If you are driving in dusty conditions, you should know that it can also be challenging for your vehicle as it is for you. In fact, aside from reduced visibility, dust can clog the filter of your car. Moreover, it can contribute to the wear on engine components if you fail to manage properly.
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Reduce speed and increase following distance
The presence of dust clouds can limit your visibility, as well as others on the road. Thus, it can also be hard to determine obstacles that may just be waiting for you to pass by. You can handle it by slowing down so that you can improve your control over the vehicle. Likewise, you need to increase the following distance to be able to give yourself more reaction time, especially when visibility unexpectedly drops.
Use headlights and fog lights
Understandably, other drivers on the road can also get affected by visibility. So, they will find it hard to see you when you are driving on the road. That said, you can use headlights or fog lights in order to improve the visibility. If you are experiencing poor visibility, you need to turn on your headlights. Likewise, use fog lights to cut through the dust without creating glare. Do not use high beams because they can reflect off dust particles and may reduce your visibility even more.
Close windows and air vents
You need to do this because dust can easily enter your car and make it uncomfortable and unhealthy when you are driving around. So, you have to close all windows and vents to keep dust out of your cabin. At the same time, you need to use the recirculation mode on your A/C to prevent dust from being drawn inside the car.
Check and change air filters
Dust can easily clog the engine air filter as well as the cabinfilter. As a result, it can reduce the performance and air quality of your engine. Thus, you need to check your air filters on a regular basis and replace them if necessary. Having a clean air filter is critical for engine efficiency, while a clean cabin filter improves air quality inside your car.
Use snorkels for air intake
The purpose of air intake in your car is to collect air and guide it through the cylinders. The air intake system is composed of the air cleaner, air filter, and intake manifold. When your air intake gets flooded or clogged up with dust, it will probably cause problems with the ignition. Thus, your vehicle will stall, leaving you stuck in an unfamiliar location.
Using a snorkel depends on the type of vehicle and the terrain you are manoeuvring. For an all-terrain vehicle, you may use a 4WD snorkel for best results. So, getting in on a dusty road and going off to a deep valley of water should never be a problem. But it is still important to apply caution because you might not be able to see what’s ahead if you are conscious ofthe sudden change of terrain.
