[norhog]

Hey Guys. How would I learn about the water wading depth of a SUVs like the Safari Storme, XUV500 and Duster. The brochures and dealers give vague replies. I read somewhere it is about the height of differential and gearbox vents above the road, so the water level has got to be below it. Also what about the placement of electronic parts (e.g. sensors) as in the case of a Safari Storme where an electronic unit is used to engage the 4x4.

[ACM]

^^ offically approved wading depth for these all are likely to be quite low. The Pajero on the other hand if I recollect correctly offically has about 2 feet as the offical wading depth while all the 3 options mentioned by you are offically at about half of that.

Yet as an assurance can say that I did drive the earlier (prehistoric) TCIC Safari in excess of 2 feet of water for about 10+ mins twice and it was fine.

Some of the sensors may malfunction after a dip in water but will mostly dry out by themselves and be fine after a while.

One would need to be careful to keep the the revs high when wading through the water and also keep the car in 1st gear crawl. Do not restart the car in water if water has entered the exhaust and for whatever reasons stalled the car while in the midst of the drive.

If one manages to keep the revs high then the only other real problem is the Engine Air Intake and that is generally towards the top of the already high bonnet.

Preferably do not pass water in the top of the bumper line.

No specifics here as well but hope this helps.

[220kmph]

Attaching a document regarding flood situations. Kindly go through for knowledge sake. Appending a relevant portion.

Myth: Larger vehicles, such as SUVs and pickup trucks
are safe to drive through flood waters.

Fact: Two feet of water can carry away most
Vehicles, including SUVs and pickup trucks.

[roy_libran]

If Water wading is what you have in mind, then given the choice between these three I'd any day pick the Safari. At least the GC is on my side, as well as lesser electronics. I'd be scared to tread into a puddle with an XUV, although the Duster may fare decently as well.

But, for sheer water wading joy, go for something like a Bolero with some minor mods.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by norhog

How would I learn about the water wading depth of a suv eg Safari storme, XUV 500, Duster.

Safari Storme: 300 mm
Safari, Scorpio: 350 mm
XUV-500: 350 mm
Duster: 350 mm
Grand Vitara: 500 mm
Fortuner: 700 mm
Pajero: 600 mm

The links point to source of information. Hope that helps.

[dhanushs]

Water wading IMO, is best avoided in a vehicle with no low range gearbox (Eg, Duster).

Reason is: You need precise throttle control, keep the rvvs sufficiently high and make sure you do not splash the water. This is possible mostly in a vehicle with low range Gear Box only.

However, the 300-350mm, is just over a feet and sounds OK, if you know whats underneath.

[GTO]

I drive a SWB Jeep that is built to offroad. Even then, I absolutely H-A-T-E taking her through water. Leaving the wading depth aside, water is your vehicle's biggest enemy. Each time I drive through water, there is some issue or the other with the starter, alternator etc. Remember, these components aren't exactly water-proof.

My advice : Avoid wading through water as much as possible, and save it only for emergencies (e.g. floods). It looks dramatic and makes for awesome pictures, but the guy who loves his cars will never put his ride through that.

P.S. God help you if your air intake sucks in some of that water.

[nilanjanray]

Originally Posted by GTO

Even then, I absolutely H-A-T-E taking her through water. Leaving the wading depth aside, water is your vehicle's biggest enemy.

+1

Even if nothing happens immediately, there can be long term issues. And our ASCs are not knowledgeable enough to do thorough checks after water or mud bashing. I have faced this issue first hand after the Toyota 4WD Bootcamp.

In my Fortuner, I go through water (and deep mud) only if I HAVE to e.g. while going to some destination (crossing some stream while on a trail, say) - and never for the sake of going through it. All those photos look nice, but its tough on the vehicle.

Btw, many folks (e.g. seasoned overlanders) also recommend that you put a tarpulin (or equivalent) in front of the radiator and ride behind the bow wave when crossing water bodies.

The Fortuner and Prado (both rated for 700mm) can handle deeper water, but its not a good idea - unless one is forced to.

[tsk1979]

In the safari/scorpio, if the lower part of your transfer case touches water, you lose 4x4 ability. It can start to malfunction and will have a mind of its own until it dries. So unless absolutely necessary, refrain from taking these in water. Even if water is less than 100mm, drive slowly, as splash from the wheel can cause 4x4 to malfunction.

[norhog]

Originally Posted by nilanjanray

+1

Even if nothing happens immediately, there can be long term issues. And our ASCs are not knowledgeable enough to do thorough checks after water or mud bashing. I have faced this issue first hand after the Toyota 4WD Bootcamp.

In my Fortuner, I go through water (and deep mud) only if I HAVE to e.g. while going to some destination (crossing some stream while on a trail, say) - and never for the sake of going through it. All those photos look nice, but its tough on the vehicle.

Btw, many folks (e.g. seasoned overlanders) also recommend that you put a tarpulin (or equivalent) in front of the radiator and ride behind the bow wave when crossing water bodies.

The Fortuner and Prado (both rated for 700mm) can handle deeper water, but its not a good idea - unless one is forced to.

The Tarpulin seems like a neat idea.

[racer_ash]

Dont want to hijack the limelight from the SUVs but, around 6 years ago, we were caught in a situation whereinwe had to wade through almost 25cm of water. And this was in an Alto. I had to get down from the car, put my feet into the water, then decide if it was safe enough for us to pass through. We decided to pass through. Although I must appreciate the driving skills of my father. He did a real good job of taking it through without even a hiccup from the engine. The tempo trax guy behind us loaded with passengers was not so lucky. He had a stalled engine and worse, he tried cranking it up again.

[norhog]

Originally Posted by racer_ash

Dont want to hijack the limelight from the SUVs but, around 6 years ago, we were caught in a situation whereinwe had to wade through almost 25cm of water. And this was in an Alto. I had to get down from the car, put my feet into the water, then decide if it was safe enough for us to pass through. We decided to pass through. Although I must appreciate the driving skills of my father. He did a real good job of taking it through without even a hiccup from the engine. The tempo trax guy behind us loaded with passengers was not so lucky. He had a stalled engine and worse, he tried cranking it up again.

Thanks racer ash.I myself have driven through knee deep water in my wagon R LPG DUO. It was a short distance about 50 mtrs and as luck would have it a bus was comming from the opposite direction and the bow wave hit the wind shield.I was praying all the while when I saw it comming as there was no way could I stop in the middle. I got out of it, the car did not stall, brakes and engine fine. And to top it off the traffic cop at the other end gave a smile and a thumbs up!! So I was hoping the SUVs in our market would fare better. from the reply I got from all the people in the know, I guess I was wrong.

[nilanjanray]

Originally Posted by norhog

Thanks racer ash.I myself have driven through knee deep water in my wagon R LPG DUO. It was a short distance about 50 mtrs and as luck would have it a bus was comming from the opposite direction and the bow wave hit the wind shield.I was praying all the while when I saw it comming as there was no way could I stop in the middle. I got out of it, the car did not stall, brakes and engine fine. And to top it off the traffic cop at the other end gave a smile and a thumbs up!! So I was hoping the SUVs in our market would fare better. from the reply I got from all the people in the know, I guess I was wrong.

SUVs do handle water better. But folks are saying that stay away from water - whatever the vehicle - unless you have no choice.

@tsk1979: 100 mm is like 4 inches. And water splashing can happen even when driving at moderate speeds through a puddle say over a hidden pothole in the highway. What then? Are these vehicles so susceptible?

Btw, the older Marutis used to tackle water well. I remember Fiats and Ambys stranded in the Calcutta floods - and 800s and Omnis merrily chugging around.

[mayankjha1806]

^^ I would have thought even Mahindra Jeeps did rather well, although my knowledge on water and automobiles was nonexistent at that young age (apart from having feeble memory of the incident). Once my father drove his Mahindra 4x4 Jeep through decently deep water (I had no idea how deep it was), but it was high enough to get water inside the drivers footrest area, which my father cleaned after getting out of the water.

He drove very slowly so water coming inside may not have been because of splashing. Now doing a bit of math, i am sure the floor of the Jeep and more than a 1.5 feet above the ground. So that must have been the depth.

I can understand it being bad and should be avoided, but are we all hinting it has potential to completely stop the SUV even if driven with care?

[anjan_c2007]

As GTO has rightly put it, water needs to be avoided if avoidable. If not avoidable, one must take all the due precautions as water damages the electricals, mechanicals and even the body shell.
Stalling on water logged roads is a common sight and even with the advancement in automobile technology, water continues to remain the enemy no. 1.
Just to refer to the Mumbai floods of July 2005, SUV's fared the unprecedented floods and the more than knee deep waters much better than cars, on the affected parts of the metropolis.That evening, many traffic users abandoned their cars, walked home and reported substantial damages. A Mercedes Benz car had water affecting its power window functioning and even its mechanicals suffered damage.
I had driven Mahindra, Willys and Jeep 4X4 MUV's many a time through rivulets, nullahs, water logged and even muddy patches, but luckily came out safe and sound - thanks to their ground clearance and rugged build! These had nothing much on them that could be affected ! The older Willys CJ 3B's with the Hurricane engine and Carter fuel systems were among the best to withstand the rugged conditions. I believe even the CJ 4A's were a bit delicate as their Indian made bodies would rattle and develop cracks at some specific places - viz. body - chassis mountings that were stressed during rugged runs.Their floors were victims of rusting as the rubber foot mats would get wet after moving through water logged areas and retain moisture underneath. The CJ3B's bodies were less prone to rusting.
About two years ago, the place where I live in had heavy rains. I was driving through a water logged road at about 50-60 kmph on my new Scorpio. Water splashed all around. I was'nt so lucky this time around. The Lumax headlamp and fog lamp to the left were affected and it showed. Moisture had gathered within these two units and even after exposing it to sunlight, apparent drying was visible but soon after, the moisture reappeared. I took the SUV to the dealer who agreed that these two units had a two year warranty and these were replaced free of cost for me. Even after pressure washes of my SUV, water had never left its trace within the headlight and fog light units till then.
So this is among the many pranks water can play.