Water crossings and potential damage, is it worth it?

thank you for the helpful input. I’ve already drained and replaced all fluids. Waiting on the alternator to come in so I can replace it. Luckily somehow water didn’t seem to make it into the cab, I went through it pretty fast. Gonna be doing an ARB diff breather asap.

I’m running dobinsons MRR 3.5 in suspension with total chaos UCA and dirt king LCA. Have had nothing but good experiences with the suspension set up. Trucks still a work in progress but hopefully this isn’t too much of a setback. I appreciate the time you put into this reply.

 

Im definitely fortunate that the engine didn’t hydrolock. In my experiences driving through water in many different vehicles, as long as you go fast enough and don’t stop, the engine won’t hydro lock. Won’t be doing that again though.

 

Already managed to fix most of it myself. Not sure where the daddy’s money idea is coming from, I work hard for what I have. Thanks for the input anyway.

 

I’m used to driving stuff that isn’t so reliant on electronics. Got the truck brand new last year and have been building it out, i wrongfully assumed it would be able to do some of the stuff that my previous vehicles handled no problem. Definitely a learning experience but hey, that’s what it’s all about.

 

I’ve gone through deeper water in several types of cars and never fried an alternator or any electronics. I expected the same from my taco but I realize it’s not really built for that, especially with how reliant it is on electronics like most new cars.

 

I would do the diff breather mod.

 

The dealer would do him more than a solid, they’d be throwing him a lifeline.

fully water proofing a modern vehicle is damn near impossible unless it’s specifically designed to do it.

I say that as someone who has a snorkel as well. Knowing it’s a low cost “insurance” policy to keeping water out of the motor alone but mostly because my fender liners are cut.

 

Turn around - don’t drown

 

You do realize an insurance CO would total it.

 

I think it is safe to say we all drive through water sooner or later - each of us to our own comfort level.
My comfort level is no deeper than the bottom of the wheel rim in a non-emergency and no deeper than the bottom of the bumper if it's an emergency (hasn't happened yet).

What is your "high water mark?"

 

About 2 feet on my tractor.

 

If you wheel in the Ozarks, water crossings are pretty much mandatory to get anywhere. There are people who live out there that have cross two feet of water everyday to get to and from work. The annual high-water mark event is all about water crossings.

That said, water over top of tire is asking for trouble given the air intake location and position of the alternator. I wonder if the mud was half of the equation of why your alternator gave up the ghost. In the Ozarks, water crossings are like car washes. You come out cleaner on the other side. I also wonder if all your problems were tied to a dead alternator.

 

I walk 3 miles uphill in the snow both directions every day for work. Then i get on my lifted Segway and tow my payload the last 3 miles through dessert winds and treacherous mudslides, because why risk it?

my tacoma? Its is able to navigate class 1 flash flood parking lot rapids and rogue shopping carts with ease. In Florida, with elevations reaching 40ft above sea level, you need to be prepared for dynamic altitude gradients as well.

 

Agreed.... Vehicles were never meant for water crossings right off the show room floor. However, the way trucks were made in the 50's through about 1985 they could incidentally cross some moderate water occasionally with limited risk of issues. But now with a bazillion sensors and ECU / PCU computers it's like asking "How deep can my Dell Laptop cross in water?" We ll if you wouldn't drag your laptop through a river, you probably shouldn't do it to your vehicle either. Good news is that if you did dunk a laptop, they only cost about $1500 to replace. Dunk your truck and you are looking at $5000 easy to start tracking down wiring issues and electrical problems.

If you truly want to make a modern vehicle deep water capable, you'd have to put the electronics in a large pelican case on the roof and then start to harden all of the connectors to sensors below the hood line.
Oh and your alternator should probably be mounted on TOP of the engine.

 

So what do people consider a water crossing? Clearly over water but how deep before it's an issue?

 

My Rules of Engagement for water: Not any deeper than the inside of your wheel at the bottom.
I'm running 265/70-16's


So the Sidewall is about 7 inches and then I've got about 2" of wheel above that. So for me in my vehicle it is 9 to 10 inches.
Never rushing water (white water / white capping) and never rising water.

 

That’s safe for sure.

 

Any body of water that is more than one inch deep and can touch at least two tires simultaneously is a water crossing.

Me personally, I've learned two lessons the hard way when it comes to water.

One, it doesn't matter how sure you are of the depth, you're wrong. Walk it before driving it. I totalled my first car to a puddle in a parking lot. Turns out it wasn't a puddle, it was a two foot deep pothole.

Two, don't submerge anything above the wheel hubs for fun, unless you're prepared to spend the time and money to rebuild anything above the wheel hubs. It's not just the water, it's the suspended silica (sand and/or mud) that will penetrate and abrade. Meanwhile, the salts are there to happily corrode and short.

...

My truck is my daily. I walk every water crossing, and if it's more than shin deep or the mud wants to keep my shoe, I turn around and find another trail to knock around on. If I don't want to get my feet wet that day, I turn around and find another trail to knock around on. I'm not really missing much out of my adventure if I turn around, and I'm also not having to prematurely press new bearings either. I don't find it worth the trouble anymore. Been there done that.

But you guys do you.

 

I've gone as deep as the hood on occasion in some deeper puddles, but was never for more than a few seconds so there was no real opportunity to fill/flood the engine bay. I drove through a flooded road once that took about ten seconds to cross the underwater part. Water was above the bottom of the door, and all the power on my dash and infotainment system went out temporarily.