Understanding the Term Water Hammer in Cars and Tips to Overcome It
The rainy season that has recently hit Indonesia has a fairly high rainfall, causing several areas to experience flooding.
This has serious implications and is quite concerning for vehicle owners, especially those with four wheels.
What is Water Hammer?
Water hammer is a condition that poses a threat due to the influx of water into the engine. Puddles of water can be easily found in several regions of Indonesia that have high rainfall.
This situation is exacerbated if there are not enough water absorption areas, so the threat of flooding looms over you. This condition is often experienced when you drive a car amidst the dense traffic of other vehicles on city roads.
Before deciding to drive through a puddle, you must first understand the characteristics of your vehicle.
City cars or sedans have a lower distance from the puddle to the exhaust, while sport utility vehicles are much higher.
These two types of cars cannot traverse flooded roads with the same height because the impacts are different.
If you see an SUV among the dense traffic in the flood, it can serve as a benchmark. This way, the situation can be anticipated so that the car's engine does not suddenly die.
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The system that occurs when a car crosses a puddle is that the water on the road can very likely enter the exhaust. Not only that, this liquid particle can also enter the engine channels and cause the vehicle to suddenly die.
This is caused by the engine and electrical system of the car being infiltrated by water, ultimately leading to quite serious problems.
The signs usually encountered include a blup blup sound produced by the car and starting to have difficulty pressing the gas pedal.
The gas pedal that has been pressed is not responded to by the car's engine revs, making it feel like it is not moving. This condition is quite detrimental to you, as the car suddenly dies in the middle of traffic or dense vehicles.
This condition is known as water hammer, due to the seepage of water that damages the engine system. Understanding what water hammer is very important to avoid experiencing a similar condition or to handle it properly.
This condition is triggered by the fuel chamber being infiltrated by water and the pressure inside it receiving a heavy load from the piston.
The side effects felt are, of course, that the engine can suddenly die, marked by the previous blup blup sound.
In addition, this hydrolocking can also cause the piston rod to change shape or bend. The cylinder space that is infiltrated by water is at risk of being damaged due to the piston applying too much pressure.
Read also: Fatal! Rainy Season, Don't Always Use the Defogger Feature
Effective Tips for Overcoming Hydrolocking
Some people decide to bravely drive through floods because solutions in this condition are not favorable. If you are one of those who dare to drive through puddles.
Then, you must ensure that the gas does not stop and keep the engine running. This reduces the likelihood of water entering the fuel chamber and causing greater damage.
This second tip can be adjusted with the previous tip, which is to keep the gas running. However, after knowing what water hammer is, it certainly makes you unable to press the gas too hard.
Keep the engine running, but drivers are advised not to press the gas pedal too hard so that the water already in the engine does not spread to other systems.
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In addition, this step is very effective to prevent the water still flooding your car from further entering the exhaust pipe. The hope is that the damage caused by water does not worsen and cause the engine to suddenly die.
This action is sometimes misunderstood, leading many people to think that pressing the gas pedal actually prevents water from entering.
If the amount of water that enters is quite large and causes the engine to die, then avoid forcibly starting the car. Also, avoid restarting your four-wheeled vehicle to prevent damage in the fuel chamber from worsening.
It is best for the driver and passengers to exit immediately to avoid unwanted situations.
If the situation allows, you can ask for help from those around to move the car aside. After that, you can disconnect the battery cable that is still connected so that the engine no longer operates.
This is also one way to avoid short circuits experienced by the car. Water hammer is a condition that needs to be addressed properly to prevent severe damage.
Facing the rainy season this year requires more vigilance because the possibility of flooding is quite high. For motor vehicle owners, extra caution is certainly necessary, especially when crossing puddles.
The likelihood of hydrolocking occurring is very high, which can severely damage the car's engine and stall in the middle of the road. Make sure you apply the effective tips mentioned!
