Driving through floods?!

[Hanzz]

I don't know about anyone else out there, but I'm sure there's a few that are annoyed with the local roads flooding here in Somerset/In other areas. Because I live quite out in the sticks, the roads aren't as well maintained. There's a place near me, with fields about and a road that runs through the centre which floods all over the road. My partner (who is a mechanic!! )stupidly drove through it in his BMW (which is also lowered) and it came up just below headlights. How it didn't get damaged I don't know. You know what they say about mechanics and their own cars!

A few days later and a few more nights of rain, the flood had developed a current, and closed the road down.

This brings to the point... My partner has been on many breakdowns where people still continue to drive through them? Why! Sometimes it might not look deep I suppose, but if it's across the road, and I can't see any lines in the road I wouldn't attempt!..

Any stories anyone??

 

[BTB 500]

There's a recent thread here about someone who did £11k worth of damage to his CLK that way (writing it off).

 

[Hanzz]

Owch.

 

[BTB 500]

See I'd just engage "monster truck mode" on my SL and wade through no problem

 

[Hanzz]

Fancy doing a demonstration ?

 

[verytalldave]

See I'd just engage "monster truck mode" on my SL and wade through no problem

What is the maximum rise/fall difference?

 

[prprandall51]

The service manager at my local MB garage told me that they are currently undertaking a £17,000 repair to a car flooded by a person driving through deep water. That's £12,000 for the engine and the rest for fitting and ancillaries.

Someone mentioned on this forum that the insurance companies are changing their stance and will no longer cover flood damage if the car incurred the damage whilst being driven. Seems eminently sensible to me. I don't want to sponser the actions of numpties through raised insurance premiums.

Philip

 

[Sp!ke]

I suppose its a bit like mountain climbers...

Foolish people do foolish things.

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=37277&

 

[BTB 500]

What is the maximum rise/fall difference?

I'll look it up. It seems like a lot if you hit the switch by mistake (it's a rocker, right next to the knob that does the lights)!

 

[Hanzz]

I don't want to sponser the actions of numpties through raised insurance premiums.

Philip

Totally agree.

I've seen a few Mercs on ebay with faults of water damage from flooding. I guess they've claimed and trying to make a bit more back?

My partner went on a breakdown the other week for a elderly man who tried to go through a flood in his citroen. The water was washing over the bonnet as it was that deep. He was pulled out by the 4wd recovery and I don't think the car will survive...

I would be frightened of being washed away if there was a current in the water.

 

[Hanzz]

I suppose its a bit like mountain climbers...

Foolish people do foolish things.

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=37277&

Great story! :bannana:

The first picture you posted, that was a ford??!! It looks like a river!

 

[BTB 500]

What is the maximum rise/fall difference?

OK. Stage 1 lift is 35 mm above normal, stage 2 is 60 mm above normal. It drops 15 mm below normal at 120 kph (just under 75 mph). So total range is 75 mm. I was kidding about wading through floods BTW

 

[Sp!ke]

Great story! :bannana:

The first picture you posted, that was a ford??!! It looks like a river!

Yeah, it is supposed to be a ford..

You can see the distance from one side to the other in this shot.

Depth rather than distance is the real problem though.

 

[Hanzz]

I think the general rule is, if it has a duck on it, it's going to be deep!

 

[verytalldave]

OK. Stage 1 lift is 35 mm above normal, stage 2 is 60 mm above normal. It drops 15 mm below normal at 120 kph (just under 75 mph). So total range is 75 mm. I was kidding about wading through floods BTW

I did realise that!
I just wondered what the range was.
Thanks for that info.

 

[glojo]

Totally agree.

I've seen a few Mercs on ebay with faults of water damage from flooding. I guess they've claimed and trying to make a bit more back?

My partner went on a breakdown the other week for a elderly man who tried to go through a flood in his citroen. The water was washing over the bonnet as it was that deep. He was pulled out by the 4wd recovery and I don't think the car will survive...

I would be frightened of being washed away if there was a current in the water.

Once the water gets higher than the floor pan then the vehicle is starting to change from a car to a boat! The bow wave, or 'bonnet wave' might reach the top of the bonnet, but unless the car has an extremely heavy engine, or it is using leaded petrol .. then perhaps the real depth might not be quite that deep?

On the program that featured the young man with the false number plate we actually saw a car on the motorway that had partially flooded this vehicle had been completely turned around just by passing trucks etc. Their bow wave had floated the car and gradually spun it around.

Fords that get flooded are extremely dangerous as the water is flowing across the road. This road is usually raised so as soon as we get washed off the road we are usually in very deep do do's....... If the car engine gets flooded and the vehicle stops on the actual road crossing then becuse of the depth of water which if above floor pan level, the car mayl very quickly get washed sideways and drift into the deeper water, sometimes with consequences that we don't need to describe.

Anyone that drives into a flooded ford without knowing its depth is asking for very serious trouble and I would recommend opening the windows, sunroof etc before taking this step into the unknown

Quite a few of the fords in our area have a wooden sign indicating depth of water

Regards
John

 

[Hanzz]

I was told a story round here about when the children were younger they got taken to school in an boat on the back of a tractor when the levels were too high

 

[verytalldave]

I think the general rule is, if it has a duck on it, it's going to be deep!

...........

 

[Hanzz]

...........

Very good!

 

[BTB 500]

I did realise that!
I just wondered what the range was.
Thanks for that info.

No problem, I'm at home today so nipped out into the garage to look it up in the handbook

I've never used the raise feature 'for real' as it's fine in multi-stories and over speed humps on the standard setting. Even taken it (slowly) down a few fairly rough tracks. But if I ever did meet a flood in it that I was confident I could get through then I would raise it up - every little helps!