Toyota dealer Has Tips for Driving in the Mud

We still love playing the mud. Just because we have grown out of Tonka trucks and holes in the knees of our jeans, it doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy a good mud puddle every now and then. If you like to go outdoors, you will encounter mounds of mud as well. We want to help you drive in the mud and recover if things get a little mushy. Toyota near Emmaus has tips for driving in the mud.

Don’t Get Stuck

Practice mud-smart driving to prevent your vehicle from becoming stuck in the muck:

• Do not try to baja through the mud in a 2-wheel-drive vehicle. If you are purposely driving in the mud or traveling off the beaten path, use 4-wheel drive. When you enter the mud, you should be in 4-low. Engage 4WD before you get in so you don’t have to stop and engage it later. You might not recover.
• Do not play in the mud or go off-road without telling someone where you are going, or better yet, without someone with you. If you get stuck, you will need someone to help you get out or get help.
• Reduce your wheels’ tire pressure if you plan to drive in muddy conditions.
• Do not gun-it, but don’t stop either. You need to keep the drive slow, controlled and steady. Too much throttle with dig a rut and you will get stick.
• When you go through other people’s lines, avoid ruts. If you are with a crew, watch others go through first before you trudge through. Let the others stuck first or forge a path. When you proceed through, keep the wheels as straight as possible.

 

What to do if you are Stuck

For goodness sakes, get off the throttle, man! Aggressive, panicked acceleration will get just dig a deeper hole. You WILL NOT get traction this way. Try these tips:

• Try to proceed slowly. If you cannot proceed forward, try backing up. If you are using a manual transmission, shift into a higher gear and slowly ease off the clutch. Automatic drivers should put the car in the lowest gear before trying to creep out.
• Use a board, branches, blanket underneath the tires to improve traction.
• Get dry dirt or rocks from the side of the road and place it under the tires to improve traction.
• If all else fails, call your buddy with a bigger truck and a winch.

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