Drivin’ in the rain

The monsoon can play havoc with your vehicle. Here's how you can prevent a vehicular and mental breakdown during the rains.
By Veeresh Malik

Wet weather poses its own set of challenges when it comes to car maintenance. There are parts of the country - whether coastal or rain forest areas -- where these maintenance tips are valid throughout the year. But for the rest of us, the monsoon means typically June through September.

Obviously, trustworthy tyres and better brakes are essential, but you have to go well beyond that. Here's what you need to do:

Make sure others see you:

Monsoon driving and riding bring the concept of making yourself visible to other road users into sharp focus. Because of the cloud cover, the nights are much darker and the days are like twilight much of the time. So, check those lamps, front and rear, and use them -- even during the day. And if your bike or car happens to be in dark colours, then see if you want to invest in some reflecting tape. Nothing can be more frightening for another road user than facing a bike or a car suddenly emerging from the gloom.

Make sure you see the others:

Remove that tinted film from your windows now! All-round visibility is bad enough when it's raining without having to peer through darkened windows. Furthermore, these films tend to obscure as well as distort what you see on the side and the rear, with what's called peripheral vision. There are also visibility issues with some types of film due to the condensation forming between the glass and the film. Peel them off now.

Get your vehicle serviced:

Should your vehicle be serviced before or after the monsoon? It's 12 of one and a dozen of the other. If you do it before, then by the end of it, the vehicle is ready for another servicing. And if you do it after, you'll be driving around with an unserviced vehicle during the monsoon. My advice: if you live in an area where it rains a lot, do it both times -- subject to how much you use your wheels, of course! And put the newer tyres in front.

Hit the high ground:

The monsoon season is also when basement parking lots acquire alternative lifestyle uses as swimming pools. Take note of where your pride and joy is parked when there's a cloudburst, and, if required, re-park it on high ground. Restoring a flooded car or bike to its original condition is next to impossible, and the insurance company may not cooperate either.

Handling the humidity:

Humidity does strange things to the various computer/chip controlled fuel and engine management systems. You may observe the engine revving up without warning, especially when it's in neutral gear. A good tip is to switch off the engine once the optimal operating temperatures have been reached, let the various sensors reset themselves (you will usually hear a few clicks when you shut down), and then re-start. This, by the way, is a good thing to do throughout the year, especially in the winters.

Watch the puddles:

Driving through water even a few centimetres deep can cause your car or bike to behave in unpredictable fashion at speeds as low as 30 kmph. In addition, the water may also have a thin layer of oily residue, which can cause a total loss of traction and grip. The splash of water from the vehicle in front of you can blind you, so keep an eye out for that, too. Make full use of the windshield wipers - modern windscreens are designed to take the load and do not get scratched as easily as they used to in the past. For bike riders, a full-face helmet with proper ventilation and clear visibility is extremely useful.

Crazy drivers on the loose:

The rainy season seems to bring out the worst in aggressive drivers. You can usually see them tailgating and pushing through whatever tiny gap they find in the traffic, which will always slow down during rainy weather. Let them through, because you are just risking yourself by not letting them get ahead.

Check the brakes:

I can't stress this one enough -- brakes of all sorts, drum or disc, tend to `fade' when you drive through water. Keep checking the brakes while driving or riding when it's raining, or if you're driving/ riding through puddles or wet areas. Check BEFORE you need to use the brakes, obviously!

Drive safe, and be considerate to other road users. Try not to splash dirty water on others; slowing down when going through puddles is good for your conscience as well as the underbody of your car or bike. Plus, you never know what rocks and other hazards lie hidden in those mini-pools.

The monsoon car care checklist

• Ensure your lamps work, and stick on reflecting tape, especially if your vehicle is a dark colour to help other drivers see you


• Tinted window film is for the summer, not the monsoon. Remove them to enhance visibility during the rains


• Service your vehicle before and after the monsoon


• Don't park in the basement. Your vehicle may get flooded and it is not an easy job to restore it


• Avoid the puddles; there could be something nasty just beneath that smooth film of water


• Check the brakes, and keep checking. Water and brakes don't mix

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