Warning about driving through flood water

[M5Rick]

The average BMW air intake opening is around 25 CM from the ground with the opening facing downwards, this chaps 840i engine is probably destroyed by taking a chance in narrow road Britain.

[pbonsalb]

M5 intake faces upwards. I removed that section and added after market scoops that make the lowest part about 9 inches lower. I have thought about the consequences. I will think more.

[Car-Addicted]

Hurricane season is upon us. Flooding likely in lots of places.

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by pbonsalb

M5 intake faces upwards. I removed that section and added after market scoops that make the lowest part about 9 inches lower. I have thought about the consequences. I will think more.

On F10 M5 the opening faces downwards uncomfortably close to the ground similar to that 840i and the suction is like from a powerful vacuum.

[No one]

Originally Posted by M5Rick

The average BMW air intake is around 25 CM front the ground with the opening facing downwards

The number is accurate but the interpretation doesn't seem so. I do guess the air intake is quite a bit higher still, as 25 cm is the wading limit for my car ("manual | Driving hints | General driving notes | Wading"): "If the water is calm drive no faster than walking speed, approximately 10 km/h, 6 mph and only up to a maximum water depth of approximately 25 cm, 9.8 inches. Pay attention to water depth and your speed. Do not exceed the water depth and walking speed as otherwise the engine, electrical system and transmission could be damaged.". That's about the center/axis height of my 17" wheels, I guess.

What killed that BMW was the speed. The van going slowly seems to show it's not too deep there. I don't think I would though. With that said I had a similar sudden experience (the amount of water on the bonnet/windshield) on a seemingly flat street in a heavy rain the other day. It's all right. I don't think it was that deep there, I just splashed a lot. No aquaplaning luckily, though my tires are worn.

[BlkGS]

Don't drive in flood waters for reasons other than just nuking your motor. Flood waters are often moving much faster than you think, and can easily sweep a car away.

Driving through puddles like that on the other hand, just don't be a dummy and you'll be ok.

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by pbonsalb

M5 intake faces upwards. I removed that section and added after market scoops that make the lowest part about 9 inches lower. I have thought about the consequences. I will think more.

When you say lower do you mean inlets being behind the radiator grille as that can be risky, some fit those for a rortier intake sound and I'm thinking of that wave of water coming up should the water rise over the front and hood.

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by No one

The number is accurate but the interpretation doesn't seem so. I do guess the air intake is quite a bit higher still, as 25 cm is the wading limit for my car ("manual | Driving hints | General driving notes | Wading"): "If the water is calm drive no faster than walking speed, approximately 10 km/h, 6 mph and only up to a maximum water depth of approximately 25 cm, 9.8 inches. Pay attention to water depth and your speed. Do not exceed the water depth and walking speed as otherwise the engine, electrical system and transmission could be damaged.". That's about the center/axis height of my 17" wheels, I guess.

What killed that BMW was the speed. The van going slowly seems to show it's not too deep there. I don't think I would though. With that said I had a similar sudden experience (the amount of water on the bonnet/windshield) on a seemingly flat street in a heavy rain the other day. It's all right. I don't think it was that deep there, I just splashed a lot. No aquaplaning luckily, though my tires are worn.

For sure slowly does it and if you're not sure just take the longer route and my advice is to replace the tyres if they are worn for better wet grip

[JimmyTheHand]

Happens to diesels a lot - worked with a guy who's golf was written off driving through a flood due to hydro locked, insurance paid up though.

I remember going through a deep puddle (10 to 15cm/4-6" deep) that everyone else was skirting round and causing tailbacks due to reduced road width, looking back in mirror thinking I hope you know the difference between your Corsa and the X3 (E83) I was in, it luckily managed to get through and I decided probably should think of the less mechanically literate. Next morning in same puddle was two broken down cars.

[oneofew]

Here in La we hardly ever face flooding situations, but in Miami happened few times water was up to the bottom of the doors of our full size Range Rover, no way my M5 or even a crossover would be able to come out ok on the other side.

[No one]

Originally Posted by No one

What killed that BMW was the speed. ... I had a similar sudden experience (the amount of water on the bonnet/windshield) on a seemingly flat street in a heavy rain the other day. It's all right. I don't think it was that deep there, I just splashed a lot.

Well, I watched it again. He wasn't going fast. Maybe a bit faster than walking speed, but maybe just not fast enough to keep the water off by pushing it hard: "How did she make that?" (the MB A Class in the beginning) - she was going faster (so did I in my recent similar incident: a whore stood doggy style in the leftmost lane, I pushed a bit in the middle). Those were quite different cars though.

[MADBMWX5MC]

Oh,no, what a display of poor judgement

[pbonsalb]

Originally Posted by M5Rick

When you say lower do you mean inlets being behind the radiator grille as that can be risky, some fit those for a rortier intake sound and I'm thinking of that wave of water coming up should the water rise over the front and hood.

If you are in water deep enough to rise over the hood you are in trouble no matter what. Roughly in the M5, the inlets are at about the level of the top of the grille. With scoops that drops to about the bottom of the grille — the scoops would funnel the water up a few inches higher into the airbox inlets if you are moving through water. In short, standing water anywhere near the level of the top of the bumper cover is risky. The faster you go through water the more you push it and cause it to surge upwards.

On my turbo E36 M3, I have a large cone filter in the cavity behind the spoiler part of the bumper cover behind the passenger fog light. This is very risky. I have a filter sock and do my best to avoid standing water. I once got caught in a torrential downpour and had to drive on some streets that were flooding. The car stalled and I could not restart it. I left it parked on the side of the road and figure I had ruined the motor. Came back hours later and it started. I was lucky.

[Efthreeoh]

Just drive slow and don't make a bow wave. Simple.

[Windshieldfarmer]

It’s stupid to drive through water of any depth if you don’t know where and how your air intake works. I have a lifted Jeep Wragler with the intake up high in the engine compartment. That said I have always been cautious driving through deep water as it takes very little ingestion to hydrolock an engine. A rouge splash can be catastrophic for almost any car or SUV. Candidly an EV is probably your best bet for deep water driving…up to a point.

[nick3753]

Does this guy always hang out and record random cars driving through puddles with commentary. I felt like I was watching Thomas the Train with my son when he was 3 yrs old.

[Navin_Johnson]

Originally Posted by nick3753

Does this guy always hang out and record random cars driving through puddles with commentary. I felt like I was watching Thomas the Train with my son when he was 3 yrs old.

Google Haulover Inlet on YT once. If you get a wider shot of the ground area the camera is on, you'll see more than one other camera set up to record the goings on. Just waiting for people to make bad decisions.
This guy has probably seen this happen many times in that viaduct and goes out there to record the stupidity of the drivers going through there. Since there is a depth chart posted at the entrance, I'm guessing that it gets even deeper that it was in this video.
Pretty much a common occurrence in many viaducts in Chicago and people still drive into them.

[BeEmVe]

Originally Posted by No one

Well, I watched it again. He wasn't going fast. Maybe a bit faster than walking speed, but maybe just not fast enough to keep the water off by pushing it hard

He was going too fast. Had he gone through at a crawl he would have likely made it. People under estimate how slow one needs to go not to create a bow wake.

Originally Posted by nick3753

Does this guy always hang out and record random cars driving through puddles with commentary. I felt like I was watching Thomas the Train with my son when he was 3 yrs old.

Note the "Part 13" as it is town past time and there are many more.

[jkoral]

Viral video of a Gallardo driving through water well over it's hood.

[RockCrusher]

Originally Posted by jkoral

Viral video of a Gallardo driving through water well over it's hood.

Driver dodged a bullet because the engine air intake is located some distance from the front of the car.

My Boxster's engine air intakes were located on the sides of the behind the doors. But the time I had to drive through some standing water while I was not worried about going through too fast -- but I still went slow -- I was worried about vehicles coming the other direction splashing water up and possibly into the engine air intake on the driver's side.

Believe it or not but I had a hand held CB radio in the car and managed to contact the driver of the vehicle, a truck, coming from the other direction and asked if he would go slow. He said he and he did.

Oh, the driver of the Lambo may have gotten water into the cabin air intake. Looked to me like at one point, make that two points, water was up to the trailing edge of the front lid and to the opening ahead of the windshield.

[BMWbiker]

Originally Posted by jkoral

Viral video of a Gallardo driving through water well over it's hood.

I guess if you can afford the car, you can afford to replace a hydrolocked engine…

[Windshieldfarmer]

Originally Posted by BMWbiker

I guess if you can afford the car, you can afford to replace a hydrolocked engine…

Yep…even with a mid engine set up it was profoundly stupid to drive through that water. Obviously he got through it though water intrusion into the cabin was likely which can damage electronics and introduce mold and mildew…into a very expensive ride.