Due, I guess, to the adverse conditions, this post – and this post are both getting hit by a large number of people Googling ‘how to drive through deep water‘.
I’ll ignore the obvious ‘stable door, bolted’.
I’ll just give you the ‘how to’ as I was taught.
* Don’t try to drive through deep water unless you absolutely have to. The chances are you will fail unless your vehicle is adequately prepared and unless you know every bump, rise and fall in the terrain you’re trying to cross.
* If you have to drive through deep water on a track or through open country look for higher ground as evidenced by tufts of grass or the surface water being broken by a line of higher ground beneath the surface.
* If you have to drive through deep water on a surfaced or metalled road the higher ground is usually in the middle.
* Halt before the water, change to first gear and open the driver’s door six inches.
* Pull forward very slowly in first gear keeping an eye out for oncoming traffic and vehicles that may approach you from behind too fast.
* Do not let your speed increase but keep the engine revs high by jockeying the clutch. Do not drive quickly.
* As you drive forwards listen through the open door to the water passing underneath the car, if you can hear water breaking as you would with waves forming, slow down. You are moving too quickly.
* If you hear a dramatic hiss where the water has risen to make contact with any part of your exhaust system and you believe the water may deepen you must retrace your tracks. A cooled exhaust system will crack and you will damage your engine as the water is sucked in to your engine block.
* Be completely aware of the path you are taking.
* Be completely aware of the level of water beneath your vehicle.
* Be completely aware of the speed of your vehicle.
* Be completely aware of your engine revs.
* When exiting the water keep your speed very slow.
* When you are sure you have left the water, close your door.
* Drive for 15 yards applying the handbrake gradually until you feel it ‘bite’ then release it.
* Drive for 15 yards applying your footbrake gradually until you feel it ‘bite’ then release it then reapply it gradually for 20 yards then release it.
* Check your electrics (lights, indicators, wipers) and if any have failed you must not continue.
* Increase your speed very gradually to give your engine pan, wheels and braking systems time to dry out.
There you go.
Giving a little something back courtesy of the Army advanced driving instructor who taught me to drive on road, snow, ice, water and oil.
And taught me a bunch of other stuff but close-order and pursuit driving aren’t part of today’s syllabus.
🙂
That’s GREAT advice.
I’ll try to remember all of it if bad luck puts me in that position but I can’t promise you I won’t forget a few 🙂
Something you missed on the list. Before driving through the water, get out and walk through it, preferably with a stick to check the footing in front of you. Not good for your pants but better than your vehicle disappearing down that old mine shaft that just opened. I always carried a shepherds crook in my Land Rover for this purpose.
I was wasting my time though, as someone who was less fortunate than me, and was probably one of those poor disadvantaged cherubs, decided to make my Land Rover disappear overnight. (I checked for a large hole in the ground but all I found was a little pile of broken glass)
This is awesome !!! Good work