People died this week just going into an underpass under a bridge.
Best tool is your brain. Don't drive into deep water. Or fast moving water more than a couple of inches.
Whatever tool you do use to break the window, make sure it's not aluminum!
Homemade... well, you could get a 10" long piece of 1.5" x 1/4" steel flat stock, grind saw teeth into it, then heat with your torch and oil quench it to harden the teeth, then carbide shape the teeth while running water over it, then hone. You would have a saw capable of cutting the belt and also capable of breaking the windows. If you make one end pointy and wrap duct tape around the other end it could also be used for self defense. Spray it with iron phosphate to keep it from rusting.
Seems to me it would be easier to undo the seat belt buckle, put the window down, and open the door. Knowing how to swim would be helpful.
With most cars now having electrical windows and door locks that activate about 5 or 10 mph you stand a good chance of electrical failure when the car is under water.
In some cases, you can't undo the seatbelt. You can't open the door in almost all cases. And once the water presses against the window, you can't open the window.
For example I've watched the videos (they abound on the net) where even the safety diver in the back seat had to cut his seatbelt when the car flipped upside down (seatbelts are apparently not designed to work when you're pressing against them upside down).
I've watched muliple videos where they tested how soon you have to start to open the car door, where it's essentially immediately upon hitting the water. After that, it's a thousand pounds of pressure against the door, which nobody can force no matter how strong you think you may be.
The only other time you can open the door is after the pressure equalizes, which means the air is essentially long gone, and even then, if the water is deep, you'll never make it to the surface alive.
Likewise with the windows. While the electrical system may remain (as long as you leave the key in the ignition), there is a thousand pounds of pressure against the window also.
The paradoxical thought process is that you have to open the window BEFORE the water gets to that level, which is what most people do not want to do (because they feel it will let in more water - which it will).
The standard recommendation is SWO S = seatbelt W = window O = get out
Swimming is optional.
True, one of the reasons that I like my old cars. I consider manual crank windows to be a feature.
Their one main advantage(theoretically) is that they are less likely to fail due to simplicity.
This assumes their design is "simpler" - some are, some are not!! - and some ade simpler than they should be and fail as a result. (ever see the "window winder" in an old Fiat 500/600????)
Can a manual window roll down with a couple of hundred pounds of pressure against it ?
Worst case, the regulator would crank down but the window wouldn't. For some the bottom of the window sits in a U channel with little more than a friction fit. Others have bolts but I doubt you could crank it down with the glass pressing against the channel. I never pushed it hard enough to break anything but I've had windows freeze in the winter and reasonable force on the crank won't break them loose.
Buck knife for the belt, automatic center punch for the door window.
Some can. An old Fiat definitely can't - --
A good philips screw driver will work too
This is why, for safety, I always keep a full oxyacetylene rig set for cutting in the car with me. As long as the water doesn't get above the level of the flint, this is a reasonable safety precaution that everyone should take.
Of course, you may find yourself in a situation where that's not enough. That's why, for safety, I always keep my trunk full of dynamite because you never know when you might need it for moving obstacles on the road.
Safety is important! Think of the children!
--scott
Actually unless you are in salt water the motors will work just fine
Are the locks and window motors computer controlled in modern cars? In my 06 Kia they are not comp controlled. Motors and batteries work just fine submerged in water for a while.
Very sad.
Power windows often work even when the car is submweged or for a little while after the engine is off. But I woudln't wait until then to check.
Amazing that they would sell something like this. Isn't aluminum as expensive as steel? Maybe they had some left-over aluminum.
I'm not sure I have a modern car. It's a 2005.
There you go. Actually, I think my windows will go up or down for maybe
30 seconds after the key is out of the ignition. Hadn't thought about it, but it might be the same time until the headlights go off.So the computer is making them work longer.
Yes, if the ignition is still on, I'm sure you have 2 or 3 times as long.
Are people saying that the sideways pressure of the water forces the window against its channel and that's why it won't go down?
It was in the videos so look for them but you can think about it.
You already agree there's about a thousand pounds against the door. Why wouldn't there be about a thousand pounds against the window? (the actual pressure depends on the area - but go with the idea)
Certainly the same pressure per square inch against the door is against the windows once the water gets to that level so the question is really what happens to your car windows when you force them with appreciable force sideways?
I don't know the answer but the expert's suggestion is don't wait until it actually happens to find that out as these people may very well have done this week.
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