Is It Safe to Drive a Vehicle After It Has Been Through Water?
2 Answers
Driving a vehicle after it has been through water is not safe. Here are specific details about driving through water: 1. Precautions: If the vehicle stalls suddenly while driving through water, do not attempt to restart it. Immediately stop and check the reason for the stall. If the engine stalls due to water entering the engine cylinders through the intake, forcibly restarting the engine will compress the liquid inside the cylinders. Since water is incompressible, this can cause bending or deformation of the valve linkage and piston crankshaft, and in severe cases, damage the engine block. Therefore, do not touch the ignition key until the cause is identified. 2. Guidelines: The water depth should not exceed 30 cm; the speed should not exceed 20 km/h; do not stop while driving through water; and try to stay on the higher side of the road when driving through flooded streets.
Having driven for many years, I am very concerned about the safety issues of waterlogged vehicles. Driving after flooding is absolutely unsafe. Once the water level exceeds the chassis, water can enter the exhaust pipe, causing engine flooding and leading to cylinder compression problems. After driving through water, the vehicle is prone to sudden stalling. If the brake system is flooded, the braking distance can increase by several meters, and in extreme cases, the brakes may fail. The electrical system also suffers, such as short circuits in the wiring, flickering lights and dashboard, and worse, the ECU controller getting damp, which is expensive to repair and affects long-term reliability. I recommend not driving the vehicle after flooding. Instead, park it by the roadside and have a professional mechanic conduct a thorough inspection to ensure the engine and transmission are dry and problem-free. A water depth up to the wheel hubs is relatively safe, but deep water is dangerous. Avoid driving during frequent rainstorms. Vehicle safety is paramount. Improper handling of waterlogging incidents can lead to serious consequences, ranging from costly repairs to life-threatening situations.
