If a car has been in floodwater
Don't try to start it, and don't switch on a hybrid or electric car at all. RACQ says owners of a submerged car should call their insurer rather than roadside assistance, and if water got into the engine, it should be dismantled and inspected. Never drive into floodwater to begin with: if it's flooded, forget it.
Goodna's river and roads
January 2011
Goodna and Gailes were the worst-hit parts of Ipswich in the 2011 flood, and bull sharks were seen swimming in Williams Street and Queen Street. If you're buying a used car around here, that history is worth keeping in mind.
The Ipswich Motorway
The motorway runs past Goodna, and its eight-kilometre upgrade between Dinmore and Goodna opened on 15 May 2012. Close to 100,000 vehicles a day used it by late 2010, so expect queues at peak hour.
The boat ramp
Goodna Boat Ramp is one of the only ramps on the Brisbane River. Towing a boat counts as harder use, and RACV says it can bring the next service forward.
On the line since 1875
Goodna station opened in 1875. A car that only does short trips to it gets little chance to recharge its battery.
Buying a used car around Goodna
RACQ has warned that signs of rust or corrosion can take up to six months to show in a water-damaged car, and that a thorough clean can hide most signs of recent water damage. So before you buy, a pre-purchase inspection in Brisbane is worth more than the seller's word.
Ask the mechanic to look under the seats, behind the dash, in the glove box and the spare wheel well, and at the electrical connectors. A safety certificate doesn't do this: Queensland's transport department says it isn't a full mechanical inspection.
What we'd do
If we were buying a car in Goodna, we'd have it inspected first and ask the mechanic directly whether they see any sign of flood damage. If we already owned one that had been in water, we'd leave the key out and ring the insurer before anything else.