Air Filter Box

[drogue7 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close drogue7]

I have a 2003 GX T/D with a Safari snorkel fitted. My query relates to the air cleaner box. When the paper filter is removed, there are a small series of holes in the "sump" of the air box. This, I assume to drain any water ingress from the intake. If I were to cross a river or flood, water would make its way up through these holes and into the air intake system with catastrophic results. Is there meant to be a one way valve or similar fitted that is missing? Something to let out water from the inside and prevent ingress from water from up underneath? Thanks.

[Guest Close Guest]

Clean around the hole and then seal it up with sealant.

[Matty80 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Matty80]

After sealing the holes, plastic bag the snorkel intake and check that the engine starves of oxygen, this will aid in proving there are no additional leaks elsewhere...

[Steve M Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steve M]

Should have been sealed up, even the ducks beak should be sealed up. its fine while your moving its if you get strung up on some thing as you said and just sitting there then yes water will come in, Id be checking your pipe/rubber fittings have silastic to, remember to use sensor safe silastic... the one I used was blue in my old 90... But Id be double cheking the lot this is what I found with mine after been fitted by the profesionals
no silastic on any of the plastic joins


and this is what I found after trying to find the dinging sound and vibration !!!!



Should have been joined to this pipe, this was after I fixed it and sealed everything

[Grayso Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Grayso]

Don't forget though when driving along the road in the rain, water can enter via the snorkel to the air box. The holes thus aid in removal of this water otherwise it will pool up if the rain is very heavy. I remember another post suggesting that this was particually bad with one particular brand of snorkel due to design. At the end of the day water will only reach that high if you stop, otherwise forward momentum will keep it clear as mentioned above. I'd leave them open and just be mindfull of them if crossing deep water.

[Steve M Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steve M]

I have had snorkels on 2 of the 4wd's Ive had, both safari's, never had an issue with water pooling in the air intake (cannister) and driven through some torrential rain and never had an issue. I would prefer to know there is no chance of sucking water into the engine if stuck mid way then a few drops possibly coming in the airfilter due to heay rain. If its that heavy turn the snorkel head around so that its not driving into it if need be. Ive never done it. Maybe brand of snorkle has a lot to do with water coming in ??? Cheers Steve

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

I'd leave them open and just be mindfull of them if crossing deep water.

What do you mean by being mindful? what is this going to achieve? If water gets to these holes then you run the risk of sucking it into the motor which = very bad, if by being mindful you are somehow able to realise that water is about to be sucked into the engine then what can you do? Turn the motor off? Which will cause water to be sucked up through the exhaust which = very bad.

Very bad = very expensive most times!

With a safari snorkel at least, water entering through the head during rain is simply not an issue, they have a system to expel the water before it gets past the intake head.

Cheers Andrew

[Davros Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Davros]

I made up some small lengths of silicone tube that I have filled with silicone sealant. They sit inside the air box and I use them to plug up the holes before trips where I will be crossing rivers/creeks etc. I did this because i couldn't find a suitably sized rubber plug at the spare parts shop prior to our last Vic High Country trip. They work well, cost next to nothing, and store easily inside the air box.

[Bushbasher Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Bushbasher]

I think it's time for a mythbusters type experiment. Let's get a bowl of water and see if any water is drawn into the airbox if the bowl is held directly under the box with the water in contact with thoes little holes. Ist test engine idling and second test engine at moderate throttle. My money will be on "no, the water won't be sucked up" simply because I don't think there is enough pressure. If we then fill the engine bay with water so that the shear pressure of the surrounding water forces water through those tiny holes then I reckon you'll be in deep shite anyway because the level of water means it will be up to the bottom of the dash inside the car so bye bye electrics. I've seen an engine with a wet aircleaner - the engine starved of air and stalled because it couldn't draw air through the wet paper element. No water got sucked into the engine. So, who is going to lend me their Prado so we can conduct this experiment?

[Steve M Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steve M]

Well I know for one thing my mate who works for NRMA and does the accesing when people make a claim wrote off 2 prados (we had storms here two weeks ago on a thursday night) now this bloke reckons all he did was drive through a puddle (not that deep but long) like those ones you drive you and it sprays out the side when the gutters overflowing out onto the road. My mate at first didnt believe that this bloke could have sucked water in via the air intake through the filter and get enough in there to kill the motor. Led my mate to a link on here where 120 prados with soverign bar has a big defect as far as directing water straight up to the inlet. So yes it will kill a motor. I was at SON OF NISSAN TRIALS yesterday, a 2.8D hilux (no snorkel) was doing one of those motorkana (thinks thats what there called ??) and they had to go through water, knock off the golf balls on top of the PVC pipes (ball held on with string) then drive through the course again and put them back on, well the water was just lapping his side steps, as his mate was not real good putting the ball back on top of the pvc pipe so the lux had to sit there for probably no more then 10/15 seconds, blue/white smoke appeared motor died. I went and had a look after woods and they had the glow plugs out turning it over and trying to get the water out, and yes the paper cannister air filter was sitting on roof soaking wet. Now this was the only water cousre there so he wouldnt have sucked it any where else and the vehicle was running fine prior (he had just done a hill climb) My opinion is if you want the system water tight then seal it all up properly. If you like running risks and taking chances and dont mind killing your motor then up to you. Bet this bloke had his sealed write up..... http://api.viglink.com/api/click?for...13302393462261 Cheers steve

[Grayso Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Grayso]

Hi Andrew,
Mindfull simply means being aware of the condition and cautious when proceeding that's all. As with anything if you are aware of the condition you can plan ahead accordingly ie. when stopping to check the fording depth before proceeding, plug up the holes if nessesary as Davros mentioned is just one option to consider before going forward.

Right or wrong, the holes are a Toyota factory design feature to remove water from the airbox. Whether that's a good idea or not is subject to a variety of opinions and healthy debate. I agree, they are not intended for deep water crossings, when faced with that situation I doubt whether anybody would disagree that plugging the holes is the only sensible option before getting the wheels wet.

Cheers Grayso

[Dukaka Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Dukaka]

I had an Airtec snorkel fitted to my 150 the other day and the TJM service guys showed me the inside of my air filter box which looked like a significant volume of dirty water had been sloshing around at some point.


The air filter showed plenty of the same residue on the base layer (completely missed by Toyota at service).
I'm guessing it happened the day I did a driving course and got the new car a bit wet but before I had the snorkel. (Clearly the course didn't teach me how to be sensible!)


In this case I consider it more likely that the water came in the intake and left via the drain holes as intended. In the interests of science, if I come across a similarly dirty and deep puddle I will drive through it a few times then reinspect the filter box. Assuming the snorkel protects the intake any mud is likely to have come from the drain holes.

Now to find a puddle...