What Auto Mechanic Training Program Grads Should Know About Freeing a Car from Mud
If it hasn’t happened to you yet, count yourself lucky. Getting a car stuck in the mud is one of the most irritating experiences any driver can go through. Applying pressure to the gas pedal only to watch the RPM needle bounce up and down and feel the car go nowhere is a headache inducing dilemma.
While there are many ways to liberate a vehicle from its natural prison, some work better than others depending on the circumstances. Here are a few things you might want to know about the procedures so that you can help get your own or a client’s vehicle out of the mud during your auto mechanic career.
Students in an Auto Mechanic Training Program Should Know Traction Is Key
While getting stuck in the mud can feel hopeless, eventually the car will come out. All you need to do is create traction between the wheels and the ground. If the car is wedged in the mud or even in the snow, certain common household items like salt, sand, and cat litter can dissolve any ice that may be contributing to the problem and allow you to create traction. Simply place your substance of choice in front of the tires and use the makeshift surface to drive yourself to freedom!
Some people even use items from their cars, like floor mats, blankets, pieces of wood, or trunk liners. You just place these under your tires and drive slowly forwards. This solution works in a pinch, although it means you may end up destroying whatever items you were using to generate traction.
The Rocking Method Can Help Build Momentum
Another trick you can try after your auto mechanic training program is the rocking method. While this method won’t work for cars that are completely stuck and aren’t moving at all, for those that are still able to reverse and go forward a little bit it can help. With this method you put the car into reverse, back up as far as possible, and then accelerate forwards as far as possible. You keep repeating this, eventually helping the car gain momentum so that it can free itself from the mud. However, if the vehicles are only spinning beneath you, then this method won’t work and you may need to try the next solution instead.
Getting a Tow from a Friend or a Mechanic Can Work When DIY Solutions Don’t
Since you’ll meet plenty of automotive enthusiasts at our mechanic school in Montreal, you might know someone who can give you a tow. A 4×4 vehicle with a locking differential will usually have enough torque to help dislodge a vehicle. While a chain or rope can work, they can also be dangerous if they snap. A better solution is snatch strap, which is less likely to inflict damage on vehicles or people if it breaks. Also, be careful when fastening the snatch strap (or rope or chain) between the vehicles. You want to attach it to the frame and not to a part of the body that might come apart, like the muffler or the bumper.
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