[dhanushs]

Recently, Sudev had stared a series of very useful thread on road emergencies one could face.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...ut-engine.html
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...ut-clutch.html
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...ut-brakes.html

Well, there are certain emergencies which arise 'while' driving (Brakes are covered by Sudev), and they need to be dealt with a calm and informed manner, or else they could prove fatal. With this thread, I intend to share what little knowledge I have about such emergencies and corrective measures that should be taken so that one comes out safe and sound.

Fellow members, and experts do chip in with with valuable experiences. After all, a driver is only as good a student/learner he is.




Driving through flood or flooded roads:

• Never drive through roads that you cannot walk through.
• Before entering the water, it might be a good idea to let the engine and exhaust to cool down.
• Enter the water body slowly, and try as much as to NOT splash the water. Or else, you might end up with water in air intake.
• The Key is to drive slowly and to keep a steady pace.
• Drive using the lowest gear and keep the revvs moderately high, and STEADY.
• Try as much as NOT to stall the engine, and if at all your it stalls in the middle, do NOT try to start, or else, you will end up with water in exhaust.
• If the water is too high, then its better to tow it to the other side using a capable vehicle than driving and risk getting a huge repair bill.

Handling a Tyre Burst, or Flat:

Roads in India are getting better day-by-day, and the average speed of travel is also increasing. So, what if you are on a nice expressway doing speeds in excess of 100 and a tyre bursts suddenly, or you get a fast flat?

The most important thing to do if a tyre bursts while on course is to hold the steering wheel rock steady, and avoid any sudden change in direction. This may result in highly unexpected handling and the vehicle might go into a spin, or even a roll over. Also, please note to NOT slam the brakes, as it too will give results as above, and with an added risk of being rear ended.

The best thing to do is to slowly and steadily reduce the speed, and steadily take the car to the slow lane and then to the emergency lane, or road side. After which, follow the procedure for changing the spare.



A Stuck Gas Pedal:

Many of us go for aftermarket options for seat covers, floor mats etc.. Some of the floor mats are designed so unscientifically, that they prove to be a curse rather then a boon.

There are occasions when the gas pedal gets stuck to the floor-mat and the car keeps on accelerating.

The most important thing to do if such a situation arises, is to NOT bend down and release the pedal. At speeds even a second of distraction will prove to be disastrous. The best thing to do will be shift the car to neutral. Pull over, turn the ignition off, and release the pedal - AND make sure it NEVER happens again. Don't worry about over revving, as most modern engines have revv limiters. Worst case scenario: A bust engine is much better than a bust car or even worse a life.



Windshield Wiper not working:

Wipers in modern cars seldom fail. But, if they fail at all, IMO, there is not much you can do. Or, I have not faced the situation. May be fellow members who have faced a similar situation can comment.

I have heard that rubbing potato on glass can give some visibility in these situations. I have not tried it, and DO NOT know the effectiveness of the same. May be experts can comment.


P.S - Fellow members, please chip in with experiences, and other road emergencies that you might face and the measures that need to be taken to come out safe and sound.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Public forum.

[sudev]

Lovely topic. It is nice to get this sort of compendium at one place.

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by sudev

Lovely topic. It is nice to get this sort of compendium at one place.

Tnx!!.. Any thoughts about what one should if the wipers fail?

[toiingg]

Tobbaco repels water.

Crush a cigarette and rub it on the windshield, would not be as effective as a wiper, but will still improve visibility slightly.

[mmxylorider]

When : You notice the engine temperature increasing beyond the normal 'notch below half' point

What : Stop the vehicle. Do not switch off engine immediately. But roll down all windows, switch to outside air and temperature knob all the way to max heating.

Why : The heater core will act as a small radiator and will assist in bringing down the coolant temperature. You can then switch off engine.

[benzinblut]

Originally Posted by dhanushs

Driving through flood or flooded roads:

• The Key is to drive slowly and to keep a steady pace.
• Drive using the lowest gear and keep the revvs moderately high, and STEADY.

In this case, I drive on a half clutch until I'm through. By this I can keep the revs higher than what I would've without slipping the clutch

[VW2010]

Always remember that driving at 100km/h or driving at 140km/h will save like 0.2 of a minute per KM. That is around 12 seconds per KM.

The time saved by driving at 100 or 140 is not really substantial for a travel that is less than 200 kms. Comes out to like 18minutes per 100 KM.

Better drive it safe than sorry.

[selfdrive]

Originally Posted by VW2010

Always remember that driving at 100km/h or driving at 140km/h will save like 0.2 of a minute per KM. That is around 12 seconds per KM.
The time saved by driving at 100 or 140 is not really substantial for a travel that is less than 200 kms. Comes out to like 18minutes per 100 KM.
Better drive it safe than sorry.

Very well said VW2010; it would be better to leave 18 minutes earlier or arrive 18 minutes later than drive at these speeds
I hope that even while driving in the city, people apply this logic to their daily commute and understand that the sky is not going to fall on our heads if they drive at the speeds that other vehicles around them are doing.
IMHO it is important to be driving at or very near to the speeds of the other vehicles around you; AND maintain the relevant distance

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by dhanushs

Any thoughts about what one should if the wipers fail?

This was what auto drivers (from my school) regularly did during the monsoons :

Take some loose mud (wet soil) and apply it completely on the windshield; let the rain wash it down.

Hereon, the water glides down the windshield rather than staying on in spots.

Increases visibility immensely; although being akin to looking at something submerged in water, you have a slightly skewed perception of the distance of the vehicles in front. Hence, to be done only during emergencies.

Originally Posted by dhanushs

Driving through flood or flooded roads:

• Never drive through roads that you cannot walk through.
• Before entering the water, it might be a good idea to let the engine and exhaust to cool down.
• Enter the water body slowly, and try as much as to NOT splash the water. Or else, you might end up with water in air intake.
• The Key is to drive slowly and to keep a steady pace.
• Drive using the lowest gear and keep the revvs moderately high, and STEADY.
• Try as much as NOT to stall the engine, and if at all your it stalls in the middle, do NOT try to start, or else, you will end up with water in exhaust.
• If the water is too high, then its better to tow it to the other side using a capable vehicle than driving and risk getting a huge repair bill.

Driving half-clutch would greatly help; it would allow the driver to revv higher.

Also, if the engine suddenly dies down (low idling speed or high gear-low speed), one COULD try to revive it by slotting into the 2nd gear and following the jump start. Although, this should be done ONLY if there are no vehicles behind you as the jump start would cause the car to jerk momentarily and a failed jump start would stall the car immediately. Once through with this, of course, you should pull over and diagnose the issue.

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by mmxylorider

When : You notice the engine temperature increasing beyond the normal 'notch below half' point....

.... Why : The heater core will act as a small radiator and will assist in bringing down the coolant temperature.

Thanks, that indeed sounds sensible. But, this method will be effective only in cases of engine fan not working, as it requires coolant to be in circulation.

Originally Posted by libranof1987

Also, if the engine suddenly dies down (low idling speed or high gear-low speed), one COULD try to revive it by slotting into the 2nd gear and following the jump start.

I would strongly suggest against starting a car which has stalled in a flood. It would create a momentarily vacuum in exhaust, and hence one could end up with water in the engine. Instead TOW it out and then wait for a while and then crank.

[mmxylorider]

Originally Posted by mmxylorider

When : You notice the engine temperature increasing beyond the normal 'notch below half' point

What : Stop the vehicle. Do not switch off engine immediately. But roll down all windows, switch to outside air and temperature knob all the way to max heating.

Why : The heater core will act as a small radiator and will assist in bringing down the coolant temperature. You can then switch off engine.

I forgot to include that the blower to be switched on to max position. That is the reason to roll down the windows and provide circulation of hot air.

Originally Posted by dhanushs

Thanks, that indeed sounds sensible. But, this method will be effective only in cases of engine fan not working, as it requires coolant to be in circulation.

The coolant will be in circulation within the block unless threshold temperature is reached and the thermostat opens to extend the circuit to the radiator. In the event, thermostat does not open, you will see the temperature rising. I am not sure if the radiator fan switches on based on the thermostat position or temperature sensor but the heater core-blower will act as a small radiator and allow some heat to be extracted.

[Ragul]

Originally Posted by VW2010

Always remember that driving at 100km/h or driving at 140km/h will save like 0.2 of a minute per KM. That is around 12 seconds per KM.

The time saved by driving at 100 or 140 is not really substantial for a travel that is less than 200 kms. Comes out to like 18minutes per 100 KM.

Better drive it safe than sorry.

Save 0.2 of a minute compared to what speed? 80? 50?

You guessed it - I am too lazy to do the math.

Thanks

[VW2010]

Save 0.2 of a minute compared to what speed? 80? 50?

Not sure if this was a question or a snide comment. Eitherway i just said between driving at 100kmph and 140Kmph one saves 12 second a KM.

Between 80 and 140 the difference would be definitely more.

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by dhanushs

I would strongly suggest against starting a car which has stalled in a flood. It would create a momentarily vacuum in exhaust, and hence one could end up with water in the engine. Instead TOW it out and then wait for a while and then crank.

Oh no-no!

That, I suggested under normal driving conditions, NOT during a flood!

The part after "Also..." is a separate entity; not related to when one drives a car in a flood.