Taking your car out for adventures during harsh weather conditions, especially rainy seasons, increases the risk of different problems. One of these problems is getting your vehicle stuck in the mud. It is essential that you always try your hardest to drive carefully when on rough and muddy terrain, but sometimes, you cannot avoid some things.
Everyone who has been through this experience knows how frustrating it can be because sometimes, it is quite difficult to solve the problem. The ground can get extremely soggy during rainy seasons, and your car may get stuck in the mud. So what do you do when you get your car stuck in the mud?
It is important to note that when trying to get your car out of mud, you should never hit the gas, spin the tires or stop when you gain momentum. The good thing is that you can do a few things to get your car out of the mud. Keep reading this article for more information.
What To Do When Your Car Gets Stuck in Mud
If you ever find yourself in a situation where your car gets stuck in the mud, here are some things you can do.
The First Two Things to Do Come Out of the Car
The first thing you should do when your car gets stuck in mud is to get out of the vehicle and if you have passengers in the car, have them exit too. This will help reduce the car’s weight and stop it from plummeting further into the mud. Then, you can move on to the next step, assessing the situation.
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Assess the Situation
When you have successfully exited the car with other passengers, if there are any, you can then go ahead to assess the situation. It would be best to determine whether the problem is severe or minor. Evaluating the situation will help you know the best method and strategy to get your car out of the mud.
You must be calm when checking the damages as this will help you to think clearly. Check how deep your wheels have plummeted into the mud; is just one wheel, or is it the four wheels of your car? Being able to answer this question will help you to decide the next thing to do.
Other Methods to Apply Get to Digging!
There is no avoiding getting your hands and the rest of your body dirty when trying to get your car out of the mud. This method helps you make the mud ditch less steep so your car can easily climb out. But keep in mind that digging too much and too down will create a bigger hole, making it much more difficult for your car to climb out of the mud.
The idea is to use a shovel, and if you do not have any, then use your hands to scoop the mud away from the front of your tires. Before doing this, you can try turning the wheels of your car left and right to create some space; this will make your job easier.
Move Your Car Back and Forth
Another method you can try is moving your car back and forth; the point is to try gaining momentum as this will help your vehicle get out of the mud easily. You need to get into your car for this method, so you should probably try this before you get your hands and body dirty.
You have to be in the second or third gear (manual transmissions) or the lowest gear (automatic transmissions). Ensure your wheels are pointing straight, move your car forward slightly, put it in reverse, then move it backward slightly. It would be best if you continued like this until you feel that the vehicle has gained enough momentum to quickly drive out of the mud. No matter how frustrated you get, do not spin your wheels! Jamming your foot on the accelerator will only make things worse for you; your car will end up sinking deeper into the mud, and mud will get splattered over your vehicle, which means more work for you to deal with.
Try to Gain Traction
One of the primary reasons your car was able to get stuck in mud is because your tires lose their grip on the road, which is referred to as traction. So, one of the best things you can do is try to gain traction, and the good thing is that you can use random objects around you to achieve this.
Your car’s floor mat is the first item you can use to gain traction. You will need a jack to slightly raise the tires so you can place the foot mat in front and under your car’s wheels (ensure setting the foot mat’s top edge directly under the stuck tire). You can also use a jacket or a piece of cardboard to achieve this.
This will help create traction so your car can easily drive off. Once you have placed your item under and in front of the stuck tire, get in your vehicle and slowly accelerate. This method should be successful in getting your car out of the mud.
It is important to note that your item should be placed under the front driver’s wheel if it is a front-wheel drive vehicle. The item should be placed under the rear passenger’s wheel if it is a
rear-wheel drive vehicle.
Drop Your Tire Pressure
This method should be the last option after having tried other methods written above, and it involves releasing some air from your tires. It helps to increase the surface area around your stuck tire, allowing you to gain enough traction to get your car out of the mud. You can only use a tire pump or compressor to achieve this.
When you have released some air from your tire, you can place a floor mat or whatever item you have underneath. Then, repeat the process of slowly getting into your car and pushing on the accelerator; highest gear (manual) and lowest gear (automatic). If this does not work the first time, give it a few more tries but remember never to spin your wheels.
Conclusion
Getting your car stuck in the mud can happen to anyone; it can be highly frustrating, but you should always try to be calm so you can think clearly. You can try the above methods to get your car out of the mud.