Exact Depth Car Can Be Driven Through Flood

[junkofdavid2]

Exactly how deep can a car be driven through a flood without stalling?

Has never happened to me, but I've heard 2 different drivable water levels (so far) but never any confirmation:

1) As long as water is not high enough to get to your "electricals". (Which electricals?? How high is that?)

2) As long as water is not high enough to enter your muffler.

So, which one is it? Or, is it something other than the above?

.

Edited October 14, 2009 by junkofdavid2

[imaneggspurt]

Youll struggle to get an accurate answer, ive been 4 wheeling and riding bikes off road all my life and it varies, what vehicle ? gas or deisel ? what speed, etc, i had a citroen zx td in the uk deisel, had 300 miles on it, i went through a flood of about 12 inches and the water came in the air intake which is near the bottom of the engine and i wrecked the engine,,.realistically 12 inches at walking pace with momentum and a bow wave ought to be ok for almost all cars, trucks of course with a higher ground clearance should go more,

Edited October 14, 2009 by imaneggspurt

[katabeachbum]

Exactly how deep can a car be driven through a flood without stalling?

Has never happened to me, but I've heard 2 different drivable water levels (so far) but never any confirmation:

1) As long as water is not high enough to get to your "electricals". (Which electricals?? How high is that?)

2) As long as water is not high enough to enter your muffler.

So, which one is it? Or, is it something other than the above?

Vigo 4x4 and Fortuner 4x4 can manage 70 cm without snorkel, and thats much higher than exhaustsystem

low gear, enter slowly to bottom and then full throttle out.

[Lost in LOS]

If you gotta ask or are not sure dont do it...........

[PeaceBlondie]

the electricals can be very near the floor.

[Randell]

I've had water coming through the doors in a Suzuki Caribian and made it home .

[quiksilva]

I had a bow wave break across the front bonnet of an Accord and made it home --- but it didn't work the next day though!

[H2oDunc]

In a petrol engine then electrics are a big factor but not so in a diesel. The main problem is the air intake. The exhaust can be submerged as the pressure of the exiting gas keeps the water from entering. You may have seen off road cars which have a snorkel system for the air intake which they run up the windscreen pillar. A properly set up diesel can get through some very deep water. Back in the Uk my friend used to do off roading in his lightweight Landrover. I have been in it where the water has been over our laps and we have driven through it. Also standing water isn't too bad but never enter water that is flowing much as the power of water is phenomonal. If it doubt don't enter it

[katabeachbum]

In a petrol engine then electrics are a big factor but not so in a diesel. The main problem is the air intake. The exhaust can be submerged as the pressure of the exiting gas keeps the water from entering. You may have seen off road cars which have a snorkel system for the air intake which they run up the windscreen pillar. A properly set up diesel can get through some very deep water. Back in the Uk my friend used to do off roading in his lightweight Landrover. I have been in it where the water has been over our laps and we have driven through it. Also standing water isn't too bad but never enter water that is flowing much as the power of water is phenomonal. If it doubt don't enter it

A modern diesel has just as many sensors and electronics as a petrol engine. Not only past few years commonrail, but all the way back to mid 90s with electronic injectors. They are just as sensible for water as petrolengines. Actually Fortuner with petrolengine has less electronic sensors than dieselengine.

However several petrol and diesel SUVs and pickups can wade 70 cm without extra equipment and over one meter with snorkel. Like Range Rover 5,0 petrol and Fortuner with either diesel or petrol engine.

[Grant]

Last night I've got the water into saloon of Vios but still drive without any problem.

All depend on where your air duct displaced: as water come in - the engine will get the water knock

[EvilDrSomkid]

I can tell you that having been there and done that with my S6 on Koh Chang in July, it is the level at which your air inlet is. If you get water into this system it will soak your air filter, which is usually made of paper. If this gets soaked, it will stall and not start again. If water gets past the filter, then it will enter your engine and it will hydrolock. Engine will need rebuild.

You might get water in your oil system. If this happens, you need to drain the oil, do a flush with "flushing" oil and refill with new oil. If you don't, it will mess up the bearings. Engine will need rebuild.

If you drive too long in deep water there is a chance that you ECU (engine control unit) gets wet and will short out. If this happens, you need a new ECU. This is expensive.

To stay safe, do not let the water level get above the bottom line of your doors or the middle of your wheels. You did not mention what car you have.

[skippybangkok]

Depends

-diesel / petrol /gas

- height of car

- age / maintenance

(as we all know )

Well maintained car , maybe under 7 years..... if the bow wave is at about the edge of the hood with a slow drive....... dats about as far as u wanna take it . At his point, ur wheels might start to slip as ur almost floating........ and if a truck comes by... ur gonna float on his waves for sure.

Axel height is safe.

[imaneggspurt]

All depends on how well you are prepared,.! http://www.typhoonthai.com/index.htm

[Spoonman]

Last week the EPZ 2 @ Laem Chabang was well flooded, water would have been atleast 2 foot deep, my Honda city made it thru although i was driving in 1st gear with the foot on the brake pedal and the accelerator buried to the floor.

So im gunna say 2 foot is too deep, 1 foot maybe for a small sedan but defo not 2.

If your in a new age Mini, 6 inches is the maximum as the air intake will get flooded in water deeper than this.

[Spoonman]

If you drive too long in deep water there is a chance that you ECU (engine control unit) gets wet and will short out. If this happens, you need a new ECU. This is expensive.

Considering the ECU is cabin mounted on 99% of cars if it gets wet thats the least of your problems.

[markg]

Some good advice on here.

It's mainly to do with the air filter. (and nothing to do with what the filter is made out of)

Liquids are incompressible. If water gets into the air filter, it will be injected into the cylinders of the car. When the piston comes up on its compression stroke, instead of finding a fuel vapour/air mixture (gas) to compress, it finds water. It can't compress it and you will probably break the conrod. Engine rebuild now required.

That's why you see serious off roaders with their air filters at roof level (also called snorkels)

The trick is to driving through deep water is to create a bow wave. You enter the water slowly and push the water ahead of you. Behind the wave you are creating is the wave trough. The trick is to keep driving in the trough you've made. This trough is actually slightly lower than water level - the additional water is taken up in the wave. The key to it is driving slowly and steadily. Fast is not good. <deleted> do NOT let the vehicle stall. Keep your foot on the gas pedal by either driving against the brake or by dipping the clutch. If the car stalls then you've had it.

I've driven a Honda Wave motorcyle in water over 50cm deep - nearly up to seat level. The air filter is behind the headlight and as long as you keep the exhaust blowing (keep the revs up !) then it will be fine.

If you're in a normal saloon car following traffic through a flooded road, for example, leave a large gap between you and the car in front. If he stalls, you need to be able to pass him without stopping!

If you see a load of cars that have stalled in the water, then dont enter!

How deep is too deep? Depends on the car. Proper off roaders can do a couple of feet or more depending on their set up. The advice to keep it below the bottom of the doors is a good rule of thumb though.

[raro]

tried it the other day with my Jazz on Srinakarin Road...water came in through the doors but engine was still running.

I was pushing a large wave ahead of me....scary!

[sangfroid]

What about the new generation of Hybrids? are they able to handle flooded roads or sois to any extent

[BSJ]

What about the new generation of Hybrids? are they able to handle flooded roads or sois to any extent

Thats a good question! One would hope they will run on the petrol or diesel engine alone in the big wet.

[Douggie Style]

A trick I used sometimes (travelling through desert floods and no chance of help) was to reverse through the flood, it works surprisingly well because it creates a lower water level at the bonnet end, just like a boat.

Once travelled 20kms through a flood with an old Kombi van, it was fantastic, the faster we went the lower the water was at the back...no problems until it started to float over a crossing which was pretty hairy with 6 in the back (one time obesity was helpfull)......

Usually the distributor cap/leads is the first to stop the motor, if it dies you need to carefully wipe the inside top of the cap and all the leads.

If you get water into the air outlet you usually have a problem..

[Gary A]

A friend of mine had a Hyundai and apparently the control unit for the automatic transmission is NOT waterproof. The transmission died.

In any case, if the water starts coming through the floor, that's too deep. Another friend of mine bent the connecting rods on his Toyota pickup by sucking water through the air intake.

[ColinChapman]

Hi All,

A couple of additional points - you really don't want water inside the car, especially floodwater. Even if the engine is fine, the car will smell really bad and you'll probably have to remove, wash and dry all the carpets and they never go back quite the same way! This is based on UK floodwater, I can't see any reason why Bangkok floodwater would smell better (and probably worse).

Second point - never drive through a flood that you haven't waded through first, shoes and trousers are cheaper than engines, if possible have a stick to probe ahead of you and aid your balance, even slow flowing water at nearly knee level (such as on Srinakharin Road recently) can make it difficult to balance, especially if you step into a hole. The wading thing isn't necessary if you can watch cars similar to yours going through and learn from them. Also, remember that most roads are cambered and the water can be considerably deeper at the edges than at the crown, so don't assume that if you can drive along the road it is safe to turn off. Again on Srinakharin Road a couple of weeks ago, I was wading in the middle lane (the cars were driving in the outside lane where it was shallower) and the water was halfway up my shins, but when I turned in to my condo, the water came over my knees at the deepest point.

Does anyone know where to buy rubber waders in Bangkok?

[Crossy]

Ford specify the wading depth of the Ranger 4x4 and Hi-Rider as 450mm (300mm on the 4x2), that's just knee level on me. I suspect other pickups will be similar (look for a specification of 'wading depth'). Saloon car (sedans) tend not to specify and some have air intakes very low down.

Since these numbers are likely fairly conservative I'd happily enter standing water up to my knees (always wade it first if you don't see other vehicles going through).

[tb86]

there is no exact depth for any car / truck best rule of thumb is if you think its too deep than it most likley is, especialy for cars, trucks it really depends on where you electronics are, air box, how high your diff breathers are, your transfer case breather, how close your fan is to your radiator.... no one wants to put a fan through the radiator.... learned that the hard way.. if you do get water in the engine a rebuild isnt always required, pull the clyinders and blow it out w compressed air , but you always want to change your oils and look for contamination after any real water crossings. maybe it didnt die when you did it but that dosent mean you wont have trouble in the future

best bet is to avoid it if you can.

..