Is It Serious If Water Submerges the Exhaust Pipe While Driving?
2 Answers
It is not serious if water submerges the exhaust pipe while driving. You can push the car out of the waterlogged road, and it will function normally. Reasons why it can still function normally: The exhaust system generally consists of the exhaust manifold (header), exhaust pipe, flexible connection (bellows), catalytic converter, and muffler. The exhaust system is almost horizontally arranged along the chassis, but the exhaust manifold is connected to the engine and is positioned higher vertically compared to other components of the exhaust system. When water just submerges the exhaust pipe, it cannot enter the engine cylinders. After the water recedes, the water level in the exhaust pipe will definitely drop again, meaning the farther from the exhaust outlet, the lower the water level. At this point, starting the car will not cause water in the exhaust pipe to be sucked back into the engine. Starting method: Ignite and start the car, but keep it idling without pressing the accelerator. At this time, a lot of water will be expelled from the exhaust pipe until it stops dripping. This process won't take long, about 8 minutes.
A submerged exhaust pipe isn't as scary as imagined. The real threat comes when water levels rise above the engine's air intake (typically near the front grille), allowing water to enter the combustion chamber through the intake system, which can destroy the engine. As long as the water stays below the air intake, even if the exhaust pipe is underwater, exhaust pressure can prevent water from flowing backward. However, deep water drastically reduces tire traction, and hidden obstacles could damage the oil pan or electronic components in the chassis—repairs for these would be ten times more troublesome than clearing an exhaust pipe. If encountering water deeper than half a meter, the wise choice is to avoid risking it.
