Flooded the car

[proser]

No point showing pics of 4x4's wading, they all have the ECU mounted up high AND in a weather proof box,

No they don't, a Discovery Td5 is located by the battery (high in the engine bay) but is not sealed as it has holes in.

I have screwed up 2 ECUs due to this and know of several other people doing the same thing. Sometimes they can be revived by drying them out for several days in the airing cupboard.

 

[A210AMG]

Ralley cars also have been known to stall and splutter to a stand still when they hit water splashes at high speed,

They have much better sealed electronics than a standard car but if your hitting a puddle at big speeds the water shoots up through every part of the engine.


at the end of the day nothing will stop this happening if driven as such

 

[Dieselman]

Also the exhaust height- water can get sucked backwards; that is why one should keep to a low gear/high revs when wading to make positive pressure in exhaust

Do you have any information regarding this, it's just that I've never believed it and have run with the exhaust underwater when traversing floods and when offroading, without issue.
Boats often have watercooled exhausts and have no issues.

Also drive at a steady slow speed to avoid making bow waves

When traversing a flood one should create a bow wave and follow it as that creates a trough of shallow water behind the wave.
Of course that's a problem for oncoming vehicles..

 

[Smatt]

Do you have any information regarding this

No; I have read this & would not want to risk it.

have run with the exhaust underwater when traversing floods and when offroading

I guess you were probably in a low gear?
-If nothing else it could get into the CAT & knacker it (expensive).

When traversing a flood one should create a bow wave and follow it as that creates a trough of shallow water behind the wave.

If you can create a bow wave & follow it precisely, then maybe...
However if you create the bow wave & do not quite match it, or there is some obstacle to the cars' or the waves' progress(remember you do not know what is in the puddle), then the wave will actualy be higher than the static water level, hence more likely to get to precious electrics etc. I would rather not take the risk with my car. This is also what IAM/ROSPA advise.

If in doubt with wading cars, then don't do it! One can also get ones feet wet & check depth with a stick...

Of course that's a problem for oncoming vehicles..

Tsk, tsk! Would you want to be responsible for the demise of someone elses' car?

 

[popuptoaster]

If your rolling down a hill using engine breaking its possible it could happen if the cam has the exhaust ports open for a long time after the exhaust stroke for scavenging purposes, i dont think its likely these days with deisels and Efi low emissions petrol engines though as they dont want to be throwing fuel down the exhaust cos of the cats so once the exhaust stroke is over the valves shut.

You'd need the exhaust valves to be still open as the piston started on its way down again to suck in fresh fuel to allow it to suck any water back up the pipe.

 

[popuptoaster]

Bow waves are good for wading, you follow it and the part behind the wave where your engine bay is is actually shallower than the general water level.

You shouldnt have a problem following it because you should never wade a river without walking it first to check for deep holes.

 

[Dieselman]

You'd need the exhaust valves to be still open as the piston started on its way down again to suck in fresh fuel to allow it to suck any water back up the pipe.

That would only apply to a vehicle with a single very short exhaust per cylinder, not one for all. The pressure from other cyliners maintains pressure in the exhaust so sucking water in isn't possible.

Anyway, when was the last time you encountered deep standing water when on the over-run down a hill. If you do you're in the sea as it was a slipway..

 

[Dieselman]

No; I have read this & would not want to risk it.


I guess you were probably in a low gear?
-If nothing else it could get into the CAT & knacker it (expensive).

The advice regarding wading and exhausts is to protect the cat from thermal shock when it goes under water. As long as the engine is running, water can't be sucked up the exhaust.
I've been stationary in water on a few occasions, both on and off road, once I left the LR burbling away and got out onto dry land.

 

[Uberwagon]

The only thing which happens is an increase in back pressure with too much water present which can stall it.

A few revs on or a large engine idling and you probably wont see a problem.

Dave!

 

[popuptoaster]

That would only apply to a vehicle with a single very short exhaust per cylinder

Hehehe, you obviously havent seen some of the beasts ive taken through our local lake, usually though the exhausts are all sticking upwards, if water goes into them your in more trouble than just drowning your engine.

 

[Dieselman]

Hehehe, you obviously havent seen some of the beasts ive taken through our local lake, usually though the exhausts are all sticking upwards, if water goes into them your in more trouble than just drowning your engine.

I'm sure I'd be ok.....

 

[Smatt]

The only thing which happens is an increase in back pressure with too much water present which can stall it.

A few revs on or a large engine idling and you probably wont see a problem.

Dave!

Of course!
One would not really want to stall in the middle of a ford/ flood

 

[popuptoaster]

My old Fords flooded and stalled a lot.

 

[Ady]

Just got back from holiday and still can't find out what is happening from the insurance company.
I retrieved all my personal belongings from the car the day after it arrived at the MB dealer (except the CDs and DVD that are in the drives as there is no power) and while I was there I measured from the ground to the level the water came to and it was about 12-13 inches deep. I know the water was just above the bottom of the door but it was below the inner sill level as when the rear driver-side door was opened the water didn't go into the car (the driver-side carpet was still bone dry)
The MB service chap did say that the air intake is just behind the front grill so the chances are that the bow wave caused the water to get sucked in to the engine
I think the water that got into the car was caused by waves that were generated by the cars driving past in the opposite direction but where it came in is a mystery. When I got the car out of the flood I checked the material part of the door seal and the plastic part that runs along the top of the inner sill and they were still dry so I am convinced the water never came in through the doors.

One thing that does keep nagging me is I had Airmatic but I didn’t think to press the raise button and would that have made a difference?????
Does anyone know how much an E-Class lifts as it doesn’t seem to say in the manual?

I watched the best of Top Gear last night and they had the Fiesta driving out of the landing craft into the sea. Surely that must have been modified to cope with that as water came over the roof

My New-Years resolution is not to drive cars into water!

 

[DieselE]

Does anyone know how much an E-Class lifts as it doesn’t seem to say in the manual?

Airmatic can raise the ride height by 25mm. Mind you, if I recall correctly, the ground clearance is 130mm which would still only give you a safe wading height of 155mm (roughly six inches) so probably would not have saved your bacon this time.

 

[maddog]

I watched the best of Top Gear last night and they had the Fiesta driving out of the landing craft into the sea. Surely that must have been modified to cope with that as water came over the roof

My New-Years resolution is not to drive cars into water!

I think he was just very lucky , you see him mention how the water was deeper than he thought

 

[grober]

Reminds me of one of the "born leaders of men" during the Falklands campaign who in a hurry to get his troops dis-embarked suggested to the captain of the RORO ferry Norland that he just "beach the ship" and his men would storm ashore. The Captain replied that this was not a good idea since it would probably result in his men in full battle kit all drowning in about 15 feet of water.

 

[popuptoaster]

(how come your tranny was ok?)

One of the first mk3 transits, and a deisel so it had virtually no electronics in it, the yard manager knew i'd id cut back through the ford even after all the heavy rain had the road closed signs up because i got back quick and the van was dirty on top and clean on the bottom, he said he sat and watched it leak water for a good half hour after i parked it and went home.

 

[Ady]

Airmatic can raise the ride height by 25mm. Mind you, if I recall correctly, the ground clearance is 130mm which would still only give you a safe wading height of 155mm (roughly six inches) so probably would not have saved your bacon this time.

That makes me feel a bit better knowing that my absentmindedness didn't compound my stupidity the only info I could find before was for the GL which states three inches and I thought if the E was the same then it might have just been enough.

 

[lynall]

I remember years ago going through a flooded tunnel in my old ser one lr fitted with a quality York diesel and hydraulicing it and bending a rod, stuck a DI in it next what a noise

Same tunnel water over the bonnets on 3 of my 4 discos still ran but the doors seal rubbers leaked on all of them!.

Remember same tunnel following omega into water and watching him float as his wheels lost drive

Again same tunnel with a corsa with 4 kids in they kept revving it and as it floated to one side of the tunnel the front wheel picked up on the kerb and he got drive and managed to get put, bet his door seals didnt leak.

Tunnel is behind the petrol station on the downhill side of blue bell hill.



Lynall