Beware water crossings!

[Gordon Member Find all posts View Profile Close Gordon]

Thanks Thunder I still reckon anything's better than nothing but it's surely worth following your advice. I've got some Inox contact cleaner in the electrolab but not the product you mention.. have to see if I can get a pump spray for the car kit.

You also just reminded me of the state of my starter motor as well. It started getting all sluggish and miserable - even with a new battery - so I pulled it out and took it apart and christ what a mess. Everything black and green, brushes completely fused & immobile, solenoid completely oxidised, reduction box full of stinky gunk... actually had to use a (Dremel) grinder to restore it but it came up to as new zing following an hour or two of TLC.

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

Hi Gordon,

You also just reminded me of the state of my starter motor as well. It started getting all sluggish and miserable - even with a new battery - so I pulled it out and took it apart and christ what a mess. Everything black and green, brushes completely fused & immobile, solenoid completely oxidised, reduction box full of stinky gunk... actually had to use a (Dremel) grinder to restore it but it came up to as new zing following an hour or two of TLC.

This happend on your 150? It seems it should be way too young for needing such an overhaul. Unless you've done serious kms, I would expect this to be covered under the 3-year warranty period?

LFaR.

[Trekrider Banned Find all posts View Profile Close Trekrider]

Getting through is one problem, keeping your car going is another. I strongly recommend saturating your electricals with WD40 - particularly your alternator - immediately after emerging if you're lucky enough.

I would only use WD40 as an absolute last resort - horrible stuff that the vehicle in question gets addicted to. When I was first given this warning about 20 years ago I couldn't understand how a car can become 'addicted' to it but found out to my cost that it's true. It goes like this:

You have a small problem with damp in the electrics so you spray it with WD40 to get you going (which works) but after a while dirt and dust stick to the WD40 residue and the next time there is the slightest amount of moisture around it's soaked up by the dirt and dust that's now stuck to your electrics causing it to short (much more sensitive to moisture than before). The only solution is to again spray it with WD40 which cleans off the accumulated dirt and dust and you are on your way again - this then becomes a cycle and the only way to get out of it is to replace all the leads etc with new.

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

I would only use WD40 as an absolute last resort - horrible stuff that the vehicle in question gets addicted to. When I was first given this warning about 20 years ago I couldn't understand how a car can become 'addicted' to it but found out to my cost that it's true.

We have the same problem out on the vessel with out ventilation damper limit switches, once sprayed with WD40 they require constant repeats more and more regularly. Turns out the same way, more and more dirt and mud sticks to the leavers and jams them up.

My morgan quarry run, with all the clay and crap that I submerged the prado in, had me high pressure washing a spinning alternator... While I don't recommend such practices, with the engine running and the heat generated by the alternator under load, dries it out again if you leave it running for 10-15 minutes after cleaning.

[Gordon Member Find all posts View Profile Close Gordon]

This happend on your 150?

No mate my 120. But given the distance travelled between the big drink and the sick starter - just a few hundred kms - this could happen to a new car just as easily. NB it was under warranty but given that they'd just replaced my alternator I thought better not push the boundaries too far - fearing that even Toyota warranty clerks might be able to join dots occasionally...

[Gordon Member Find all posts View Profile Close Gordon]

I gotta say this thread turning up the WD40 story is an interesting twist - never know what you're gonna learn ay... Thanks guys.
G.

[Brett1979 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Brett1979]

I've heard WD40 is no good on rubber as it eats it away over time, ie wiring insulation. But apart from that I've found it largely washes off with high volumes of water (water crossings). Over time WD40 turns filthy because of all the dust etc clinging to it. I'd recommend Inox as it doesn't wash off with water and it's a nice clean lubricant/water dispersant. I used a touch of Inox in sticky car door lock mechanisms and sticky ingnitions and it works beautifully. It's great with sticky accelerators too.

And to add to the alternator story... Mine stopped charging the battery after driving through flooded roads a foot deep on the way to Carnarvon a month ago. Half an hour after driving through the water the air filter light came on, the battery light came on as well as the handbrake light. I had never had alternator issues before so didn't know what to make of the warning lights. I thought it was just a wet or blown fuse or a failed sensor or something like that as the brake fluid level was normal, the air filter was dry and the battery was still charging all of my accessories and still starting the engine no probs. Anyway, 4 hours later the car lost all power to drive. It was idling but had no power to drive forward, even on low range. Another 15 mins after that the engine switched itself off. I was still in good spirits considering we were 700km from home. I phoned a mechanic late in the evening from a payphone at the camp ground I was towed to by my mate because there was no mobile phone reception. After describing the issue to him he said it sounded like the alternator had failed and suggested putting in a new battery and the car will drive until the battery runs dead in order to get me to the nearest work shop for an alternator replacement. Anyway, after hanging up the phone I thought, "My battery's only new. I can charge it and it will hold charge still!" I had my friend's GU parked head on to my car and charged the battery with the jumper leads for 30 mins. I then filled a bucket of warm water from the showers and poured it all over the alternator and left the car sit overnight. I cranked it over the next day and it ran perfectly and has done so ever since. I'm going to replace the alternator soon though as it's probably going to be due for it within the next 50,000km anyway considering my car's done just over 250,000km. So there's a little tip for anyone with a similar issue in the future and how to rectify it without paying for expensive towing to the nearest town with a mechanic. My tow to the nearest town would've cost $900 through RACQ if I took that option. I'm glad I took option "B" and tried the stab in the dark option which worked.

[Gordon Member Find all posts View Profile Close Gordon]

Nice bit of lateral thinking Brett..!

[barryswanson Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close barryswanson]

I just thought I'd give this thread a bump and see if anyone else has worked out where the water gets in the doors on the 150's. I drove through a puddle about a foot above the side step yesterday and got bugged. The whole car filled with water very quickly :/ I currently have all the seats out and trying to work out how to pull the centre console out and door trims

[downunder Find all posts View Profile Close downunder]

Thats a real bugger, it looks as though you were not driving though the water but stopped. The reason why i ask as it looks like it has come in though the speakers as you can see the muddy stain. It it comes in though the bottom door drains and then in though the speakers.

[barryswanson Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close barryswanson]

It can't believe toyota would make something so retarded. My old patrol has had water up to the door handles many times and not a drop has come in.

[downunder Find all posts View Profile Close downunder]

All new cars are designed with what is called wet door design. One way to limit this issue is to plug the bottom door holes with tape when you are going though deep water.
usually though if you are traveling though fast enough water will not have enough time to come in due to bow wave etc.

[barryswanson Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close barryswanson]

What is wet door design and what is it meant to do? I have searched google and nothing comes up.

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

You ever wonder why the army paints a little yellow line on the fuel tank of it's Landrovers? The line is parallel with the wheel hubs and is below floor level. It's there to provide a guide on "un-prepared fjording depth." If you want to go deeper then you have to do some work on the car first. I'm surprised that you're surprised that water got in through your doors when the level was about 30cm above the side-steps. Water pressure increases with depth so despite your forward velocity there's going to be some volume of water filling inside the doors.

[Brains Find all posts View Profile Close Brains]

You ever wonder why the army paints a little yellow line on the fuel tank of it's Landrovers? The line is parallel with the wheel hubs and is below floor level. It's there to provide a guide on "un-prepared fjording depth." If you want to go deeper then you have to do some work on the car first. I'm surprised that you're surprised that water got in through your doors when the level was about 30cm above the side-steps. Water pressure increases with depth so despite your forward velocity there's going to be some volume of water filling inside the doors.

The specs of the 150 Prado state that it has a wading depth of 700mm or 70cm. Barryswagon I too am interested in the length of water you crossed, the speed you travelled through the water, and at any time did you stop. I have been through water and haven't had any in the cabin. If you saw the TJM 150 Prado on the Cape York OTT DVD that was made for 4WD Action they took it through all the water crossings without too many problems.