Last night I was driving my already-troubled Honda Civic with 111,000+ miles home when a flash flood hit, and when I realized the water was going to keep rising I stopped and left the car by the side of the road. I watched as the water rose all the way to touching the headlights of the car, and then came back several hours later when it had drained away and started it, let it get hot, and drove it around town a few times. The engine light came on and off, and it sputtered, but by the end of the night it seemed back to normal.
I drove it again this morning to work without problem. This afternoon the car didn’t want to start, and had difficulty getting into second and third gear and sputtered so much i decided it was pointless to even try to run it, and here I am.
I assume the air intake is soaked with water. I have no idea where the air filter on a car is. I know water in the engine will destroy it… But really this is all just driving home the feeling that I need a new, reliable car.
What should I do? I have no money, at all. I think I might be completely screwed. My parents had no problem co-signing for a college debt, and nay even helping lessen that debt with their own pockets signifigantly, but now I am out here looking at no way to get to class and they aren’t willing to help me buy another car. This is the third car they have paid for, each time choosing to buy a car for a few thousand dollars with no carfax history or whatever and not even a basic inspection of the vehicle by anyone who would know what they were talking about. Without a credit score (everyond told me not to get credit cards) I am afraid nobody will finance me a car for a reasonable rate, and I’m definitely not buying another 100,000+ mile roulette spin for thousands of dollars. This has me scared shitless, my classes are not within walking distance, and I am afraid my entire life is about to fall apart.
Even if the car isn’t doomed from being waterlogged, it already often has issues starting and shifts very hard. I have paid to have it looked at- they never actually seem to do anything. Just stare at the engine, tinker with it, tell me they have no idea, and then take the few hundred dollars I can spare from my two jobs in return for no improvement on my situation.