive into a 10" high water crossing driving too fast; The water splashes right up to the intake, it stalls or it hydrolocks. That's the only way I see a "low water line mark" being where it is and by how clean the car is...

[@tammyforbes2101]

Yea I detail cars for a living and I got one last week that had a line a couple of inches up the door and I was cleaning mud out of the headliner 😂

[@roybruyn4716]

As a mechanic in NY I first hand recovered and inspected a BMW just like this. Water line is correct it drove into water causing the air intake to pick up water from the wake the air dam creates. Air box inlets are very low in that car. Also the accelerator pedal switch would be bad if water went any higher causing a no start

[@mikewest712]

This week, Mr. spaghetti saves a ton on water damaged exotic cars.

[@DavidHernandez-kl1jl]

Mike West wrong channel lol

[@frowlinian8175]

Mike West to get the right channel, check out my column on overtrader.com/autosteer

[@johnmarkillie7713]

the car may have driven into water as deep as the water line drawn on the body and sucked the bow wave into the engine intake. still as you say, i wouldnt touch it

[@Labergemusic]

I'm only here for the chickens. Just kidding, love this kind of content.

[@hkrsescort]

Laberge wtf you turkey 🍗

[@dougcullen6480]

My bro was a BMW tech for a number of years. He's seen this happen when the driver drove into standing water at speed and the motor ingests water. The actual intake is fairly low in the grill and the wave from driving in to the water goe into the inlet. The result is usually a hydrolock as you mention. Depending how much the rods get bent the engine may start, but it not going to run properly. New engine time. The water line probably represents the depth of the water that was driven into and was determined from a photo of the car sitting "dead in the water"

[@EoCx1]

You have got to be the most likeable car guy on youtube, samcrac

[@gravesfiend138]

I used to work at a dealer only auction and this is a common tactic in the industry. "The water only came up to here! Couldn't have hurt anything!" In reality, the entire car was submerged about ninety percent of the time.

[@lightning5273]

One huge thing to note, is the floor mats are missing.

[@anthony20208]

Many places are versed in wet car restoration management and you would be hard pressed to see any water damage. You need to view an air flow diagram for a turbo engine. Water will never reach the engine from standing in water, let alone the the air filter. Being a total loss there is no reason to put air filter back in place. Water line markings vary in meaning from insurance companies and the main issue is did it enter the vehicle and soak the jute (floor padding) and had possible contact with all of the many modules that are on the floor of the vehicle. In my humble opinion the engine could not draw the weight of the water into the intake and stalled with the water in the intercooler. This is a common occurrence with turbocharged engines and the first step is to detach one side of the turbo intercooler tube and drain the water. It is recommended to change the plugs and air filter. We haven't broached salt water yet!! Don't buy flood cars! They are harder to diagnose and the resale value is extremely poor. Technically any SRS system that has gotten wet will need replacement such as seat belts, airbags, and modules. Even if they get wet indirectly such as car windows up and it is steaming inside. Tools of the water logged vehicle industry: pressure washer, wet vac, dehumidifier, high strength ozone generator and maybe some Armor All equivalent.

[@MegaTechpc]

I personally think flood cars are the best buys on these auction sites. Theres no extensive body damage done and if the car was simply parked and off, the water wont have done serious damage as long as it is allowed to thoroughly dry out. Sure there are going to be hassles like possibly stripping down the interior, draining all fluids, replacing corroded parts etc, but the car itself should be in decent shape so long as it wasn't running when it got flooded. Most of these flood cars were parked when storm surge or flash floods came through and can be excellent buys if gotten for the right price.

[@AllanFolm]

A colleague of mine had a BMW 520 diesel driven into a flood by an employee. Took the dealer's mechanic two months to get it going again. They had to build a whole new wiring harness at the factory to put in it. And it was only 40 centimeters of fresh rainwater. Cabin stayed dry, the door seals held.

[@sethfrancissimracing7558]

Hydro lock doesn't necessarily mean the engine is ruined, all hydro lock means is that water has gotten into the cylinders above the piston preventing the engine from turning over. Removing the spark plugs and evacuating the water from the cylinders will fix the hydro lock. There can be damage caused by the engine running while the water is introduced though.

[@spoonfedalbatross]

A hydrolocked engine isn't dead until it's dry and dead. I drove my 1998 Peugeot 406 3.0 V6 through 10 inches of flood water for about 1/4 mile. I'd walked it first to check the depth. I managed to get within 6 feet of getting out the other end when the engine died. I'd driven though at about 1200rpm in first gear, knowing I didn't want to create a huge bow wave. What I didn't know was that my car had a factory designed cold air intake that was pulling in air from in front of the front left wheel about 7 inches above the ground. Where my car finally stopped it was only standing in about 5 inches of water, below the sills, so it would have looked exactly like this BMW with a completely dry interior. The next day after being towed home I took the cylinder heads off and found the 2 cylinders nearest the throttle body were completely full of water. Nothing however looked bent. I put the heads back and with all 6 spark plugs removed I cranked the engine. It spun as expected and in the process squirted water out the exhaust and up out the spark plug holes. I proceeded to drive the car for another 56,000 miles before I finally scrapped it at 162,000 miles. I'd killed the clutch thrust bearing and repair was uneconomical. Anyway, I got lucky, although had I known about the air intake I could have simply popped open the air filter for the duration of the river crossing and it'd never have inhaled the water to begin with. So, remove plugs, crank engine until it stops spraying water everywhere, replace plugs and see how it runs. Then decide if it'll work. You could probably compression test it to be sure, see if it bent any valves. Would an auction allow you do these checks before the hammer falls?

[@niuhuskieguy]

I had a car that was designed with a low mounted air intake and ended up hydolocking it in some water. There was never any water intrusion inside the cabin, and the car was repairable. I still had drove it another 3 or 4 years after tthat with no major issues.

[@christianbuczko1481]

If an engines running and water gets into the cylinder, the water doesn't compress, the engine will stop straight away. Damage could be light if the engines not under load, but most likely outcome will be bending the conrods which means its going to need either a massive rebuild, with large expensive parts needing changing or a whole new engine. The engine can often be found at a breakers yard, so is normally easier option and least risky, but with flood damaged cars, the biggest and most expensive problems will be the electronics will likely fail a few weeks later.

[@marv8481]

If it hydro locked while running you’re most likely dead bud. There’s a difference between hydro locking your engine and getting enough water (very little) into your engine that it causes a miss or stops the engine. If you’ve ever got water in your engine and then it start up afterwards, then this happened, you didn’t hydrolock it. You bend stuff when truly hydrolocked.

[@seldoon_nemar]

Actually, one thing you didn't take into account was momentum. I've seen cars killed in water that shallow (although I do agree with everything that you said makes it suspicious). There's really two different classes of flood damage to cars. The car was sitting in a driveway or whatever and the water came up around it. Then there's the kind where the person drove into water that was deeper than expected. My money on this car is that it was driven into water, pushing a bow wake, and the intake sucked it in and hydrolocked it, where it stalled and was left. Now, a hydrolocked engine isn't necessarily completely dead. All someone had to do after pulling that intake was pull the spark plugs, bump the starter for a second, and reinstall them, and usually it'll "run". The water will bend connecting rods, lift heads, things like that, but an engine will usually run with one or two bad cylinders. Thus, minor flood and major mechanical damage (new motor) on a car that looks good, but the main factor of death was the flooding (no flooding=no hydrolocked engine)

[@ReubenHorner]

It could have had the waterline that high but been caning through it. If you go 50km through water that deep it might make its way up into the intake. I totally agree with this video though. Stuff that car

[@AmaranteDetailing]

Reuben Horner that is most surely what happened to this car... it went into the water at certain speed, sucked water by the intake and got stucked in the water at the water line mark deep

[@shueher1]

also depending on the car, the intake filter/box are mostly on top next to the engine but is connect to a tube that runs to the underside of the front bumper. which is most likely 8"-12" off the ground. That tube can suck water up into the filter and into the engine, which will cause damage to engine but water will not get into the cabin like how the BMW was.

[@edimalan14]

Thanks for doing these I would love to hear more about what I should and shouldn't look for in auctions. And places you buy your parts from as well.

[@s10_4_life6]

ORRR maybe someone previously checked the car out, Checked the Air Filter and just didn't put it back in 🤷

[@robertdillon4491]

I haven’t read all the comments, so maybe this has been discussed. Look at both sides of the front bumper. There is paint removed or a white line where the car was left in the flood while debris floated by and wore away the paint. That will be your waterline. Add to that, the vehicle was probably trying to drive out of it when it sucked in water and was trapped for who knows how long. Good advice either way.

[@Raphayel]

As long as it was not high enough to damage any engine parts, the vehicle is in good shape and minor cosmetics that are damp and soaked can easily be replaced. These cars are mostly good although sometimes you have to keep a close eye out.

[@keithnewton8981]

This car sacked water into its engine all bmw are well know for this in europe many owners modify the bmw when they come out warranty so that the air intake is higher and less prone to puddle damage. It's so sad that a major manufacturers is still making cars with huge issue like this

[@blawicki]

Keep in mind when someone draws a waterline, it was either latent where the max level has had time to recede, or the owner was mistaken and trying to guess as they were probably displaced and didn't know the 'max' waterline when told to the adjuster.

[@gman3725]

Probably hit a deep puddle and water splashed up into the intake and hydrolocked the engine, then it sat in the water until it was pulled out. Makes sense to me

[@theloosemoose8200]

Just because the filter box is high on the engine doesn't mean it isn't pulling air from near the ground.. most boxes have an air duct that directs air from the lower bumper area up into the box..

[@ohgeetube]

Did everyone just missed the fact that the Front Emblem of the BMW had rust around it already? THAT raises a HUGE red flag imo.

[@a914freak]

Sam not every car is stationary when it gets flooded, for instance if someone tries to drive a car through a flooded road that water can and usually does plow up the front of the car and over even over the hood right into the snorkel of the grill. This does not all the time but that is how you can still have water ingestion with a low water line. The person drives through the water stalls the car and leaves it where it stalled hence a water line mark left after the person drove into water that may be much lower then where the intake is.

[@TheUnic0rn]

Those spots on the wheel are simply from rain. Take any car, with clean wheels, and park it in an area that is dusty/dirty. Wait for it to rain, and look at the wheels the after the rain has stopped and everything have dried. You will see these spots, they will also show up on the rockers of the car too. It's just the force of the rain drops hitting the ground and splashing up the dirt.

[@chubbysumo2230]

Im gonna correct you on a couple of things, im sure others have: the intake for both your audi and the BMW are in the front fender, less than 3 inches from the ground. They don't come in from the grill, else they would take in hot air from the radiator. You can hydrolock an engine in 2 inches of water, I have seen it done. So, that flood line might be accurate, it might have only driven thru 4 to 5 inches of water, but that is enough to cover the intake pickup, which on the BMW is in the lower left fender well, in front of the tire splash guard. This puts the intake pickup below the water line. I am guessing that there was never or very little water inside the car, as the bottom door seals would have held at that low of a pressure. The engine is likely a total loss though, due to hydrolocking it and bending connecting rods and other water based damage(water does not compress).

[@stevewilliams5428]

You have to be careful of water lines, I've had water in the induction while driving through flood water... not caused by the depth of the water I was going through, but by an oncoming 4x4 that pushed a bow wave in front of it. This caused an engine write off for me. The 'water line' was much lower than the cars air intake. You can also drive through water too fast and build up your own bow wave and do the same engine damage. The sellers might be pulling a fast one by showing a water line lower than the air intake, but in some cases the water line is true but disregards what actually happened.

[@ekremx2]

Bmw's usually have a lower air intake than what you have shown on your Audi (they are different cars after all). Air filter may be a new part purchased and left in the engine bay which could mean the engine runs or ran at some point after the flooding. Also if the water level was at hight lined in yellow then water would most definitely come in once door was opened, alternatively the car may have been dragged out via toe eye before opening any doors. Another way to tell the flood line for sure is the disc brakes which surface usually goes yellow from water. Best way is go and inspect the car yourself or better yet bring a mechanic.

[@nakian5316]

I've learned to never trust non insurance sellers without actually seeing the car in person because a lot of the time people "flip" Copart cars. They find a car, clean it up a little, rehang body panels and then sell it again hoping to get more profit because it looks better than the average salvage car.

[@evgenysushko6692]

Some cars have intake tube for fresh air much lower that your Audi. In fact on some newer bmw there is air ducts on the bottom of bumper . It’s not that easy to hydrolock the engine and reason for that - air filter will get saturated with water and will not let any air true - car will just stall . So if you ever run true puddle and your car died please to not attemp to start it without opening the air box . On the other hand if you fly true some water with red line and WOT and your car make nice bang before it stalls - then most likely you suck to much water and a lot got pass the air filter , then it got in to your cylinders and there since water can not compress in any way - the piston rod got bend . On this particular car I would issue there was mechanical damage and some one just decide to get rid of the car . So they lightly flooded it . It’s a bmw they have bunch of electrical/mechanical problems without being flooded lol . Again that filter could be there because shop the car got towed to open up air box and checked condition of filter . There is no guaranty this car not a fraud . But if you can get to yard and look for it self there would be no guess work here .

[@HomebrewSubaru]

Water even to that mark would penetrate air bag and seat harness/modules. Electrical that has has water intrusion may not show problems immediately, but can cost more than a car is worth to repair later.

[@the.internet]

I'm in the UK, unlikely to buy a car this new as I'm more into cheap retro stuff and unlikely to meet a flood damaged car - but this is a very interesting video. Thumbs up!

[@clvnblnkee]

That photo of the gauge cluster shows shows the motor is running. If the engine is hydrolocked it wouldn't be idling

[@murshed11]

When a car drives through water, you see a wave of higher water at the front bumper, so as s/he was driving, water could have got into the air intake and the water could have got as high as the bonnet and when they stopped the water level could have actually been that low. The door sill in a 228i is higher than where it shows the waterline is so that also explains why the interior isn't damaged.

[@gtd360]

In newer cars they like to put a cooled air intake on. That means where the hole to that the air to the air filter is away from the engine so it's not pulling in hot air. A lot of time that means the air intake is most likely at the bottom of the bumper. So even with a low water line the water can be pulled into the engine.

[@paulm3965]

I picked up this scam. The Internal combustion engine is designed to compress air fuel mixture . You cannot compress water. (Basic physics). the result will be bent con rods. A ruined engine. Good video.

[@famousmidnight]

You not immediately addressing the air filter really bothered me, I thought you were going to ignore it lol

[@itsbrentanimation3002]

Smart choice to ask for your thoughts.

[@bosshoss69lee]

Sam if they hit a flooded road it could force water up the intake and leave a low water line from where the car died Personally I don’t like rebuilt titles but I do enjoy your videos, I actually bought a flood truck that was actually just an insurance scam, it was never flooded or actually damaged, someone just stole the injectors

[@buzzybrams5888]

Love your very informative videos! Love the chickens. Hey an idea, every video should have a chicken walk by in the background. Makes the videos even more interesting.

[@ElPants21]

Just a thought, some cars have an extension of the air intake duct work running through a fender before it gets to the filter box. I'm not saying it is doctored or damaged, but if a tube came loose on certain cats you may get water from down last low

[@lenscap8925]

Air intakes are at different low pressure areas on cars as well as actual radiator inlets. Water could travel through the system-becoming a vacuum cleaner when the air is displaced...The other killer on these cars is where the engine computer is installed. I think it was Toyota or Honda that put the computer on the floor under the front passenger seat...had a record rain one year, and there weren't enough replacement computers for months

[@VikingDudee]

We got a 98 Olds 88, 3.8 v6 supercharged from an auction, this thing flew, It was a daily driver according to the seller, Thing was spotless, Bought it for $550, thought we got a good deal, Well, The Transmission only had 3 out of 8 bolts that held it to the engine block, The other bolt holes were broke. Have no idea how we didn't end up breaking the thing roasting the front tires off that thing, also the gas tank was ratchet strapped in, No tank straps lol. We normally buy dirt cheap cars and part them out and scrap them, We mostly look for Chevy V8 vehicles, or some older Ford 302's or 5.0s and sell them to a guy who flips them or does whatever to them, but sometimes we see these good deals and and jump on them. Thats how I got my 4.3 91 Chevy c1500 years ago that now has 680,000 miles, its still going, it had only 160,000 when I bought it, Tranny later its still going.

[@TzOk]

Actually I had a water locked engine. It was an old Opel Astra G... the water line wasn't much higher than the bottom door level, but the car was driving in water, resulting in creating a wave in front of a car and damming a water on a front bumper. It ended up on a bent piston rod in one cylinder.

[@AndrewTheRadarMan]

Lmao a freaking chicken runs in the back

[@orangejuice7411]

Rust around the BMW badge totally revivals this car was sitting in water for a good time, driver probably tried to pass a puddle or something and got stuck sucking in water into engine. That's why car was towed, cylinders probably rusty af, a car like that need gear box/engine reconstruction

[@nickchadwick9497]

Flooded BMW are common in the UK. BMW air intake starts in the lower grill. if you drive a bmw in the water even if its only a foot deep (12") you run the risk of flooding the engine.

[@americanrambler4972]

Water line is probably not the real issue here. It's where the splash went. My guess is the car engine was hydrolocked while it was moving. Water will not necessarily damage a fram air filter. How do I know? I experienced water starting to get into the engine on my v8 Monza Spyder a large number of years ago. I was driving through a partially flooded street where the water only came up to about the rocker panels. My air intake was considerably higher than that. Was not driving very fast and my bow wave was no higher than the bumper at most. Water level was below the intake. But the motor started running rough and a lot of steam started coming out the tail pipe. The motor almost stalled and I had to stop to keep the motor running and to get it to recover. It finally did and I drove out of the water and stopped to inspect the engine compartment.. When I inspected the carburetor I found water on both sides of the air filter. A lot on the intake side, just a little on the carb side. That filter saved my engine and kept most of the water out without coming apart. In fact it was undamaged. Further inspection revealed that while the intake itself was above the water, all the bodywork around it extended down to the bottom edge of the fender area in front of the wheel. So when I entered the water, that formed an almost air tight seal and thus the engine sucked the water level up to the air intake and into the motor. (The heat stove around the exhaust manifold also got buried in water wash and provided source of entry for the water). That car had minimal electronics. This BMW is covered with computers, sensors, wiring and motors. Even short term partial immersion is a bad thing. And anything from Germany requires you to move the decimal point 1 or 2 places to the right for any repairs. Hence the total.

[@maxspeed06]

Enhanced vehicles are often cleaned.

[@MrBillrookard]

One possibility is that the car was actually driving through water that was at the water line, but then had water splashing up high enough to get sucked into the intake because he was driving too fast through it. BUT, any way you cut it, even if the water was only up to that water line, the engine still probably has enough mechanical damage to warrant an engine replacement. Personally, an engine swap would not be out of the range of my skills if that actually is the limit to the damage.

[@2boutch]

Doesn't one of the picture of the gauges show the engine idling? Bottom picture from 3:24 for a whole minute

[@h.j.boltjes2905]

That is what I also noticed.

[@chrisj197438]

I could see someone at the auction companies cleaning up a newer car to gain more money or even an insurance company having the interior detailed to recoup some of their loss.

[@longbar2344]

Struggled to stay awake watching this video. All the other's so far have been interesting to watch.

[@jflo4073]

you literally scrolled past an image with the engine idling at 5:23.

[@khl619]

how does that change anything he said?