Is it okay to continue driving after the car passes through water without stalling?
2 Answers
Generally, there is no significant problem if a car passes through water without stalling. This indicates that the water depth did not exceed the air intake, and the exhaust pipe was not submerged in water. There are no issues as the car's own pressure is sufficient to expel the water, so there won't be any backflow into the exhaust pipe, which would not affect driving safety. Related explanations are as follows: 1. Reason for stalling: The real reason a car engine stalls is that after water enters the air intake, once a certain amount of water is reached, it passes through the filtration system into the cylinders, obstructing their movement and causing the car to stall. 2. Driving method: When driving into water, try to keep the car as balanced as possible to avoid splashing water onto electrical components or allowing water to enter the engine's air intake system. The correct driving method is to reduce speed, shift to a lower gear, preferably using first gear to keep the engine speed at around 4000 rpm, maintaining a steady and even speed.
Last time during the heavy rain, I also drove through a water puddle without stalling and continued driving home. A few days later, the car started acting up—the throttle response became sluggish. Upon inspection, I found a small amount of water had entered the engine's intake pipe. Luckily, it was caught early. When driving through water, the impact of the flow can easily cause rust on the undercarriage components, so it's crucial to pay attention to the depth of the water and your speed. Even if the engine doesn't stall, you should still check the brake pads and undercarriage afterward, as water puddles might hide sharp objects that could scratch the undercarriage or tires, leading to bigger issues. Since then, I've made it a habit to inspect the undercarriage and engine compartment the day after driving through water, especially checking for any blockages in the exhaust system.
