How deep is too deep? (hydro lock)
 

so driving to work today we had a big thaw up here in the boonies and the record amount of snow has made some huge puddles.

All i could think about the whole trip to work was the couple threads ive seen about people destroying motors by sucking up water.

soo, on a stock 86, how deep would you have to go before starting to get sketchy?

I was hitting puddles atleast a foot deep i think, keeping the speed up, hydroplaning everywhere... engine didn't bog so i assume im good. but should i be worried about heading home today considering the roads will probably have more water?


be interested to see what people think on this, hopefully some experienced people chime in.

thanks! :party0030:

Are you sure you want to do this?

NO lol, but im sure i need a job.

Don't you need a car to get to a job?
Don't you need not be a road hazard to others?

you also need a job to have the car. lol
unless you have pockets full of cash.

Wasn't really asking opinions if I should drive, because I have to.

If any actual knowledge on my question comes into this thread, would be appriciated.

do you have an aftermarket intake or a factory intake?

edit**

sorry just saw you said stock 86. you should be fine, at 1 foot. unless the front of your car is submerged, you'll be fine and hopefully you wouldn't do that anyways. only if you have an aftermarket intake where the filter is exposed should you worry. but also the keeping the speed up and hydroplaning all over the place isn't a good idea. and not just for your safety or everyone else's safety, which should take top priority over getting to work btw, but also when going faster you splash more water around giving more of a chance for it to get in your engine bay and possibly getting in your filter or on electrical components of sorts.

I would think anything more than halfway up the mouth opening of the front bumper is pushing your luck.

This is the only picture I could find of the stock intake location. Don't mind the green arrows, I just grabbed this picture from google. It does sit up pretty high though, you should be OK.
http://blogperrinperformance.com/wp-...05/intake6.jpg

Thanks for the info guys! That pic is a little more reassuring, I couldn't find a pic when I looked.

And when I said "keeping speed up" I ment like 50-70km, on a highway at 430am in northern ontario, even if I was being reckless, the deer don't mind.

Most stock air intakes are high up for this reason but it is important to know where yours is if you need to drive through puddles.

This car has a high intake.

Two other things you should be aware of, if you get stopped during transit of the puddle water can enter your exhaust system. If that gets full your catalytic converter can get backed up and the engine may simply stall. Then because your engine is so low you could have major water ingress through the exhaust. Never try to restart an engine that has stalled while in a deep puddle, have it towed and the plugs removed to ensure all water is drained out.

Second, never enter an apparently deep puddle unless you are sure you know how deep it gets. There may be potholes you can't see, or debris.

Meltwater puddles are less dangerous. Flash flood puddles can be very dangerous. Manhole covers could be missing. Debris could be a significant hazard.

Many people have discovered these risks at great expense.

Very relevant info for Toronto drivers lately...

I'm speaking only in generalities because I don't know anything about your specific situation, but anytime "I can't get to work because the roads are flooded" gets someone fired, it's likely the push that someone needed to find a job for an employer that doesn't suck.

As for the deer, will they notify your family? They might care.

Sorry to lecture and be preachy, and I know I am, but the focus should be on the parts that can't be replaced (you) not that parts that can (car).

"Hey, let's be careful out there."

I doubt very much that you were going at 70kph though 1 foot deep puddles. It may have felt that way, but that would do some serious damage to the car (and no, you would not have just hydroplaned over the top - you would have hit the water, hard). If water wasn't coming over the front, it was 5 or 6 inches deep, max (and probably less than that).