Flooding in big cities in the rainy season is a common phenomenon in developing countries, including Vietnam. Joining traffic at this time is always an obsession for many drivers. In fact, thousands of flooded cars are severely damaged each year, costing owners a lot of money to repair.
The situation of deep water flooding in the area of Thang Long Boulevard, Hanoi.
Low ground vehicles, crossovers and SUVs have a ground clearance of about 130 – 160 mm, 170 – 200 mm and 200 – 280 mm, respectively. With low-ground vehicles like Kia Morning, Honda City, the safe wading limit is the water level up to half a wheel. In the high ground clearance segment, the ability to wade will depend on the design. SUVs and pickups generally have the best wading capabilities. For example, Ford Everest can easily overcome water depths up to 800 mm or Toyota Fortuner 700 mm.
Therefore, in order to keep the car safe when crossing flooded areas, the driver needs to clearly remember the ability to wade to avoid the car stalling in the middle of the road. We can find out this information through the vehicle manual or contact the company’s technical department directly for advice and answers. In addition, the driver also knows some notes to safely cross flooded roads.
Carefully observe the depth of the flooded area
This is the first step in the process of driving a car through a flooded road because many people subjectively ignore this stage and calmly let the car rush through the deep puddle. This leads to water damage causing the car to stall in the middle of the road. Therefore, if you see a heavily flooded area ahead, carefully assess the situation before you let the car in.
The vehicle’s wading ability depends on the position of the air intake. When the water level is too high, they can overflow into the air intake, go straight into the engine, causing the engine to stop. Therefore, the higher the air inlet, the harder it is for water to get in.
Run smoothly, steady speed
To drive through a flooded road without stalling, keep the accelerator steady, run at a moderate speed, and move neither too slow nor too fast. Never accelerate or decelerate suddenly. Stepping on the gas will easily create inertia force that causes water to overflow into the engine compartment through the grille. On the other hand, if you brake hard, the unstable flow of the rear exhaust can also cause water to overflow into the exhaust. When moving through deep puddles, never stop in the middle of the road. In a situation of unwillingness to stop such as a traffic jam, you should not reduce the throttle but apply the brake. Simultaneously pressing the brake and accelerator will help keep the gas, avoiding the car’s engine stall.
Turn on lights and warning lights
Before entering a flooded road, use both the warning lights and the headlights ahead. If it’s bright, turn on the headlights, if it’s cloudy, turn on the low beams. Turning on the lights will make the driver see better, and can assess the depth of the flooded area.
Keep at least one emergency phone number on the vehicle
Drivers should keep at least 1 phone number of the rescue center that is still active. Ideally, write it down in a notebook and keep it in a small drawer in the car. In addition, before starting a long-distance journey that needs to go through a flood-prone area, it is necessary to find out the addresses and phone numbers of rescue teams in that area in case of an emergency.
Low gear
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One of the most important things to keep in mind is to be on low gears to make it easier to get through deep puddles because then traction will be high. With manual transmission cars, you should switch to 1 or 2 gear to be able to run evenly on the gas, without stalling the engine.
Turn off harmonic
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Should turn off the car’s air conditioner before driving the car into the flooded road. Because the fan works, it will easily suck water deep into the engine compartment. On the other hand, turning off the air conditioner also helps to reduce the load on the engine, the car can put more force into “wading” the water. If turning off the air conditioner causes the passenger compartment to block, open the windows. In addition, the driver should also turn off unnecessary electrical equipment on the vehicle such as DVD screen, speakers.
Do not subjectively go through the underground overflow
Upland roads often have underground spillways crossing the road. If the driver is in a hurry to drive through when the water level is high and fast flowing, the vehicle can quickly be swept away, which is very dangerous. Therefore, drivers need to carefully evaluate the situation, not be subjective because the consequences can develop incalculably. In these situations, stopping to wait for the water to recede to a safe level is the wisest and safest decision, no matter how long it takes.
What to do when the car is hit by water?
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In a situation where the car is flooded, leading to engine failure, the driver absolutely does not restart many times to prevent the phenomenon of water damage, causing more serious engine damage and expensive repair costs. The only solution in this case is to turn off the engine, try to push the car to a higher position or lift the chassis and call for help.
In addition, car users can also refer to the option of buying water damage insurance for “pet cars”. Currently on the market there are many water damage insurance packages with the cost of about 0.3 – 0.5% of the used value of that vehicle. In order to choose the right insurance package, owners should research carefully and buy at genuine car dealers for the most detailed advice.
Source: CafeF
Source: Vietnam Insider