My Old Truck Hydro Locked in a Flooded CrossingMy Old Truck Hydro Locked in a Flooded Crossing
High Water, Flooding, and Deep Puddles, Holes, or Fording
 
Some years like 2014 yielded lots of snow. When snow melts flooding begins.  The beginning of warm weather also signals the beginning of the Hurricane Season. I don’t have to tell those of you who live in coastal regions what that means; flooding. Being aware of how water affects your vehicle is a critical first step to your protecting your investment and keeping yourself out of danger.
 
You don't have to be off-roading to swamp, submerge, or hydro lock your vehicle. If you drive a car it is especially important to understand the dynamics of the basic functions of your car and how water can totally destroy it in seconds. Open the hood of your car and look at the location of your average car's engine air intake horn and you will see that it is aimed directly forward, generally a plastic or rubber hose with a funnel shaped intake horn up at the front of your grill, under your nose plate, or in a hood ram air scoop. The lower that your car is slung and your intake air horn is located the more risk you are at. Let's look at a real world scenario; you are driving and you see a large puddle, you would have to pull over and back down the highway to avoid it so you decide "it is just a puddle", you gun it and go through it, or I should say you try. As you car hits the water, the water rises up as the car displaces it, causing the height of the water to double or more, now, the water under pressure to disperse takes every route it can. One of those routes, aided by the suction of the engine sucking air in through the intake horn is into your engine. Poof !!! Disaster !!
 
When water enters the combustion chamber of your engine, total destruction of engine can follow in seconds. You are generally revving the engine high to get through the water, increasing the force with which the pistons are flying up and down in the cylinder. Unlike an air / fuel mixture, water does not compress and acts as though the cylinder is filled with concrete causing the piston rods, pistons and head to experience forces 10 to 20 times the normal forces of the engine. Pistons crack, piston rods stress fracture or outright break causing catastrophic failure of the engine.
 
If you come upon the deep water without warning and cannot stop without hitting it, there are some actions that will limit the risk of damage; if you can safely stop, do so, if not let off of the throttle (gas pedal), as you slow and the water settles if the engine is still running slowly accelerate out of the water aiming toward the lowest point, keep the intake horn side at the highest level possible.
 
If your engine stalls, do not attempt to start it. If water entered the cylinders you will increase the damage. If you are in the wilderness you will have to service the engine immediately after pulling the vehicle out of the water or have the car serviced immediately at a qualified ASE mechanic shop. The water can corrode interior engine components shortening their life by years. The water can also destroy sensitive electronic components.
 
See the section on post hydro lock engine basics.
Kits for Life™ - The Kit Culture© the core of PracticeSurvival.com‘s approach to preparedness
Survival Skill Topics 
Skills
Specific Skills
Communications
Ticks and Other
Insect Vector-Borne Health Risks
 
TEOTOWAKI Will Never Happen
 
The 3's of Survival Are Worthless Tripe
 
Knowledge Is NOT Power !!
Learn What Is
 
Anti-Government & Other
Counter Productive Attitudes
 
Radioactive Fallout in Water Soon to Hit
the West Coast of the USA and Canada
Prudent Steps to Prepare
 
Hot - Breaking Topics & News
 
Do you have a Faraday Cage?
 
Earthquakes Happen Everyday What Should You Know?
 
Earthquake Live Feed Interactive Map
 
Never Heat Food or Water in Plastic
With Recycle Codes 1, 3, or 7
PETE or PVC Plastic NEVER !!
 
What should you do if you breakdown on the highway?
 
Comfort & Routine Is Your Survival
 
Military Styled BugOut Plans Don't Work
 
I Choose the Country Lifestyle
Urban or Rural?
 
If You BugOut Without A Plan
You Are A Refugee
 
Winter Travel in Your Vehicle? Have a Kit
 
If the roads are flooded what should you do?
 
I came around the corner right into a giant puddle
Now what should I do?
 

If You Are Away From Home Be Prepared
You Might Not Be Able to Get Home
 
Water - What You Need to Know
 
Silver Solutions the Good, the Bad and the Facts
 
Understand Social Order and Teamwork
 
If You Want to Survive a Disaster - Sociology 101
Everything You Need to Know to be a Leader
 
Colloidial or Ionic Silver
 
Urban Dweller Perspectives on Survival
 
Learn How to Cut Your WayThrough the BS and Get the True Facts
 
Outdoor & Hiking Survival Skills & Tips
 
General Preparedness Tips & Skills
For Personal Home & Businesses
 
Urban Dwelling Requires
Special Survival Skills Every Day
 
Things That You Need to Know
If You Are A Hunter or Survivalist
 
If You Are A Prepper
These Skills Are For You
 
Do You Drive Your 4 Wheel Drive Vehicle
Off Road? Then Check Out
Will's Wheeling Our Companion Site
 
If you really want to survive, You need to understand how to build a team, lead it, create a societal structure, and history
 
Understand water; What you need, How stay hydrated, How to harvest it, How to carry it, How to Treat, Filter, and Purify It
 
Every time that you get into your vehicle; car, truck, van, etc. You are at risk. Even in the parking lot. Before you go on the road prepare and educate yourself.
 
Find Lots of Great Information
From Governmental Sources
Environmental, Legal, Government, & More

Topics of Interest

Specialized Skills 
Skills 
Bugging Out 
Disaster Planning 
Home Page 
Perspectives 
Survival Mindset 
 
Sociology 
Building Team / Community 
Projects 
Security 
Health 
 
Know What To Prepare for 
Our Other Sites
Join Our MeetUp Groups 
USA Flag - PracticeSurvival is proud to be a strong supporter of the greatest experiment of modern man a Representative Republic where the people are free. We appreciate the sacrifice of our great military personnel, law enforcement and first repsonders and their sacrifices everyday protecting our way of life.Brothers on the Square Forget Me Not
 
Join Our MeetUp Groups 
Please contact our Webmaster with questions or comments. © Copyright 2011, 2016 PracticeSurvival.com, Integrity Protection Service All rights reserved. Reproduction, printing, redistribution without expressed written permission is forbidden and illegal.
 
PracticeSurvival.com Disclaimer Notice
All of the information on this website is offered on the strict basis that you and others will exercise proper caution and care in doing any of the things that are presented on this site.  YOU are solely responsible for the use to which you put this material. You must take responsibility for your own actions.
These pages are intended to open your eyes, begin your road to enlightenment. We are on a shoe string budget so we do our best to edit and error check, if there may be some typos for which we appologize in advance. The idea is to introduce ideas for you to investigate further and prepare you to understand his classes. Some activities related to wilderness survival and preparedness can be dangerous if done without proper care and attention. Please be careful and attentive when engaging in any of these activities.
Be reasonable, responsible, take proper precautions, and exercise common sense.
The techniques shown on this website are meant solely for use in primitive wilderness survival and emergency off grid situations. Please note that in most places it is illegal to use some of the methods suggested to capture animals unless you are actually in a life and death survival situation.
 

Contact Info: PO Box 1448, Bellmawr, NJ 08099 USA   Email: webmaster@practicesurvival.com  Phone: 856-861-0300 William R DeCuzzi