In the aftermath of the hurricane the local streets around my house were flooded with up to a foot and a half of standing water. So whats the effects of driving through this water. Theres been a debate going on between my neighbors on whether constant driving will damage the car or not. So some…

when the water dries up, change all your fluids(brake, trans, oil, radiator, differential, steering, etc). Then change them all again in a week or two to make sure any water that got in is gone

The worse case is that a hole opens up in the street and you can’t see it. Had one around here that ate a Mazda. A quick acting Samaritan saved the drivers life.

It’s hard to predict just how deep the water is going to get, or how deep is too deep. If you suck water into the air intake, you’ll ruin your engine. It’s best to avoid driving through water, especially if you’re not sure how deep it will be.

It really depends on if it was salt water or fresh water. Salt water is bad, fresh water may be survivable!

I have drove car’s and truck’s thru deep water. As long as you don’t stall the car will be fine. You don’t need to change any fluids. If you stall or have to sit for a long time in over 1 foot of water then check the fluids for water. The vents are one way on axles. May or may not be on trans. The b…

If the engine sucks in water…say good-bye to engine.

This practice is also the cause of failed suspension/steering components and wheel bearings. Any problem that occurs may not surface until months or years later and when that ball joint has failed or the wheel bearings are rumbling the car owner then assumes it’s due to a defective car at the worst …

In my experience driving in deep mud and water, it all depends upon what you do later. Make sure you never let the vehicle sit and pay attention to lubricants. In cars that aren’t meant for deep water passage, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to change all lubricating fluids. Is it salt or fresh water fl…

With a foot of water, you need to be really careful. You could drive your car into a lake or sinkhole you aren’t able to see because it is obscured by the surface of the water. If you are going to drive through this water regardless of the warnings, drive as slow as possible to keep water from spl…

How bad is driving my car through flooded streets?

General Discussion

jtsanders August 31, 2011, 12:13am 5

Some cars have air intakes at the bottom of the engine bay to pick up cooler air. If you or your neighbors have such a car and get in too deep, you will suck water into the air intake and will probably destroy your engine.

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How bad is driving my car through flooded streets?

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