I love to drive, I'm not so good at mechanical aspects. I drove through a flooded street last night. It wasn't very deep and a very short stretch but water was flying out the sides under the car. Car seemed to make it through fine no stalling. Immediately after going through the water I got stuck at a train crossing for at least 10 minutes. I did not know if it was better to shut off car or keep it idling; I chose to keep it idling. No problem on remainder of drive home of about 5 miles. Temperature gauge around 200 degrees.
Later on I drove to dinner about 10 miles each way, no problem. 2 hours laterI looked in the garage and I could smell a smell I relate to radiator/ coolant or burning. Coolant surge tank and pressure cap were fine, no leaked coolant under hood or on the garage floor. Engine compartment appeared dry
This morning smell is gone.
Anything else I should do and where is the radiator?

 

I doubt very much that you caused any damage. The engine, as well as related electronics, is designed to be water/moisture resistant, unless of course, it was submersed.

Edit: The radiator is located at the front, behind the grille as pictured:

 

Sounds like a scary experience, would be for me being a gear head! Happened to me once and in the 5 mile closed loop road where I live, I had to make a "U" turn on a narrow road when I came up to a deep puddle when it was raining very hard! Deep enough that I would not go thru it! Had water coming up the side in some large puddles coming from town! Never do that again (if i can help it!)
Answering your question, the radiator is in the front and the vents on the hood have about a third of the air coming from the top. Open the hood, you can see it. You should be checking the oil level from time to time so read the owner's manual!
The radiator is not the issue it's the air intake, radiator was probably happy with that cool water hitting it! Fortunately the C7 is not a bottom breather as were some prior Vettes. If you went thru a deep puddle with one of them you could suck in water. Water unlike air is not compressible and can break rods, crank etc. Saw a colleges's Mercedes engine at the dealer service shop after he did that! Broken parts all over! Needed a new engine.
The air intake in the C7 is in a gap between the right inner fender and the fender liner. If when you were idling, the water was up to 1/2 the height of the tire I would bring it to a dealer and have them check the air cleaner. Splashing up the side probably didn't soak the air filter-it didn't mine.
Other than that don't think you did any harm as it sounds like the car is running fine and you have no dash lights indicating an issue.
Keeping the engine running was probably best, IMO, as long as the water was not too deep.
Try to stay dry, or at least out of deep puddles

 

Never drivethru water faster than you can walk.......

 

I just hit the water unexpectantly in one lane Griffin rd. near Ft. Lauderdale airport.
You know how much it's been raining here this week!
I though if I left it running at the train track it would maybe dry out a little...

 

I wasn't idling in the water, it was after at the train track
I was through the water in about 5 seconds at 30 mph
I just wondered about the smell that to me smelled like a radiator or antifreeze

 

I'm trying hard to be nice about this but if you really didn't know where the cars radiator is you really need to thoroughly read the owner's manual. What you learn there will be really helpful. Don

 

Another perfect example of why my C7 only goes out in good weather. When the weather turns to crap, I drive my Ram 1500.

 

Picked up our sweet 16 we'd morning then drove through thunder storms for 300 miles
Would rather be in rain in the vette then my r a m 1500 4 dr. The truck would have hydroplaned but the vet did not.

 

When I was a tech a 350Z got towed in after he tried to drive through water. Below was what I found inside the engine.
BTW, water doesn't compress

 

You probably would not have been real happy if the storms had dropped some hail on your new ride. I would take my Ram in the bad weather any day with its all season Good Year Wranglers. Not sure why yours would hydroplane in the rain but you might want to consider a new set of tires.


Dave

 

Agree ^^^ Pick up a good set of tires and you will not have any hydroplaning concerns with your RAM.

 

Yeah, we know, yours will never see rain. Some of us use our C7 as a car. Which is, after all, what it is. Just washed mine as I drove it this week and it rained a few days.

There was a classic car run through here this week called the Colorado Grand. 1,000 miles in 5 days through the Colorado mountains. There were at least a dozen cars worth well north of $10 Million in it. They didn't melt in the rain either. A vintage Ferrari race car worth over $10M driving in the rain makes a C7 garage queen seem pretty silly.

 

Doesn't sound like you did any damage, but sure wouldn't want to try that again.

 

My C6 went through at least one significant hailstorm. No damage, dings, chips, dents, or marks whatsoever. Maybe the hail is way bigger in Canada?

The only time I turned my C6 around and went home due to weather was last year in a frog-strangling downpour. Even with all-season Michelins that had only 8,000 miles, I was hydroplaning at 45mph.

 

Steve R:


My C7 is more than a car to me. It is the fulfillment of a dream and the result of many long years of hard work. I intend to take care of it as I see fit as long as I can.

I am sure that most people who drive $10M cars in the rain could care less what happens to them. If they get damaged in a hail storm or hydroplane and run off the road and crash, the owner's will just take $10M out of the bank and get another one. I don't have $10M and never will but my car is worth a fortune to me. Keeping it in the garage during bad weather is anything but "silly" in my view.

 

You will have to ask the Canadians. I live in FL.

 

Record rains in Tampa too this summer and avoiding deep puddles is almost unavoidable. It seems Tampa is in a continual state of road repair and big road construction projects. I've noticed the smell on my 2004 too when I get home in the garage, and I think it's mainly from the water sizzling on the hot exhaust pipes. It kind of reminds me of that hot iron smell.

 

1. Didn't you say you used to drive your C5 or C6 in all kinds of weather in Canada and later decided not to do that in a Corvette? Or do I have you mixed up with a different guy who quit driving in the rain because it made the engine dirty? (my suggestion was to keep the hood closed and try not to think about it) If so, profound apologies.

2. I used to live in Miami and all Canadians live there anyway.

 

You are definitely mixed up. I lived in Edmonton, Alberta -- when I was 5 years old. Dad was going to College there. Never owned a C5 or C6 (had a C2, C3, C4, and now a C7). However, you are correct that I do not drive my C7 in the rain. And I do have the hood open frequently to check fluids and detail the engine. You are also correct that a lot of Canadians live down here. Their flags are flying everywhere. I used to worry that they might try to annex FL and make it a Province. Then I remembered they are all anti-gun. Hard to start a successful revolution with kitchen knives.