Hi all,

No, this isn't a trick question

We've had a great day of slushy snow / rain, resulting in lots of nice deep puddles - need I mention mpg is wrecked trying to drive in it ??

We always collect huge rivers of water under the overpasses where drainage is poor.

My question, if anyone knows, is how great a depth of water can one safely drive through in a Hybrid ? Do the normal rules apply, or should one be extra careful ?

Of course, someone will tell me I should have picked a better route (when will Nav systems tell us ??)

(is this logic or new car paranoia?)

Thanks !!

 

How can you actually be sure what the depth of the water is? I've always been told that 6 inches of flowing water is enough to sweep a light car away and in my youger stupider days I used to drive my 4x4 though high flowong creeks quite often and even drove my trusty old Toyota Tercel 4x4 Wagon through about 40 inches of water once in a stupid attempt to save time.

As an honest answer to your question, I "guess" I personally wouldn't go over 8 inches - maybe more if I knew I could stay in another car's wake. How high is the bottom of the spoiler? I wouldn't go above that.

 

In extremis, if you really must, the technique is to go no deeper than the air intake for your ICE driving very slowly to avoid setting up a bow wave which would flood the electrics and keeping the revs up to avoid water being sucked up the exhaust pipe. However this is only for use when the bridge is down and your wife is about to deliver your first born twins!

 

As someone who has his HCH II due to his other car flooding ($@#% Houston downpours), I wouldn't drive through anything higher than the opening of the door. There may be electronics placed low inside the car that could screw everything up. My Geo Prizm (rest in peace) had its computer located rather low, and three inches of water killed it and ultimately killed the car. It was such a good car

Granted it was an older car, probably with worn door seals, but unless you're willing to test those seals, I wouldn't drive through anything about the door opening - unless per Tulip, the bridge is down and your wife is about to deliver your twins

Jeff

 

Hi all,

Since I'm unlikely to get pregnant, the only thing that could happen is a cat or dog emergency


I'll just have to try and remember to pick routes which don't go via underpasses, since it's impossible to know how deep the water is until one's actually in it !!

I suppose next time I could get out of the car and step in the flow with a dipstick (to the amusement and complete annoyance of the aggressive drivers)

I guess the car should be treated with more respect since everything is computerised now.....

 

Yes. Try and watch someone else go through the water first to guage the depth or roll up your skirts and paddle - waist high will be too much, but knee high should be fine. En passant, I was surprised to see the high speed that people were dashing through deep water after Hurricane Katrina and probaly flooding their electrics which are located, in the main above the cylinder block.

 

One good thing about hybrids Or at least the civic is that the pack is up high. basicly the bottom of the pack starts around where the rear seat bottom is. It is plenty out of the way. Inside the engine the hookups to the motor seem to be at the same level. The car computer is located in the same location inside the car as the regular civic and its the most vulnerable part. My point is basicly the hybrid is no more vulnerable to flooding as a regular civic.

 

Maybe you need one of these...but in a hybrid of course.



It's an Aquada...100 mph on land and 30 mph in water. That's Sir Richard Branson setting the world record for crossing the English Channel in an amphibious car June '04.

 

Yes but please note the high speed rescue launch in his wake. Starting to get expensive isn't it?

 

Are you kidding? That's the Coast Guard chasing him and not catching up.