Hello
I've had my sweet, fully loaded, 79k,2002 Jetta 1.8T for about a year. There was severe flooding in my neighborhood and my car was flooded. Water rose up to about 3/4 of my rims and there was about 6-8 inches of water on the floor. My car remained submerged for 12 hours. The water level was about level with the bottom trim. Meaning, when I opened my door water wasabout to spillout. Under Illinois law, my insurance company will total the car out if the damages exceed 33% of the car's worth. They towed it away and they'll get back to me in a few days.

My questions...Where is the car's computer located? Do you think things are salvageable? What vital components would be affected from this water heighth?

Thanks in advanced

 

its totally salvageable. the ECU is located under the tray where your windshield wipers are. I tell you what you do, if they total it, buy it back, then strip out your interior, carpet, foam and all, and clean the crap out of it. Take out your seats and lay em upside down in the sun, same with the foam and carpet. It'll take a few days to dry, use like oxy clean to clean it off, and clean it like 3 times the first day you get it out. and just replace whatevers needed. most interior parts are decently cheap. Just pray you dont have any electrical problems from all the agua. did it run when they took it?

 

I didn't try to start it; as requested by my insurance agent. At least the engine wasn't running while submerged. We'll see what happens...

 

i bet you could start it...its gonna have to one way or another so the ecu can check for codes. hopefully it wont be too bad. mainly electrical

 

The insurance agent reported that damages have reached $1,600 so far. I was also told that the driver's side airback deployed during the tow; and that cost hasn't been added to the estimate.
Any idea what an airbag replacement cost and what would have been damaged (electrically) to cause this?

 

there was a short in the sensor(underneath the seat) and it set off the airbag. why the hell didnt they disconnect the battery? im really sorry man, but its lookin like your car is gonna get totalled out....which is crap cuz its totally fixable and i think the airbag just clinche it for you, and they ****ed up by not disconnecting the battery...so...basically, your car was totalled by the towing company. If i were you, if the buy back price isnt much, after you get the check from insurance, buy the car back, and part it...theres so much on that car that you could sell off...just sell it on vwvortex.com....youll sell it all pretty quick. especially the motor and what not.