Flood Victims (automotive) - Learning Points

[harshansenadhir]

managed to "sail" through flooded roads during last week without going through any hard times except for the water gone inside sills creates a splosh sound when hard braking. However, this may not be the case for all of us. Saw few of such victim vehicles being tawed, pushed during last couple of days.

Guys, let's share the experience as a learning point for others. Simply because I've seen some vans being driven through very low water levels and water sucked inside to the engine. May be due to negligence, may be due to lack of knowledge where the air intake is located.

More importantly, high ground clearence doesn't necessarily mean you're safe from water being sucked in. I've disconnected the air intake duct from the original mounting position which is very very low and not more than 10 inches from ground and I'm sure most of vans too got this done as air intake opening is located at the bumper level explains some of townace and liteace I've seen pushing and towing around.

Edited May 20, 2010 by harshansenadhir

[Elvis_Pil]

Even when the water levels are low and can be safely crossed, a few idiots in bigger vehicles tend to slam through the water causing big waves- which results in the water levels going up and into the intakes of smaller vehicles- which causes them to breakdown with water logged motors.. The biggest offenders are the off-road wannabe SUV Drivers

[jaga]

Even when the water levels are low and can be safely crossed, a few idiots in bigger vehicles tend to slam through the water causing big waves- which results in the water levels going up and into the intakes of smaller vehicles- which causes them to breakdown with water logged motors.. The biggest offenders are the off-road wannabe SUV Drivers

Yes when i was slowly crossing over the floods at baseline road at Dematagoda, one bugger went fast with his 4*4 on my left side and my car floated for a while due to waves. Fortunatly landed shortly

[Gummybr]

More importantly, high ground clearence doesn't necessarily mean you're safe from water being sucked in. I've disconnected the air intake duct from the original mounting position which is very very low and not more than 10 inches from ground and I'm sure most of vans too got this done as air intake opening is located at the bumper level explains some of townace and liteace I've seen pushing and towing around.

Your talking about the Pug here right? Thats typical of that family cars (Citroen and Pug). I hear that it's the same with the E36's.

[harshansenadhir]

Your talking about the Pug here right? Thats typical of that family cars (Citroen and Pug). I hear that it's the same with the E36's.

Yup, I don't see any reason to set the air intake that low, it's right at the left wheel arch, under the front bumper sort of. Same goes to Toyota Townace CR26/27. It's right at the front bumper.

[oshad]

Second da comments abt da Townace air intake being set on bumper level... had a bad experience a couple of years back wit my 4WD Town Ace.. I assumed da higher ground clearance in this version wud be ok but a wave created by another vehicle managed to stall mine and had to tow it from moratuwa to mount thanks to a Jayagiri tow truck tha made me 4k poorer..

On da positive I did not try starting it again and a day wit cranking da engine manually to take all da water out paid dividends.. after a couple of push starts managed to get her running again

Second go was at da Walauwatte rd canal intersection... took out da air intake and kept it aside and tried wading in, but lo and behold da engine started missing and puffing smoke lolzz.. straight in to reverse gear and out of it lolz.. phew i thought i busted it again and this was after a full engine overhaul ... All in all i wonder if some mod can be done to re route da air intake, coz technically in da townace its even below the buffer level. Although the air intake is behind da front buffer it slides down into a box kinda thingy near da left wheel further down... scary stuff .. so no more water fun for me lolz in da van

[VVTi]

Your talking about the Pug here right? Thats typical of that family cars (Citroen and Pug). I hear that it's the same with the E36's.

Well I have been using my BMW 'boat' on Duplication road and UCol road the last few days with no issues apart form the aforementioned wannabe SUV morons who thinks its funny to create massive bow waves....

Although my Speedo stopped working last night. Culprit is the Speed Sensor located on the read Diff housing being water logged Had to crawl underneath this morning, (not easy considering my girth and the car's low stance) remove the harness, clean with the God Fluid (WD40) and put it back. Hopefully it might work as I walked to work today instead..

[harshansenadhir]

Well I have been using my BMW 'boat' on Duplication road and UCol road the last few days with no issues apart form the aforementioned wannabe SUV morons who thinks its funny to create massive bow waves....

Although my Speedo stopped working last night. Culprit is the Speed Sensor located on the read Diff housing being water logged Had to crawl underneath this morning, (not easy considering my girth and the car's low stance) remove the harness, clean with the God Fluid (WD40) and put it back. Hopefully it might work as I walked to work today instead..

May be one of previous owners has done it already. There were dozens of 406's got busted when floods hit Colombo last time. Lesson learnt and my mechanic did this modification to all the cars came for repairs.

[MasterDon]

there was a incident i heard in gonawela,kelaniya where the residents of flooded roadside houses beating up a double cab driver for driving through the water fast and creating waves...it's very hard not to be a A-hole when you drive an suv or cab cos of it's size and height i guess...

.as for me,I'm glad I escaped to the coast before the storm hit, and now enjoying relatively dry weather compared to CMB and gampaha, driving the oldies and fishing ...if you see a black mg a or a tf on the chilaw road give us a wave,cos that would be me...BTW I met some autolanka readers yesterday after they recognized my AL cap...nice people!

[GihanFX]

[Sylvi]

there was a incident i heard in gonawela,kelaniya where the residents of flooded roadside houses beating up a double cab driver for driving through the water fast and creating waves...it's very hard not to be a A-hole when you drive an suv or cab cos of it's size and height i guess...

.as for me,I'm glad I escaped to the coast before the storm hit, and now enjoying relatively dry weather compared to CMB and gampaha, driving the oldies and fishing ...if you see a black mg a or a tf on the chilaw road give us a wave,cos that would be me...BTW I met some autolanka readers yesterday after they recognized my AL cap...nice people!

Sir,

I have been driving from late 1957 in Flooded roads in Srilanka all in petrol driven Vehicles All those Vehicles and 4X4 wheel Vehicles what I did was to remove the fan belt before I enter the flooded area have two persons to guide the road ahead of the Vehicle so that I will be on the center of the road if not I will end up on the side of the road. Always on 1 st Gear. I first send a person to asses the water level on the flooded road you can cross if water level is two and half feet.

Re fix the fan belt and drive back.

Causeways was there in Trinco Puttlam old Mannar down South Roads in GOOD OLD days now all those Causeways have Bridges.

For the information of members I remove the fan belt is not to flash water on to the engine Plugs area and to the Distributor flood water cools the engine so no boiling.

Old Vehicles had carburetors mostly on upper side of the engine so no water will suck into the engine.

Srilanka did not have small Vehicles with Diesel engines in good old days. If my memory is correct Peugeot was the first small Vehicle came to Srilanka in late 1970.

Above is my Experience in driving on Flooded Roads.

Wijesinghe.

Edited May 21, 2010 by Sylvi

[Watchman]

Sylvi' last from the past lesson: Always have 2 spare persons in the vehicle in case you're driving in the rain. You never know when you'll need two poor souls to turn into dip-sticks

[Sylvi]

Sylvi' last from the past lesson: Always have 2 spare persons in the vehicle in case you're driving in the rain. You never know when you'll need two poor souls to turn into dip-sticks

Sir,

Thanks for your very interesting Comment Mr, Dilesh.

Dip sticks are there on both sides of flooded roads to give their services for a fee.

I have come across Land tractors on both sides of flooded roads to pull cars during past for a fee.

Wijesinghe.

[miniace]

No good picture would explain better than this of the frustrating life being a cop. Not surprising that they have awfully fuming views about offending motorists. In any case they all are human.

MINIACE

[harshansenadhir]

you beat me to it mate, decided to put it here on the same thread as soon as I received it in the morning. Thumbs up for this cop and there were plenty of helping cops on the road in this morning, not to mention there were ones nicely stayed under shelters giving up the job.

[VVTi]

Sylvi' last from the past lesson: Always have 2 spare persons in the vehicle in case you're driving in the rain. You never know when you'll need two poor souls to turn into dip-sticks

Or remove all your fan belts and let the flood water cool the engine!! That is by far the best suggestion!!!

Let me try that today! Ha ha ha ha ha ha... Imagine overheating your car while stuck in 2 feet of water!!

[harshansenadhir]

Or remove all your fan belts and let the flood water cool the engine!! That is by far the best suggestion!!!

Let me try that today! Ha ha ha ha ha ha... Imagine overheating your car while stuck in 2 feet of water!!

this explains why motor boat engines doesn't have cooling fans or fan belts..

[Sylvi]

Or remove all your fan belts and let the flood water cool the engine!! That is by far the best suggestion!!!

Let me try that today! Ha ha ha ha ha ha... Imagine overheating your car while stuck in 2 feet of water!!

Sir,

Mr,VVTi.

What I wrote in my post was my past experience not a false information.

New cars have Electric fans only alternator Poly V belt belt and Air condition compressor belt.

Please understand sump goes under cool flood water then the Oil too gets cool. Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha.

Wijesinghe.

[Sylvi]

this explains why motor boat engines doesn't have cooling fans or fan belts..

Sir,

Thank you for your comment.

Wijesinghe.

[harshansenadhir]

Please understand sump goes under cool flood water then the Oil too gets cool. Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha.

means to say cooling oil is sufficient to avoid overheating? if so manufacturers would've fitted oil coolers instead of radiators and complex water lines inside the engine block.

[Pericles]

No good picture would explain better than this of the frustrating life being a cop. Not surprising that they have awfully fuming views about offending motorists. In any case they all are human.

MINIACE

Would be nice if they take their frustrations out on the correct ppl tho. That huge wave is from the lorry. Never gets stopped.

[jerryda]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrolock

[Sylvi]

means to say cooling oil is sufficient to avoid overheating? if so manufacturers would've fitted oil coolers instead of radiators and complex water lines inside the engine block.

Sir,

I agree with you about running water inside engine to cool engine block we do not go very far in flood waters so engine heat can stand few minutes without any damage to engine.

I noticed yesterday my Van Temperature meter reading low in R.A.De. Mel Mawatha which was flooded about 1 foot and when I passed that section the meter came back to normal reading.

Wijesinghe.

[NPP]

where is the intake for a vios?

[gunat]

No good picture would explain better than this of the frustrating life being a cop. Not surprising that they have awfully fuming views about offending motorists. In any case they all are human.

MINIACE

Note how it is a Junior fella standing in this melee- although there is another one behind him.

I can't figure out how he's still standing in that torrent- waves that high would certainly take a man off his feet.

Fantastic pic GihanFX- where was this taken? What happened the following seconds?