Driving a flooded street

[dr. d]

wading thru deep floods, is just like buying a car.
bringing the car home is the easy part.
maintaining, fixing, and keeping the car road-worthy afterward, is the difficult part.

when i drove my car home during ondoy, i afterward replaced the engine oil, trans oil, diff. oil, and inspected all four wheels/bearings. and i was lucky.
oil + water does look like nescafe classic 3 in 1.

[WallyWest]

Recently drove my Mirage hatchback through flood because of the rains last Dec 25. The water wasn't too deep - mga hanggang bottom edge lang ng pintuan. Medyo bothered lang ako kasi while driving through water, may mahinang tunog na parang loose fan belt (that screeching sound) from somewhere under the floor. Pero pagka-ahon sa tubig, nawala naman.

Where could the sound have come from?

BTW, CVT tranny. I drove the car the day after and everything felt normal. No problems sa shifting and braking. Ano ang dapat kong ipa-check?

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[victorevolution]

Recently drove my Mirage hatchback through flood because of the rains last Dec 25. The water wasn't too deep - mga hanggang bottom edge lang ng pintuan. Medyo bothered lang ako kasi while driving through water, may mahinang tunog na parang loose fan belt (that screeching sound) from somewhere under the floor. Pero pagka-ahon sa tubig, nawala naman.

Where could the sound have come from?

BTW, CVT tranny. I drove the car the day after and everything felt normal. No problems sa shifting and braking. Ano ang dapat kong ipa-check?

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edge ng door... eh di malalim na yan. say sayonarra to your bearings after a few weeks.

better have your car check, change oil and cvt fluid now.

[StockEngine]

Recently drove my Mirage hatchback through flood because of the rains last Dec 25. The water wasn't too deep - mga hanggang bottom edge lang ng pintuan. Medyo bothered lang ako kasi while driving through water, may mahinang tunog na parang loose fan belt (that screeching sound) from somewhere under the floor. Pero pagka-ahon sa tubig, nawala naman.

Where could the sound have come from?

BTW, CVT tranny. I drove the car the day after and everything felt normal. No problems sa shifting and braking. Ano ang dapat kong ipa-check?

Sent from my Nokia 6.1 using Tapatalk

did you switch off your ac before going deep?

[ice15]

Recently drove my Mirage hatchback through flood because of the rains last Dec 25. The water wasn't too deep - mga hanggang bottom edge lang ng pintuan. Medyo bothered lang ako kasi while driving through water, may mahinang tunog na parang loose fan belt (that screeching sound) from somewhere under the floor. Pero pagka-ahon sa tubig, nawala naman.

Where could the sound have come from?

Malamang nabasa yung pinakamababang bearing mo kaya dumulas yung belt.

Nung natuyo yung belt, ok na.

How effective is this?

IMO... I think you can call it "old school" nowadays.

Been doing it since my college days... twice ko tinawid sa Espana yung 90's Lancer ko noon.

[dr. d]

Recently drove my Mirage hatchback through flood because of the rains last Dec 25. The water wasn't too deep - mga hanggang bottom edge lang ng pintuan. Medyo bothered lang ako kasi while driving through water, may mahinang tunog na parang loose fan belt (that screeching sound) from somewhere under the floor. Pero pagka-ahon sa tubig, nawala naman.

Where could the sound have come from?

BTW, CVT tranny. I drove the car the day after and everything felt normal. No problems sa shifting and braking. Ano ang dapat kong ipa-check?

Sent from my Nokia 6.1 using Tapatalk

it's probably a slipping belt. serpentine.. aircon.. it was slipping because it was wet.
nothing to worry about, as it goes all back to normal when dried up.
well, maybe check and tighten up the suspect belt afterward if needed, is all.

what else to do? check my post above, # 78. back then, i also drove my car in ondoy's heavy flood, with water also up to the car doors.
of course, my car back there was an innova.
heh heh.

i was lucky. after more than ten years afterward, innova still runs well, with no problems.

when in doubt, drain and replace (engine, trans, diff oils) or clean and re-pack (wheel bearings and brakes).
if you are lucky, you wouldn't see that oil + water really looks like coffee from nescafe 3-in-1.
good luck.

[WallyWest]

Salamat sa mga response.

Di ko na maalala if the ac was on but it probably was because my windows weren't fogging up. Ano ang magiging issue pag buhay ang ac? Other than the usual pa-maintenance, wala pa kong experience sa mga pa-repair.

My take away from all your replies is to have the brakes and wheel bearings checked and cleaned. Check belts na rin. Sasabay ko na rin pa-underwash.

CVT fluid rin pala.

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[ice15]

I don't remember the last time I saw a car bearing na pwede linisin/lagyan ng grease...

Most are sealed. kapag umingay, palit na kagad, walang repair.

[StockEngine]

Salamat sa mga response.

Di ko na maalala if the ac was on but it probably was because my windows weren't fogging up.

when the AC is on, the big fan in front will be spinning because it has to cool down the condenser.

when that water hits the fan blades, the blades could go south or the motor can trip the fuse and you could be stuck somewhere with an overheated engine. seems like you didn't go deep enough.

I'm thinking that the dual fan setup of the honda city is abit higher from the ground. honda city nga ba bro?

[travajante]

when the AC is on, the big fan in front will be spinning because it has to cool down the condenser.

when that water hits the fan blades, the blades could go south or the motor can trip the fuse and you could be stuck somewhere with an overheated engine. seems like you didn't go deep enough.

I'm thinking that the dual fan setup of the honda city is abit higher from the ground. honda city nga ba bro?

Does the Mirage have 2 separate fans or 1 variable speed?

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[WallyWest]

Does the Mirage have 2 separate fans or 1 variable speed?

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1 fan lang. It's variable speed AFAIK.

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[WallyWest]

when the AC is on, the big fan in front will be spinning because it has to cool down the condenser.

when that water hits the fan blades, the blades could go south or the motor can trip the fuse and you could be stuck somewhere with an overheated engine. seems like you didn't go deep enough.

I'm thinking that the dual fan setup of the honda city is abit higher from the ground. honda city nga ba bro?

It wasn't too deep I think because I didn't hear water sloshing against the bottom plus I made sure to drive slow enough to avoid splashing. Mirage hatch ang kotse.

Thanks for that bit of info. I wouldn't have thought that that's the danger of driving through deep water with the a/c on. Akala ko ang magiging problema is it would suck water in.

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[StockEngine]

Does the Mirage have 2 separate fans or 1 variable speed?

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haven't seen the engine bay of the mirage.

It wasn't too deep I think because I didn't hear water sloshing against the bottom plus I made sure to drive slow enough to avoid splashing. Mirage hatch ang kotse.

Thanks for that bit of info. I wouldn't have thought that that's the danger of driving through deep water with the a/c on. Akala ko ang magiging problema is it would suck water in.

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just switch off the ac next time. its just less than 5 minutes going slowly sa floods.

as for the fluid changes. I don't think its necessary. the cvt unit has a breather just on top of the air box(air filter) if you remove that air box and its dry then its not necessary to replace the cvt fluid.

I just hope the cvt level port is closed real well. thats one way water can get inside the cvt unit. though i'm not sure if you've got one.

[dr. d]

might i add one item?

"if you do not know just how deep it goes... don't!"
let other braver and probably worthier cars, try it out first.

[MurithiFoy]

The skinny on myths about flood driving | Inquirer Business
Jeanette Ipapo-Tuason


I just recently celebrated my birthday, which means it’s the rainy season. On a bad year, either a volcano erupted or a major earthquake happened somewhere but usually just heavy rain, which nevertheless keeps everybody from leaving the party. Since rains and floods are already here, it’s time to debunk some driving in the flood myths.

Myth 1: If you drive into a flood, turn off the air conditioner.

Skinny: True. According to 4×4 expert Beeboy Bargas, turning off the air conditioner in the older model cars was important because they didn’t have a separate clutch fan. The engine has a solitary fan, which works with a pulley connected to all the system. Turning off the air conditioner decreases the chances of damaging the system. For newer models, floodwater can short out the electrical parts of the car resulting in more heart and headaches than a few sauna-like minutes in your newfound submarine.

Myth 2: An SUV is an amphibian.

Skinny: False. Even if they are as rugged and high, the S in SUV does not mean submarine. The advantage of an SUV is usually the air box (where air comes in to the engine—which is used to burn fuel) is higher than the usual sedans, it is still prone to water damage. You can usually see this air intake near the inside fender. The air is important in the fuel. It is also important in the air combustion process, which keeps the engine on, therefore producing a force that expels the water from the muffler, which is another entry point for water.

Myth 3: …and so is the pick-up.

Skinny: False. Pick-ups are also not amphibians. They might be horses because they usually have a higher wheelbase and/or bigger tires that are helpful in these conditions. The 4×4 vehicles that you see crossing rivers usually have an air scoop, whichis installed to raise the entry point of air into the engine higher up in the vehicle and ensuring that the fuel and air combustion in the engine continues.

Myth 4: You need to step on the accelerator continuously (while driving through floodwater).

Skinny: Partially. Stepping on the accelerator increases this force that makes sure that water does not come into the engine through the muffler. But you don’t need to overdo it. As long as the engine is on, the outward force will continue to come out of the muffler, expelling the water in the process.

Myth 5: If it’s just about knee-high, it is safe to drive.

Skinny: False. According to Floodready.com, only half a meter of floodwater is enough to sweep a car off the road. There are other factors that you don’t see under the murky waters that can turn your EDSA drive into a white-water rafting experience.

Myth 6: High water is the only danger.

Skinny: False. During the rain, a lot of debris are washed away from our sooo clean streets (I am being sarcastic here). There is a possibility that items that can either puncture your tire or put a dent in your car, such as floating trashcans, woods, pieces of metal, Godzilla, etc., are lurking under the waters.

Myth 7: Pump your brakes after passing through water.

Skinny: True. My husband (JP Tuason), who teaches defensive driving, always mentions this during his seminars. Pumping the brakes dries the brake pads because a wet braking system is unresponsive and this is a recipe for a crash.

Myth 8: When flooded, drive at the center of the road.

Skinny: True. According to Mike Johnson, owner of Trapik.com, most of the roads are crowned, making the center the highest part of the road. This may sound very bitchy, but, hey, I don’t think there’s a lot of you that will attempt this anyway.

So now that we have debunked some of the myths, please don’t claim that you have not been informed. A great philosopher once said: “And knowing is half the battle”… wait I think that was GI Joe.

For comments and suggestions, please e-mail me at jntATtuasonracingDOTcom. Please e-mail us your tips in driving safe during the rainy season. The top 10 best tips will get Ford’s First Gear Book for New Drivers.

Glad to find this information. Its almost rainy season