Monsoon Weather

#1 Guest_Sarah_*

Group: Guests

Posted 03 March 2007 - 10:46 AM

I drove to Hay yesterday and left at close to 8pm. It was raining hard, but nothing I'd never driven in before. Then, it got worse. The roads out of Hay and Clyro aren't very good and until you reach Hereford, it's basically a dirt track. And this dirt track, I think, did my car some damage last night.

There was a lot of aquaplaning going on, so I stuck to somewhere near 30mph - as was everyone else - and a low gear. Then, we turned a slight corner and the water came nearly up to my windscreen. I was in 2nd, kept it going, came out the other side to find....my handbrake light wouldn't go out. It wasn't properly on, just a feint outline. My brakes were horribly spongy so I drove incredibly slowly to a B+B and curled up for the night.

Today dawned, got in the car, switched it on and it was fine. Brakes were back to their normal, tight selves and no hint of a handbrake light....

Do you think it's OK?

#2 BenF

Group: Members
Posts: 11051
Joined: 23-May 04
Location:Leicestershire

Posted 03 March 2007 - 11:12 AM

did water get into the engine or engine bay? You said you had water up to your windscreen.

The hydraulics of the braking system should be sealed except for the brake master cylinder where you put brake fluid in. If water got in there you definitely need your brake fluid changing.

If was just got into the brakes - front or back - then it should drain/dry out. If this is the case you really do need to drive very carefully until it is all dried out.

If you got water in your hydraulic fluid the brakes will probably spongy, or become spongy.

hth

This post has been edited by BenF: 03 March 2007 - 11:12 AM

Someone stole my Thunder...

#3 Guest_Sarah_*

Group: Guests

Posted 03 March 2007 - 11:21 AM

The brakes are back to their usual selves, so I'd think that water hadn't got into them per se.

I did drive back this morning carefully, did emergency stops on empty stretches of Hereford surburbia to test them out; everything seemed perfectly OK.

When I say 'up to my windscreen,' it looked like that, but it was probably 3/4 of the way up my tyres. I've watched too many disaster films, perhaps!

I'll take it out for a drive today and if I'm unhappy with the brakes, I'll take it to a garage and see if there's anything that needs doing

#4 BenF

Group: Members
Posts: 11051
Joined: 23-May 04
Location:Leicestershire

Posted 03 March 2007 - 11:26 AM

now look Sarah, I must have told you a million times not to exaggerate...

Someone stole my Thunder...

#5 Guest_Sarah_*

Group: Guests

Posted 03 March 2007 - 11:28 AM

I know, I know....it just felt like I was in Das Boot for a minute!

#6 BenF

Group: Members
Posts: 11051
Joined: 23-May 04
Location:Leicestershire

Posted 03 March 2007 - 11:31 AM

such a drama queen!

Someone stole my Thunder...

#7 Guest_Sarah_*

Group: Guests

Posted 03 March 2007 - 11:32 AM

Grrrr......

#8 BenF

Group: Members
Posts: 11051
Joined: 23-May 04
Location:Leicestershire

Posted 03 March 2007 - 11:33 AM

Someone stole my Thunder...

#9 Guest_Sarah_*

Group: Guests

Posted 03 March 2007 - 11:42 AM

You really do know how to push my buttons, don't you?

#10 BenF

Group: Members
Posts: 11051
Joined: 23-May 04
Location:Leicestershire

Posted 03 March 2007 - 01:02 PM

all done in the best possible taste

Someone stole my Thunder...

#11 Guest_XIIVVX_*

Group: Guests

Posted 03 March 2007 - 01:04 PM

You have to admire a girl who'll battle through fire, flood, pestilence, monsoons and the Welsh to get to Hay on Why? and then spends the time once she's there posting on a Puma forum

XIIVVX

#12 BenF

Group: Members
Posts: 11051
Joined: 23-May 04
Location:Leicestershire

Posted 03 March 2007 - 01:08 PM

you missed the sheep!

(Hopefully so did she!)

Someone stole my Thunder...

#13 Neil

Group: Members
Posts: 4645
Joined: 11-September 06

Posted 03 March 2007 - 01:10 PM

Its amazing how quickly the 'emergengy' thread got corrupted wasnt it?

2006 - 2008 Ford Puma 1.7 Lux | 2008 - 2010 Ford Racing Puma #0013 | 2010 - 2012 Mini Cooper S | 2012 - ? RenaultSport Clio 182 Cup

#14 BenF

Group: Members
Posts: 11051
Joined: 23-May 04
Location:Leicestershire

Posted 03 March 2007 - 01:12 PM

well it wasn't really an emergency, was it? A couple of drops of rain and it is described as a flood about to make the kat a giant water butt!

Someone stole my Thunder...

#15 Guest_Sarah_*

Group: Guests

Posted 03 March 2007 - 01:16 PM

Oi, Faust! I'm going to come to that meet just to beat you into submission!

QUOTE (XIIVVX @ Mar 3 2007, 01:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You have to admire a girl who'll battle through fire, flood, pestilence, monsoons and the Welsh to get to Hay on Why? and then spends the time once she's there posting on a Puma forum

XIIVVX

I didn't. I spent my time climbing up a mountain and gassing with my buddy.

Then, and only then, did I come back and seek the help of you wonderful people on the forum....