Hyundai Creta owner drives through waterlogged tunnel; Here's what happened

The end of the monsoons is almost here in many parts of India, and like every year, 2022 also witnessed the problems of floods and water logging in many parts of the country. Such instances usually bring a lot of problems and losses to livelihoods and mobility solutions.

This particular time of the year is the one in which you have to drive, maintain and even park your vehicle with the utmost care, failing which can bring mounting losses for you. One such instance we are sharing here is that of a person, who suffered heavy losses because of hydro locking issues in his Hyundai Creta, after driving on a water-logged road.

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In a YouTube video uploaded by Nick Zeek, the presenter Nikhil Borkute explains the after-effects and damages he suffered after driving his Hyundai Creta in a water-logged tunnel in Nagpur. Nikhil was driving his first-generation Hyundai Creta on the roads of Nagpur. In the Somalwada area in Nagpur, the Manish Nagar underpass tunnel came in Nikhil’s way, which was submerged with water to the knee heights due to heavy rains in the city.

Despite the adverse situation, Nikhil dared to drive his Creta through the waters, but eventually, the SUV got stuck when he reached midway. The SUV immediately stopped and started floating, as water had entered the combustion chamber of his SUV’s engine. Nikhil even tried to start the engine for reversing back, but the Creta failed to start as water had already penetrated the engine.

Water can short the electricals

Most modern vehicles are now controlled by electricals, and driving them into waterlogged roads is extremely dangerous. All the windows in most modern vehicles are operated electrically and if the electricals get short due to water, they stop working.

Also, because of the level of the water outside the vehicle, it becomes almost impossible to open the door against the pressure of the water. So the only way to come out of the vehicle is to break the windows.

The side windows are easier to break than the windshield as they are not laminated. There are proper tools that are available in the market to break the windows. However, if you do not have it with you at the time of emergency, you can always use the headrests. The pointy edge of headrests can be used to break the windows and come out of the vehicle in such scenarios. However, you should be extra careful while entering a waterlogged road.

13 days to repair the car

Nikhil then towed his Creta with the help of a crane to an authorized service centre of Hyundai, where the entire engine repairing work began. The work took around 13 days, post which the engine was back in its running condition. Due to hydro locking of the engine, the Creta had suffered massive damages.

Mechanical parts such as engine connecting rods, airbags, module and steering control module, and components like suspension bushes and front lower bumper skid plate got replaced entirely. All these damages are roughly estimated to be around Rs 50,000, which also includes basic general servicing and engine oil replacement.

We request all our readers to avoid driving on such water-logged roads, especially in hatchbacks and sedans which have low water-wading capacities. Even in some high-riding vehicles, the water wading capacities are not high enough to allow you to drive it through water-logged roads or running water. In such cases where the engine gets damaged due to hydro locking issues, an engine protection cover in your car insurance generally comes to your rescue and takes care of all the hefty expenses.

Most insurance covers the water damage but not the engine of the vehicle. It is essential to know what your insurance cover offers. There are add-ons that insures the damages free of cost too. If you live in an area that gets waterlogged often, adding an engine cover is a great choice.

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