Driving in Inclement Weather

Now that the dust has settled from Typhoon Basyang, it's probably time to address the issue of what to do when it's stormy out. Here's some tips:

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Before you drive:


1. If you know that a storm is coming and can avoid going out, stay in. Park the car in a spot where it is safe from flooding and falling branches or electrical/telephone poles. If you cannot find a high spot, disconnect the battery and jack up the front end to keep the engine and engine electronics as high as possible. If the rear carpeting on your vehicle gets wet, that's an inconvenience. If the electronics get wet, that's a problem.

2. If your trip is necessary, plan your route and know which streets are less prone to flooding. Also bring contingency money in case you get stuck somewhere and either have to wait it out or call for a tow.

3. Check your car before you leave. Ensure that you have more than enough fuel to make the trip, even if you get stuck in gridlock. Make sure that your car is in good condition, with a complete set of tools. Having a 24-hour tow service number saved on your (fully charged) cellphone is also a good idea.

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During the drive:


1. Drive slowly, drive gently. You can't avoid a falling tree at 140 km/h in the dark.

1. You should always, always know the flood-fording capacity of your vehicle.

If the fording height is not available from the manufacturer, lift your hood and find your airbox (where the air filter is). Look at the tubes connected to it. The the tube from the airbox that is open to the air is called the snorkel or intake tube.

The height of this tube indicates the theoretical maximum height of water you can ford in the car. A good rule of thumb is to NOT cross water that is less than six inches below the snorkel height, as bow waves from passing trucks and buses can raise the water level to the intake level.

Many people have bought SUVs assuming they can ford deep water... only to be sorely disappointed when their car dies in the middle of a crossing that the carbureted taxi in front of them successfully completed.

2. When in doubt, don't. If you are not sure how deep the water is (because no one else is crossing) or are unsure if your vehicle will make it through, back out and find another way. Saving yourself a few hours of waiting is never worth destroying your vehicle or endangering your life.

3. A note for trucks with high ground clearance and/or snorkels. Just because you can ford water that's three feet deep, doesn't mean you should. If a drainage canal or river sweeps over a bridge, it may have the power to carry you off the bridge and out into the water. Your SUV may weigh two tons, but guess what? The passenger cabin is full of air, and that makes it float. Anything that floats can be carried away by a strong current.

4. If you are stuck in traffic or a low-lying area and it becomes obvious that the water will cover the car, disconnect the battery (and, if you can, remove the ECU (electronic control unit)), and make for higher ground. Having the battery disconnected will help prevent a short circuit caused by water penetration from frying your ECU. Congratulations, you've just saved around fifty thousand bucks in repairs.


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After The Flood

1. If your car forded the water successfully and experienced no cabin leakage, check all fluids and suspension parts. Water can still leak into your engine oil or gear oil, and it can contaminate bearings and CV Joints.

2. If your car has been inundated by flood, do not attempt to start it. Have it inspected by a mechanic or electrician. Change all fluids and dry out all electronic sensors and systems thoroughly before even attempting this. Some vehicles have water resistant ECUs. Others don't. But even if the ECU is water sealed, there's no guarantee that everything else is. This includes sensors in the engine bay, electronics in the dashboard and various electrical couplings throughout the vehicle.

3. You may also want to take apart your seats and carpet and lay them out in the sun to dry. If the flood water contained mud, you will want to take the vehicle to a professional to disassemble the dashboard and doors to clean out everything thoroughly.

Automotive Market Recovery is Both Encouraging and Depressing

Sales figures are in for the first half of 2010, and it appears that the market is starting to recover.

CAMPI stats page

US sales, first half, 2010


Sales are good for many manufacturers both locally and in the US, which is a good sign... but depressingly... worryingly, most of those sales are... you guessed it... for big vehicles.

Not that I'm against people needing or buying big cars. It's your money. Do what you want. But the plain fact of the matter is: People don't seem to have learned their lesson. Fuel economy matters. Fuel prices are not going to stay at this low level for long... and when oil goes back to the $100 per barrel level, as the Chinese economy picks up steam again, people are going to start panicking and bitching about it. Get over it. It's your own damn fault.

Just look at US sales. The Honda Jazz/Fit is down. The hybrid market is showing a small downturn. In local sales... the top three spots are all taken up by SUVs... one of which wasn't even available in diesel at the start of its run (the Tucson).

First Quarter Sales, Philippines, 2010

The electric contingent also seems to have lost some steam. Tesla just released its IPO this week. It went up and down faster than you can say "What-the-..." Not that Tesla has ever been more than two steps above vaporware, but general sentiment and interest in alternative energy vehicles is not as bullish as it once was.

I wish I could say that we've learned our lessons from the disaster that was 2008-2009. But apparently we haven't. And we seem bound to repeat this vicious boom-bust cycle all over again. Will people ever learn?

So... did you sleep through the 2010 F1 European GP at Valencia?

Red Bull's Mark Webber sure did, snoozing off the starting line and falling far back... before executing an airborne assault on a hapless DHL sign off the back of Hekki Kovalainen's Lotus.

I'm sure Fernando Alonso wished he had, after the heartbreak of being one of the only two drivers caught behind the resulting safety car. (The other being his Ferrari team-mate Felipe Massa). Needless to say, the Spaniard was livid, especially since McLaren's Lewis Hamilton, just a second ahead of him, took time out of deciding whether or not to pass the safety car to wag his tail at him. Just to, you know, piss him off. Because we all know Lewis and Fernando just love playing with each other.

Other than that, and an almost race-ending clash between the two wonder boys, Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel and Hamilton (boy, did he have an eventful race), it was the typical Valencia snooze-fest. To the point where people are talking about overhauling the circuit for next year. And not just people, but, y'know... people.

The most excitement, actually, was generated when Fernando Alonso had an apoplectic attack on air as Ferrari told him that finally, the stewards had decided to penalize Lewis for his borderline illegal overtake of the safety car (it would have been legal if he hadn't spent an extra millisecond mooning Alonso), and that Lewis's penalty had lost him exactly zero places.

And it only got worse, as other drivers who sped under the safety car got a mere 5 second penalty for this action. Alonso's fair-minded and faithful following of safety car rules landed him in ninth... promoted slightly to eight after the penalties were assigned. Maranello was not amused.

As Ferrari and Fernando continue a conspiracy theory assault on the ears of all and any who will listen, the FOTA looks at clarifying safety car rules... but really... the whining has got to stop. As if Fernando or Ferrari are completely innocent of racing shenanigans in their long and colorful (but separate) histories in F1...