Can You Still Drive If Water Gets Inside the Car?

[KingstonLynn]

You should not drive if water gets inside the car. Here are the details about water ingress in a car: 1. Scenario One: You can still drive, but if the air filter gets wet, the engine may draw in some water into the intake tract, forming water vapor. This vapor mixes with gasoline and burns completely, causing minimal impact on the engine. 2. Scenario Two: A small amount of water enters the engine and mixes with the oil, degrading the oil quality. Oil contaminated with water increases wear on engine components, potentially leading to louder engine noise and greater vibration in the future. 3. Scenario Three: The engine starts but shuts off after a few seconds, and subsequent attempts fail to restart it. This is the most severe scenario. Since water cannot be compressed, its presence in the cylinders during high-speed operation can cause the valves and connecting rods to bend, the pistons to seize, severe cylinder wear, and crankshaft bending.