Best way to drive through a puddle?

miniyazz

miniyazz

miniyazz

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Joined
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Inbefore http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuIBj0R2ui4

Anyway what with the recent floods, if you come across a large puddle/lake covering the bit of road you intend to use, e.g. if there's no way round or you can't be fagged to find a way around... what's the best way to drive through it?

High speed? Low speed? High revs? Reverse? Handbrake turn? The choice is yours :p
 
AAAAHAHAHAH you sod, I couldn't stop laughing at that video for about a month after I first saw it :D


Ahem, yes.. For that sort of puddle a lower speed than normal is fine - 10-15mph perhaps. That's not a proper 18 inch deep lake across the road, which you should negotiate slowly at high revs, first gear is probably best.
 
At the cars top speed and skim over the surface :D

I was taught slowly with medium high revs too. That way have power of engine to keep you moving but slow enough not to cause a bow wave.
 
If you can't see how deep it is - definitely get out and check first. So many people drive into floods and crap themselves because they hadn't realised how deep it was. If i wasn't 110% satisfied that the puddle was shallow, i would not even think about going through it, as hydrolocking your engine is probably the single easiest way to write your car off.

If you're satisfied that it is not too deep, i'd use first or second gear, high revs (3krpm ish) via clutch slipping/riding and go slowly to allow the water in front of the car to move out of the way.
 
Assuming we're talking proper deep water here and not just a puddle, then 1st gear at decent rpm, it will be like driving through treacle, and the car will almost certainly take some damage ranging from broken wheel arch liners to hydro locking the engine and/or knackering the electrics.
Flood water is often deceptively deep, not worth the risk really.
 
Maybe a bit of cardboard in front of the radiator too while we're at it just in case, wouldn't want the engine to get too cold if there's a bow wave! ;)

So slow speed and decent revs then, fair enough.


Edit: Could always get a snorkel? Might provide some comedy relief to see a Golf with a snorkel sticking out. Is there any more to worry about than the air intake for brief underwater spells? :p (regarding irreversible mechanical damage, I could probably live with a broken wheel arch liner if it mattered to me that much)
 
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miniyazz said:
Is there any more to worry about than the air intake for brief underwater spells?
Click to expand...
Electrics getting wet, hot brakes being cooled instantly which may warp them, catalytic converter in exhaust being damaged, dirt getting into the engine bay and causing obstructions, water in the engine bay causing rust or degradation of parts.

Ie. It's really not worth it.

miniyazz said:
(regarding irreversible mechanical damage, I could probably live with a broken wheel arch liner if it mattered to me that much)
Click to expand...

You don't get to choose what part of your car gets damaged :p you take your chances - and taking my chances on something which may cost me £1000's of pounds, a lot of hassle and my beloved car being damaged just because i couldn't be bothered to find another way around is not worth it.
 
According to Roadcraft - the Police Driver's Handbook:

'Engage first gear and keep the engine running at just above idle speed (just enough to prevent stalling). (In older vehicles, driving at high revs could prevent water being drawn into the exhaust system. In many newer vehicles, the air intake is positioned below the front bumper so avoid high revs as this would cause water to be sucked into the engine causing expensive damage'

and

'If the road is entirely submerged, stop the vehicle in a safe place and cautiously find out how deep the water is. The depth of water that you can safely drive through depends on how high your vehicle stands off the ground and where the electrical components, engine, air intake and exhaust pipe are positioned. For example, submerging a hot catalytic converter could cause damage'
 
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miniyazz said:
Inbefore http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuIBj0R2ui4
Click to expand...

But.... but.... it's so wrong, yet just so right....







:D

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I have to avoid them at all costs. My engine sits very low in the engine bay and my air intake is an open cone filter positioned right at the bottom of the engine bay. Not worth it.
 
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