Avoid puddles? Or drive through them for fun?

sterlingjames · 11th November 2009, 15:21

more on the rainy days in chennai..
there are now quite a few areas on the road when the water stagnates and it is quite common to see a few cars drive at fullclip sending waves of water flying out from the wheel well and onto other passing motorists.
i must admit that once, i too had the urge to do that and waiting for an empty stretch, let loose.
unfortunately the water level was a bit high and the water started flowing in from the floor area most probably from the clutch/brake pedal area and i quickly stopped and checked if the water had enterd the air filter by any chance.luckily, that did not happen and i went on my way quite sobered down!
i am sure that most would not know the consequences of water entering the air intake(especialy if the car is a turbo-charged one). apart from getting the warranty devoid, the expenses will be too huge and is definitely not worth the 5 seconds of fun of driving in a stagnant pool of water!
a prolonged drive in stagnant water, can also result in the water entering through the drive shaft area and result in a larger engine transmission damage as well, especailly in older cars where the drive shaft boot(rubber bellows)invariably might have minor cuts,that one might not notice during dry days.
apart from that the water that has entered the cabin, spoils the floor carpet and it will definitely cost you some, to have the whole thing removed, dried, disinfected and fitted back....

so the next time you see a tempting puddle of water it is best to drive around it than over it and save some unnecessary expense in the bargain!

shishir_bn · 11th November 2009, 16:01

bang on dude. Even i used to do it,but not to scare the motorists. But then when i did that i realised how foolish we are by getting the drain water inside the car. So people reading this thread please be aware off and whatever "james" has told is 100% true

abbhowmi · 11th November 2009, 16:03

To certain extent I won't agree. Not exaggerating, but I once drove through waves of water in Delhi in my humble Maruti 800 (10 years old.) I was driving to my gf's house and possible you can understand I had to drive thorugh a 3 feet high water flow. The alternate route would take 45 minutes, otherwise it would take 15 minutes. So I had to save that precious 30 minutes. The water was logged in an underpass. No outlet was constructed and water was stagnant. I saw from a distance that some cars were taking a detour and some who tried to brave the water stopped on the other side of the water log. By the way the stretch was hardly 10-12 metres. Each and every car which crossed stopped as their engine seized and all you see was vapour coming out of the engine and some owners tearing their hair off.

I once thought let me go back and not take a risk, but then it was a prestige issue for my car (what my 800 cannot do it? and ya you are young then..young blood !!) and theyy danaddan !! Shifted to gear 1 and pressed the pedal and off I went. It was an amazing experience, if you are wading through a 3 feet high water, the bonnet is already covered and you can see water splashing on the windshield. the water level from the window pane was hardly 2-3 inches, whch means I could touch the water with my hand without much effort. I kept telling myself, go steady, not a sudden acceleration, keep the exhaust busy, gradual acceleration and most importantly dont do anything stupid that would make me stranded right in the middle of the water body (Coz there were non, either they are on this side or the other side). Each and everyone looked at my car and me ofcourse

while I emerged victorious from my stupid act. I just sped off.
Aftermath --> Water was inside my car floor maybe an inch high, carpet was all wet and no damage !!

shishir_bn · 11th November 2009, 16:33

"Abb" You were lucky to have survived that incident. Lucky there was no electronic connection etc in your vehicle at that time

kannan666 · 11th November 2009, 16:47

The other reason to avoid stagnant rain water would be the fact that you do not know how deep the pot hole / crater etc. would be ! There might even be an open manhole for all you know !

Abbas · 11th November 2009, 16:54

Well i would stay away from stagnant water since i once had a very bad and expensive incident when i drove straight into the puddle at around 90 kmph thinking it would be fun but as soon as i hit the water BANG. Their was a concrete slab under the water and it damaged my bumper and dented my bonnet and Tyre rims too. I was in my esteem at that time. Similar incident happened again with me when i was driving my sierra. Altough this was minor and just lost my alignment this time.

CliffHanger · 11th November 2009, 17:13

Guys, for the past one week even I was driving in the rains. Today, when I was driving with doors closed and AC ON, everything was normal, but I smelled all the smoke that was cmoing on the road, also I smelled the stench of garbage and drainage, whenever I crossed them.

Is it normal, if not what could be the problem?

kannan666 · 11th November 2009, 17:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by CliffHanger

Guys, for the past one week even I was driving in the rains. Today, when I was driving with doors closed and AC ON, everything was normal, but I smelled all the smoke that was cmoing on the road, also I smelled the stench of garbage and drainage, whenever I crossed them.

Is it normal, if not what could be the problem?

Air intake setting should be set to 'recirculating' , right now I guess it is set to allow fresh air from outside and that is why along with the fresh air, you are getting the 'smells' too !

CliffHanger · 11th November 2009, 17:52

Thanks Kannan! Seems I have been so ignorant to this for so long, just came back after setting the knob to recirculation mode, all througout I have been driving in fresh-air mode. Just to verify again, I kept the knob to something which looked inverted "C" with an arrow at its bottom, was I right?

Sorry guys for being OT.

kannan666 · 11th November 2009, 18:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by CliffHanger

Thanks Kannan! Seems I have been so ignorant to this for so long, just came back after setting the knob to recirculation mode, all througout I have been driving in fresh-air mode. Just to verify again, I kept the knob to something which looked inverted "C" with an arrow at its bottom, was I right?

Sorry guys for being OT.

Since I do not know the make of your car, it is hard to confirm that but in most cars, the unit is well defined, it has clear markings for recirculation as well as for fresh air intake. Mostly the recirculating marking will be of small arrows going all around while for fresh air it will be marked with small pointed arrows aimed into the car icon.

straightdrive · 11th November 2009, 19:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by CliffHanger

..........Just to verify again, I kept the knob to something which looked inverted "C" with an arrow at its bottom, was I right?...

Yes, that should be right. The inverted C is a circular arrow, to signify recirculation.

wanderernomad · 11th November 2009, 22:17

There is another issue of hydroplaning if you hit a shallow pool at any speeds in excess of say about 25-30 Kmpl depending upon the vehicle and the load factor. And it can get quite dirty and scary at the same time. So always slow down gauge the water and then drive through. Best is avoid or if it cannot be absolutely avoided do try to keep one set of tyres on dry tarmac.

bblost · 12th November 2009, 10:26

Its just plain rude to do that to other people on the road.

n.devdath · 12th November 2009, 10:47

Stagnant water on the road means its grimy, dirty, oily, and what not. I do not see any sense in splashing or driving through it unless absolutely required.

shankar.balan · 12th November 2009, 10:58

yes this is a dangerous practice.
1. inconvenience to pedestrians, passers-by, two wheelers, other cars and vehicles.
2. danger of losing control on account of aquaplaning
3. danger of losing visibility completely when water splashes onto the windshield.

while it may look like fun, this type of activity has a seriously bad sting in the tail, so I wouldn't advise anyone to do this even in a spirit of "fun and/or play".

11th November 2009, 15:21	#1
sterlingjames BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: chennai Posts: 116 Thanked: 46 Times View My Garage	Avoid puddles? Or drive through them for fun? more on the rainy days in chennai.. there are now quite a few areas on the road when the water stagnates and it is quite common to see a few cars drive at fullclip sending waves of water flying out from the wheel well and onto other passing motorists. i must admit that once, i too had the urge to do that and waiting for an empty stretch, let loose. unfortunately the water level was a bit high and the water started flowing in from the floor area most probably from the clutch/brake pedal area and i quickly stopped and checked if the water had enterd the air filter by any chance.luckily, that did not happen and i went on my way quite sobered down! i am sure that most would not know the consequences of water entering the air intake(especialy if the car is a turbo-charged one). apart from getting the warranty devoid, the expenses will be too huge and is definitely not worth the 5 seconds of fun of driving in a stagnant pool of water! a prolonged drive in stagnant water, can also result in the water entering through the drive shaft area and result in a larger engine transmission damage as well, especailly in older cars where the drive shaft boot(rubber bellows)invariably might have minor cuts,that one might not notice during dry days. apart from that the water that has entered the cabin, spoils the floor carpet and it will definitely cost you some, to have the whole thing removed, dried, disinfected and fitted back.... so the next time you see a tempting puddle of water it is best to drive around it than over it and save some unnecessary expense in the bargain!
	() Thanks

11th November 2009, 16:01	#2
shishir_bn Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,195 Thanked: 120 Times	bang on dude. Even i used to do it,but not to scare the motorists. But then when i did that i realised how foolish we are by getting the drain water inside the car. So people reading this thread please be aware off and whatever "james" has told is 100% true
	() Thanks

11th November 2009, 16:03	#3
abbhowmi Newbie Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 8 Thanked: 3 Times	Driving over water logged roads To certain extent I won't agree. Not exaggerating, but I once drove through waves of water in Delhi in my humble Maruti 800 (10 years old.) I was driving to my gf's house and possible you can understand I had to drive thorugh a 3 feet high water flow. The alternate route would take 45 minutes, otherwise it would take 15 minutes. So I had to save that precious 30 minutes. The water was logged in an underpass. No outlet was constructed and water was stagnant. I saw from a distance that some cars were taking a detour and some who tried to brave the water stopped on the other side of the water log. By the way the stretch was hardly 10-12 metres. Each and every car which crossed stopped as their engine seized and all you see was vapour coming out of the engine and some owners tearing their hair off. I once thought let me go back and not take a risk, but then it was a prestige issue for my car (what my 800 cannot do it? and ya you are young then..young blood !!) and theyy danaddan !! Shifted to gear 1 and pressed the pedal and off I went. It was an amazing experience, if you are wading through a 3 feet high water, the bonnet is already covered and you can see water splashing on the windshield. the water level from the window pane was hardly 2-3 inches, whch means I could touch the water with my hand without much effort. I kept telling myself, go steady, not a sudden acceleration, keep the exhaust busy, gradual acceleration and most importantly dont do anything stupid that would make me stranded right in the middle of the water body (Coz there were non, either they are on this side or the other side). Each and everyone looked at my car and me ofcourse while I emerged victorious from my stupid act. I just sped off. Aftermath --> Water was inside my car floor maybe an inch high, carpet was all wet and no damage !! Last edited by Eddy : 11th November 2009 at 17:33. Reason: Not more than 2 smilies allowed.
	() Thanks

11th November 2009, 16:33	#4
shishir_bn Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,195 Thanked: 120 Times	"Abb" You were lucky to have survived that incident. Lucky there was no electronic connection etc in your vehicle at that time
	() Thanks

11th November 2009, 16:47	#5
kannan666 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: KA-02 Posts: 1,002 Thanked: 128 Times View My Garage	The other reason to avoid stagnant rain water would be the fact that you do not know how deep the pot hole / crater etc. would be ! There might even be an open manhole for all you know !
	() Thanks

11th November 2009, 16:54	#6
Abbas BHPian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Visakhapatnam Posts: 465 Thanked: 544 Times View My Garage	Well i would stay away from stagnant water since i once had a very bad and expensive incident when i drove straight into the puddle at around 90 kmph thinking it would be fun but as soon as i hit the water BANG. Their was a concrete slab under the water and it damaged my bumper and dented my bonnet and Tyre rims too. I was in my esteem at that time. Similar incident happened again with me when i was driving my sierra. Altough this was minor and just lost my alignment this time.
	() Thanks

11th November 2009, 17:13	#7
CliffHanger BHPian Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Chennai Posts: 756 Thanked: 1,597 Times	Guys, for the past one week even I was driving in the rains. Today, when I was driving with doors closed and AC ON, everything was normal, but I smelled all the smoke that was cmoing on the road, also I smelled the stench of garbage and drainage, whenever I crossed them. Is it normal, if not what could be the problem?
	() Thanks

11th November 2009, 17:52	#9
CliffHanger BHPian Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Chennai Posts: 756 Thanked: 1,597 Times	Thanks Kannan! Seems I have been so ignorant to this for so long, just came back after setting the knob to recirculation mode, all througout I have been driving in fresh-air mode. Just to verify again, I kept the knob to something which looked inverted "C" with an arrow at its bottom, was I right? Sorry guys for being OT.
	() Thanks

11th November 2009, 22:17	#12
wanderernomad Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Chandigarh Posts: 2,534 Thanked: 1,276 Times View My Garage	There is another issue of hydroplaning if you hit a shallow pool at any speeds in excess of say about 25-30 Kmpl depending upon the vehicle and the load factor. And it can get quite dirty and scary at the same time. So always slow down gauge the water and then drive through. Best is avoid or if it cannot be absolutely avoided do try to keep one set of tyres on dry tarmac.
	() Thanks

12th November 2009, 10:26	#13
bblost Team-BHP Support Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 11,008 Thanked: 15,355 Times View My Garage	Its just plain rude to do that to other people on the road.
	() Thanks

12th November 2009, 10:47	#14
n.devdath BANNED Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 4,287 Thanked: 2,811 Times	Stagnant water on the road means its grimy, dirty, oily, and what not. I do not see any sense in splashing or driving through it unless absolutely required.
	() Thanks

12th November 2009, 10:58	#15
shankar.balan BANNED Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 11,368 Thanked: 23,150 Times View My Garage Infractions: 0/2 (8)	yes this is a dangerous practice. 1. inconvenience to pedestrians, passers-by, two wheelers, other cars and vehicles. 2. danger of losing control on account of aquaplaning 3. danger of losing visibility completely when water splashes onto the windshield. while it may look like fun, this type of activity has a seriously bad sting in the tail, so I wouldn't advise anyone to do this even in a spirit of "fun and/or play".
	() Thanks