How deep would you dare wade in your A2?

Jeetesh

Member
With last night/this morning storms being pretty intense, there is a fair amount of water that’s struggling to drain. Whilst I live near a river and canal, I’m fortunate to be high enough that my house shouldn't have any issues.

The problem however is the link road which currently has about circa 30 cm of water and what’s draining is being refilled pretty quickly with water running down the hill. It’s stopped raining now so give it a few hours and it should drain. I however bottled it and left the car and walked around, others however have gone through it in ‘normal cars’ which I’m not sure I’d dare risk (at least till the water had subsided somewhat). If the car stopped and I needed to get out the water would be above the bottom of the door hence not happy to drive through.

How deep would you dare to drive through in and A2?
 
Why risk it....if any of the bungs in the floor are out of place and you don't know it would soon get water in...……..I'm thinking of the electrical loom going into the underfloor cavity the ECU/CCU area any water in there will spell disaster either sooner or later.
Lets face it, its also a light car and probably wouldn't take to deep water to get floating...……….can you sail in an A2...…….
No leave the car and walk unless its life or death at the moment......
 
Nothing that I couldn't see the white lines in the road through, or even the road surface. My thinking is that's only going to be a very few inches tops for most floodwater, add maybe another inch for depth at the wheels due to the crown of the road. Any deeper, go back home and come out in wellies :D
 
Why risk it....if any of the bungs in the floor are out of place and you don't know it would soon get water in...……..I'm thinking of the electrical loom going into the underfloor cavity the ECU/CCU area any water in there will spell disaster either sooner or later.
Lets face it, its also a light car and probably wouldn't take to deep water to get floating...……….can you sail in an A2...…….
No leave the car and walk unless its life or death at the moment......
I agree which is what I did, it’s just totally unnatural to drive through water especially at those levels so hence leaving it.

I forgot about the electrics being under the floor so even more reason not to.

A floating A2........ interesting concept!
 
I’ve driven to the door sill seals and only afterwards realised where the air intake was and all the electrics, and what aqualock is...

I flooded one of my fog lights and had to replace but otherwise got lucky.

I drove past a couple of SUVs who had gotten stranded - so felt pretty smug about that - more than offset the cost of a fog lamp.


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Once drove through floodwater, next to a normally benign stream that had over flowed onto the road after prolonged heavy rain. Think I sailed or near to it for a couple of metres, nothing on the steering and pedals pointless, horrible feeling being so helpless, literally at the mercy of where the current takes you, but luckily I had enough momentum to sail to dry land and the relief of feeling the front tyres hit tarmac. Not doing that again.

Andy
 
Once drove through floodwater, next to a normally benign stream that had over flowed onto the road after prolonged heavy rain. Think I sailed or near to it for a couple of metres, nothing on the steering and pedals pointless, horrible feeling being so helpless, literally at the mercy of where the current takes you, but luckily I had enough momentum to sail to dry land and the relief of feeling the front tyres hit tarmac. Not doing that again.

Andy
How deep do you reckon that was?
 
I just don’t do it these day’s; wheel bearings get ruined, exhaust manifold studs pop, water gets in air filters, drum beaks seize over time. Experienced it all, now I just stay at home.
 
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I just don’t do it these day’s; wheel bearing get ruined, exhaust manifold studs pop, water gets in air filters, drum beaks seize over time. Experienced it all, now I just stay at home.
It’s why living on the flood plains as we do we need a 4x4 would not dream of using a2 when waters up ..
 
We seem to get alot of flooding here and i generally go out in the van due to the elevated position but if its higher than the kerb then its a no go really .I do marvel at some that fly at it and splutter to a halt
 
It has probably been mentioned in one of the linked threads, but the hole in the air filter housing is the biggest reason why the A2 mustn't wade.

The A2's air filter housing is mounted vertically beneath the right-hand headlight. When you drive along in wet conditions, with lots of rain and spray in the air, water can collect inside the air filter housing. In order to allow this water to escape, there's a small hole in the bottom of the filter housing. This hole rides very close to the tarmac. If you enter deep water, the hole can become submerged, water fills the air filter housing and your engine then draws water rather than air into its cylinders. It's then game over for the engine.

I run 16" wheels with approximately 10cm of tyre sidewall. I use the interface between my tyres and the wheels as the 'rule of thumb'. I'm happy to drive slowly through standing water as long as the entirety of my alloy wheel remains above the surface of the water. Any deeper than that, and it's not worth the risk.

Of course, there are other reasons not to wade too deep, as have been mentioned above.

Cheers,

Tom
 
And if anyone doubt what Tom is saying about game over for the engine if it ingests water

Some 20 years ago a friend drove is Sierra 2.3diesel through water which was deeper than he anticipated. He drove slowly in 1st gear with revs kept reasonable high to keep water out of exhaust all was going well until it abruptly stopped
Car had to be pulled out of water. I got the job of looking at the engine. On stripping it down there was a sheared crank shaft and 3 bent con rods and a blown head gasket
Conclusion air compressed but water does not
Engine was a right off
Simple answer Don’t go paddling in the A2
Cheers
Paul


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It has probably been mentioned in one of the linked threads, but the hole in the air filter housing is the biggest reason why the A2 mustn't wade.

The A2's air filter housing is mounted vertically beneath the right-hand headlight. When you drive along in wet conditions, with lots of rain and spray in the air, water can collect inside the air filter housing. In order to allow this water to escape, there's a small hole in the bottom of the filter housing. This hole rides very close to the tarmac. If you enter deep water, the hole can become submerged, water fills the air filter housing and your engine then draws water rather than air into its cylinders. It's then game over for the engine.

I run 16" wheels with approximately 10cm of tyre sidewall. I use the interface between my tyres and the wheels as the 'rule of thumb'. I'm happy to drive slowly through standing water as long as the entirety of my alloy wheel remains above the surface of the water. Any deeper than that, and it's not worth the risk.

Of course, there are other reasons not to wade too deep, as have been mentioned above.

Cheers,

Tom
Very sensible Tom, I agree too that the tyre only and not the alloy. Mine are 92.5mm so slightly lower profile. I tend not to go in puddles anyway more so because any damage costs and really is pointless.
 
If i had no choice i would disconnect the air intake just before the maf but only as last resort!
 
Weirdly I’d save my car ahead of myself. I love it nearly as much as my kids and ranks ahead of my wife. ?
 
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