VEHICLE TIPS FOR THE RAINY SEASON SERIES – Wet Roads And Your Brakes
Posted by: wiseguy / Category: Car Maintenance Tips, Motoring
Photo Credit: Grandpa@50 from flickr.com
Here is our second set of tips for you and your vehicle this rainy season. We really need to be careful when the road is wet and knowing these might just be helpful to let you know what to do in these situations.
Wet roads and Brakes
Please make sure that your brake pads (for disc brakes) and brake shoe (for drum brakes) are still in good shape. Also check your brake fluid and make sure that it is at the maximum level. Have your mechanic check this regularly so you can be sure that your vehicle would stop when it needs to.
Check on your wheels as well. Good brakes can only perform well if you have good tires. Make sure that your tires still has groves that would still be able to grip the road. Otherwise, you will just slide and might probably hit something or another vehicle.
When your vehicle has just passed a flooded area, do not accelerate right away and be very gentle on the gas pedal. Your brakes have been soaked in water and might not work properly since it is wet. You have two approaches to solve this problem. You can lightly press on the gas pedal and step on the brakes simultaneously (easier for automatic transmission vehicles) until you feel that your brakes have regained its stopping power or you can choose to let the vehicle move slowly a few meters and try double or triple pumping the brakes and continue repeating this step until your brakes have been restored. Please do take note that disc brakes dry faster than drum brakes so try to get a feel first if your brakes are working fine before you decide to speed up again.
Rains tend to make puddles on the road. You can find these long puddles on uneven roads or along the side or on the shoulder of the road. You also have to be alert not to drive over these puddles when you are speeding. Driving over them at high speed might make your car hydroplane causing you to lose control of your vehicle. When it’s raining, try to drive moderately slow and always be careful and alert. A few minutes late is a lot better than meeting an accident on the road.
More tips for the rainy season next time…
