Just how deep can you drive your BA XR6T through flood water? Pics...... - Page 2

mik · 04-12-2010, 07:31 PM

gee i`m thinking you were very very lucky to get through that, thow art braver than i.

TURBOTAXI · 04-12-2010, 07:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mik

gee i`m thinking you were very very lucky to get through that, thow art braver than i.

Once the Police officer said it was OK and I started driving.... thou was kinda committed!

jason71 · 04-12-2010, 07:56 PM

Do you realise water doesn't compress?

If any got sucked into the the engine you could have done some serious damage, let alone any muddy ****** water getting into electrical connections and components.

I wouldn't be surprised if it gives you some grief some time down the track.

TURBOTAXI · 04-12-2010, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jason71

Do you realise water doesn't compress?

If any got sucked into the the engine you could have done some serious damage, let alone any muddy ****** water getting into electrical connections and components.

I wouldn't be surprised if it gives you some grief some time down the track.

Dont know if you read above, but that was my basis of thanking god for low compression turbo motor.

fmc351 · 04-12-2010, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TURBOTAXI

Dont know if you read above, but that was my basis of thanking god for low compression turbo motor.

Ummm, theres not a cup full of difference though. High or low comp, if there was enough water in the pot, she would hydraulic lock.

TURBOTAXI · 04-12-2010, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fmc351

Ummm, theres not a cup full of difference though. High or low comp, if there was enough water in the pot, she would hydraulic lock.

Yep, understand that, no hydraulic lock for my old XR6T.

cjf · 04-12-2010, 08:21 PM

If your insurance find out that you have done this your car is a automatic Statutory Write off in NSW as of 1/11/2010. Once water immersion fresh or salt gets to floor pan level that's it in NSW now.

TURBOTAXI · 04-12-2010, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cjf

If your insurance find out that you have done this your car is a automatic Statutory Write off in NSW as of 1/11/2010. Once water immersion fresh or salt gets to floor pan level that's it in NSW now.

I would be OK with that, write it off, buy it back etc....

I will ring them Monday with your information.

ba-uteiful · 04-12-2010, 08:28 PM

It has been noted that 30cm of water is enough to carry a car off. This is a little higher. Ballsy

dave351cid · 04-12-2010, 08:34 PM

ahh ..... the fun and adventures of country driving.

there are times and places you would do this and times you wouldn`t. comes down to knowing the area and the nature of the creek.
flowing water = no go, still water = might try it.

this is also part of the reason a lot of people get into trouble in flooded roads. they do not have the experiance or local knowledge to make good judement.

had my ute through water up over the sills, no leaks or dramas.

when they were building the X series falcon this would have been a normal part of driving on australian roads and part of the testing during design.

TURBOTAXI · 04-12-2010, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ba-uteiful

It has been noted that 30cm of water is enough to carry a car off. This is a little higher. Ballsy

Here is me NOT driving through water as I walked into it and assessed as moving too fast, and moving too deep to get the mighty I30 across.

The water today was still.

Tanksenda · 04-12-2010, 09:26 PM

I bet your alternator was swamped. They dont like water at all especially the muddy slimy kind, it may give you trouble down the track.

geckoGT · 04-12-2010, 09:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dave351cid

ahh ..... the fun and adventures of country driving.

there are times and places you would do this and times you wouldn`t. comes down to knowing the area and the nature of the creek.
flowing water = no go, still water = might try it.

this is also part of the reason a lot of people get into trouble in flooded roads. they do not have the experiance or local knowledge to make good judement.

had my ute through water up over the sills, no leaks or dramas.

when they were building the X series falcon this would have been a normal part of driving on australian roads and part of the testing during design.

Those with true local knowledge and experience would walk any water crossing first to check depth, current and surface condition. At least that is what I was taught by my old man living in a rural area (Dalwallinu WA on a 20,000 acre wheat farm) and taught again on all my Army drivers courses (involving advanced off road and recovery).

Had this been done, it would have been known it was going to be bonnet height by the time bow wave had been factored in.

As for the advice from a cop, was he the new boy from the city?

Sorry, I can not see it as anything but lucky you did not ingest water in the intake and hydrostatic lock the engine among other things. It was not an educated decision nor a good one. I am sure anyone here with true experience and training would agree that it was at the least right on the ragged edge and a bow wave from a passing 4WD could have caused a swim.

I will leave it at that. Great to see you made it and I truly do hope there is no undiscovered damage. Personally I would inspect all oils and make sure no water has gotten in.

Just calling it as I see it based on my experience.

TheInterceptor · 04-12-2010, 10:06 PM

Yeh check your diff oil at least, when the diff is hot then cooled quickly (being submerged in cold temporary rivers...) the oil contracts and then creates a vaccum within the diff and sucks water in through the breather.

Ford17 · 04-12-2010, 10:09 PM

BA XR6T = all terrain vehicle!
Seriously, Ford engineer local cars for local conditions; and this is why your car made it.
Anything else might have died, but this is a great example of local engineering.

TheInterceptor · 04-12-2010, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Forda

BA XR6T = all terrain vehicle!
Seriously, Ford engineer local cars for local conditions; and this is why your car made it.
Anything else might have died, but this is a great example of local engineering.

You sure they still are? It was like that with the X series for sure but nowadays they seem very city centered. Being lower and having bits like the alternator, air intake, coilpack low enough to be K.I.A rendering the car immobile.
But yeh, i suppose you're right, but they arent what they used to be like.

TGA took an XC(?) to lake Eyre and held up very well.

SpoolMan · 04-12-2010, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pottery beige

Mike and Mal Leyland would be proud of you.....

Gold

monte.b · 04-12-2010, 11:48 PM

the copper needs a good talking to ,that was a really stupid thing to happen ,the insurance co would write the car off no doubt ,and in most states now you cant repair rightoffs ,they have to get scrapped ,go find yourself a new one

Auturbo6 · 04-12-2010, 11:55 PM

Ive did the same thing in my GSR lancer, only deaper, thought i was in real strif when she started floating and lost complete traction. Luckly it had a modified air intake so no hydrod pistons, made it through with a lot of luck. Was in my 20's at the time, wouldn't catch me doing that now.

b2tf · 04-12-2010, 11:57 PM

Guys I think we all get the picture so maybe the 'you should have thought of this.......' etc can have a rest.

We have major flooding here at the moment with areas of town evacuated (its where the in laws live too

: ) and more water on the way - dams can't hold it so it's got to go somewhere.

I have driven my work truck (Hilux) through high water - over the bonnet stuff - and thankfully it survived just fine. It was a very bad situation and I had to do it to get out - or risk the car being swept away, and with over 50L of raw chemical on board that's not something I want to see happen.

smally289 · 05-12-2010, 12:06 AM

Where did all this happen?

blueluvr · 05-12-2010, 12:44 AM

For those worried about water ingestion, given the length of the inlet tract, it won't happen till next Tuesday

Cool pics taxi!

Smoke Pursuit · 05-12-2010, 12:45 AM

Times like these you need a bit plastic tarp to put over the front of the car, just hope it doesnt come over the windscreen then tho. Also make sure you put a window down incase the electrics die and you cant get out!!

I wouldnt drive thru it myself unless it was an emergency but if your comfortible doing it and you got thru why not.

Ps how are your headlights / foglights looking.

xy500 · 05-12-2010, 02:36 AM

i love it when city slickers give advice on country driving, after all they know better don't they!

Brazen · 05-12-2010, 02:49 AM

my wife has started taking the AU instead of the Fiesta due to all the flooding. Falcons have air intake a lot higher in the engine bay than some four wheel drives.

Its pretty amazing driving with headlights under water at night. The only sucky thing is the water coming into the cabin, not looking forward to our brand new car having to deal with this shortly, but thats life. Obviously stick to the crown of the road and dont cross anything with a current.

TURBOTAXI · 05-12-2010, 07:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DASH GT

Times like these you need a bit plastic tarp to put over the front of the car, just hope it doesnt come over the windscreen then tho. Also make sure you put a window down incase the electrics die and you cant get out!!

I wouldnt drive thru it myself unless it was an emergency but if your comfortible doing it and you got thru why not.

Ps how are your headlights / foglights looking.

Headlights fine, but my 5 week old new fog lamps have little pools in the bottom.

TURBOTAXI · 05-12-2010, 07:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheInterceptor

Yeh check your diff oil at least, when the diff is hot then cooled quickly (being submerged in cold temporary rivers...) the oil contracts and then creates a vaccum within the diff and sucks water in through the breather.

I can appreciate the physics behind this, but the actual volume reduction in the oil would be quite small? I will check it out anyway.

TURBOTAXI · 05-12-2010, 07:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smally351

Where did all this happen?

This is on the Newell Highway, just north of Dubbo

sneaky · 05-12-2010, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cjf

If your insurance find out that you have done this your car is a automatic Statutory Write off in NSW as of 1/11/2010. Once water immersion fresh or salt gets to floor pan level that's it in NSW now.

awesome. might take the super coon out next time it rains, the roads around here easily get up to 200-300mm deep with a little bit of rain.

i usually drive the excel through it, back to 2nd gear and keep accelerating

last time the water was deeper than expected (depth markers are not in the deepest part of the causeway) and i think the water got in through the passenger door or a bung somewhere. the back floor was wet and stinky for a few days :(

wonder how much the insurance would pay for a market value AU falcon - would it be enough to give me a decent discount on a FG XR6T??

cycle myth · 05-12-2010, 09:14 AM

Similar thing happened to the father in law in his BA XT - Melbourne floods last year.

He got caught out and could not avoid.

I drove it home 2k's afterwards as he wasn't keen.

Drove ok but I was really cautious and on the lookout for stuff that wasn't right.

Next day - won't start - electrics stuffed - written off.