Motorbike flooded, engine stalled, what to do to avoid 'losing both money and health'?

Heavy rain early this morning (August 26) due to the impact of storm No. 5 (Kajiki) has caused many streets in Hanoi to be deeply flooded. Many motorbikes and scooters in circulation became “victims”, stalling in the middle of the water.

In situations where you are forced to go through flooded areas, it is difficult to avoid vehicle breakdowns. Therefore, equipping yourself with the knowledge and principles of proper handling will help drivers limit damage and have appropriate solutions when unfortunately falling into this situation.

3 main reasons why the car stalls

According to Mr. Nguyen Thanh Nam - owner of a motorbike repair shop in Hanoi, when motorbikes enter flooded roads, there is a high risk of damage to the engine, electrical parts and lasting damage if not handled properly.

Mr. Nam said that there are 3 main reasons why the car stalls when driving in flooded areas: Water gets into the spark plug, causing it to not ignite; Water gets into the air intake pipe and flows down to the carburetor, mixing with gasoline, causing the car to not start; and water overflows into the exhaust pipe, blocking the exit, and even seeping back into the engine.

"The above causes, depending on the severity, can cause different consequences. Mild cases will make your car unable to run for a period of time, while severe cases can cause engine damage with repair costs up to millions of dong," said Mr. Nam.

How to avoid car stalling when driving on flooded roads?

Experts always advise that "prevention is better than cure", which means that if possible, you should not try to drive through deep flooded areas to avoid unnecessary risks for both people and vehicles. However, there are many cases where you are forced to move through deep flooded areas or have not fully assessed the level of flooding, leading to the inability to turn around.

To minimize the risks of driving on flooded roads, experts have the following advice:

- Estimate and minimize entry into flooded areas:When you see a flooded road, observe and estimate the depth before deciding to go in. At the same time, you can observe whether cars similar to yours can move through that flooded road.

Experience shows that, with motorbikes, you should not move on roads where the water level is approximately at the neck of the exhaust pipe or half submerged in the wheel. If you go on roads with such deep flooding, it is very easy for water to get into the exhaust pipe, causing a blockage and causing the motorbike to stall.

- Keep the throttle steady, keep the gear low:If you must cross a flooded section of road, look for the highest point, usually in the middle of the road. Avoid walking along the edge as this area is often flooded deeper and poses a risk of manholes or sewers.

If you are driving a manual transmission vehicle, you should use a low gear (1st or 2nd gear) to slowly go through the flooded area. If you are driving a scooter, try to keep the throttle steady and use the brakes to avoid sudden acceleration and deceleration.

- Don't be afraid to get off and push the bike:If you find your car difficult to pass, do not hesitate to get out, turn off the engine and push the car through deep water. If you try, your car may stall and require a lot of time and money to fix. If possible, cover the exhaust pipe with plastic or stuff it with rags to limit water from getting inside.

After passing through the flooded area, you should not start the car immediately but find a suitable place to start the engine and rev the engine to let the water in the exhaust pipe drain out. When the engine sounds “round”, then get in the car and continue moving.

What to do in case the car stalls?

When your car unfortunately stalls in the middle of a flooded road, stay calm to avoid further damage to your car. You should turn off the engine immediately and move the car to a high place to let the water drain out of the car parts. Do not try to start it immediately because water may have entered the engine, which will damage the engine and carburetor system.

If you have tried restarting the car 2-3 times without success, you should not try to start it again because your car may have a problem due to one of the three causes listed above and needs to be handled differently.

When your spark plug is soaked in water (this is the simplest cause), causing this part to not ignite, we can remove the spark plug with a specialized tool provided by the manufacturer, clean and dry the spark plug with a dry cloth, then reinstall it and try to start it again.

Second reason, if the car has water in the carburetor, you need to turn off the gas and drain all the old gas left in the carburetor, then turn on the gas again. You can do this 1-2 more times to completely drain the water and start the engine. At this time, you need to pull the "air lever" to make it easier to start.

In case water has entered the engine, you will definitely have to ask a professional mechanic to drain all the oil in the car, then clean the engine compartment and replace the oil. It is not impossible that your car will have 2 to 3 causes at the same time and it will take a lot of time to handle.

If you don't know much about cars, you can take it to a nearby repair shop to have it checked and fixed. However, you need to be alert to avoid being "ripped off" or misdiagnosed, leading to unnecessary costs.

Normally, to clean and sanitize spark plugs, the cost is around 10,000-20,000 VND. To replace new spark plugs, for common vehicles, the cost ranges from 60,000-100,000 VND depending on the manufacturer. For more serious errors, the carburetor must be flushed, the oil changed, other parts replaced, etc., the cost can be from several hundred thousand VND to millions of VND.

In addition, to keep your vehicle running smoothly for a long time, you should take it to a mechanic to check all the machine parts, and clean and dry the brake system and electrical circuits to ensure safety and smooth operation.