Checking water depth on puddles/holes

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

Been thinking about painting the Prado Yellow

Cheers Andrew

[Anth120playdo Banned Find all posts View Profile Close Anth120playdo]

Sorry but that is wrong, snorkels while helpful for dust are most definitely for water! Here is three examples of water above the intake point and I didn't float anywhere.



Cheers Andrew

I disagree, the depth is only at the front of the vehicle (bow wave) the true depth is much lower, eg; at the intake, the sides & the rear. That depth at the front won't carry up inside the gaurd.
If you are in true depth where water is entering air intake high up in the gaurd, you would be floaty boaty.

Naturally, the snorkel is good insurance for your engine, if the vehicle is not already written off from other damage

Lucky we already know we can agree to disagree.

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

The reason I fit snorkels to my 4wds before I venture off road is because of a near miss many years ago. Flash rain and a different line coming back out meant water up the windscreen. No floaty boat at all. No water where I didn't want it either but that was more good luck than management.

[glen_ep Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close glen_ep]

I disagree, the depth is only at the front of the vehicle (bow wave) the true depth is much lower, eg; at the intake, the sides & the rear. That depth at the front won't carry up inside the gaurd.
If you are in true depth where water is entering air intake high up in the gaurd, you would be floaty boaty.

Naturally, the snorkel is good insurance for your engine, if the vehicle is not already written off from other damage

Lucky we already know we can agree to disagree.

So you would drive the river crossings in AJ's photos without a snorkel?

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

The maximum depth of water in all three of those pictures was around 800mm - 1m deep. Like always photos only tell part of the story and I cant tell you if those particular snaps were taken at the deepest point of the crossing or not, well I can on the third pic and it wasn't the deepest point, the crossing was also approx. 70 metres wide.

Here is my mate on the same crossing as pic 3 in his 100 series, probably a lot closer to indicating the true depth of that particular crossing.




If anyone wants to tackle these types of crossings without a snorkel then go for it, but don't ask for sympathy when your motor gets flooded.

Cheers Andrew

[glen_ep Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close glen_ep]

Is there some kind of trick/rule to how to gauge the water depth in a hole/puddle. Not talking about creek/river crossing or even large bodies of water, just general pools of water that are road width and 1-2 car lengths long you might find along a track in winter. Surely people dont check each one however how do you deal with the risk that one might just swallow the car?

Went for a drive in dwellingup last weekend and there were small-large pools of water all over the track, some obviously only inches deep and others looked shallow enough however I could never tell for sure. Ended up walking the edges of a lot of them checking the depth however felt a bit ridiculous and made forward progress pretty slow.

any tips ? couple of others past us and were just driving straight through however I was having nightmares I would end up nose first into a 2m hole.

I would suggest continuing to check any new puddles of that size with a branch as you come across them. I do the same, except for puddles I know or have seen people drive though. As you get out more and more you'll come to know which holes/tracks have a solid base and may not need rechecking, versus the ones which can be soft and forever changing. First times in new areas can be slow going, but at least you won't be removing the carpets at the end of the day.

[Anth120playdo Banned Find all posts View Profile Close Anth120playdo]

So you would drive the river crossings in AJ's photos without a snorkel?

Hard to say without being there. I'd prefer not to, but could if I had to.
The main point is prados float well until the tide has come in, so don't think your invincible with a snorkel. If you look at the first pic, at the outside where the snorkel is attached, the water is no where near the air intake.

The maximum depth of water in all three of those pictures was around 800mm - 1m deep. Like always photos only tell part of the story and I cant tell you if those particular snaps were taken at the deepest point of the crossing or not, well I can on the third pic and it wasn't the deepest point, the crossing was also approx. 70 metres wide.

Here is my mate on the same crossing as pic 3 in his 100 series, probably a lot closer to indicating the true depth of that particular crossing.



If anyone wants to tackle these types of crossings without a snorkel then go for it, but don't ask for sympathy when your motor gets flooded.

Cheers Andrew

1000mm is deep! At that speed it will be well up the windscreen, pitty you didn't get those shots.
It certainly looks deep as the vehicle pushes the water up at the front.
Definitely a crossing to be carefull of. I'd be a bit nervous.

[r4ndll Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close r4ndll]

I would suggest continuing to check any new puddles of that size with a branch as you come across them. I do the same, except for puddles I know or have seen people drive though. As you get out more and more you'll come to know which holes/tracks have a solid base and may not need rechecking, versus the ones which can be soft and forever changing. First times in new areas can be slow going, but at least you won't be removing the carpets at the end of the day.

Let others check - definitley

As a newbie, crossing the Pentecost River on Gibb River Road for the first time, we were too scared to cross (no snorkel). With the threat of crocs, wifey told me to go play with myself when I suggested she walked it. Whilst plucking up the courage to go, a hire landcruiser pulled up on the other side. Wifey says - "Let him go first".

He flashed us, we flashed back. He waved us on, we waved back. We got out of car and sat on the bullbar. 10 minutes later he drove through and abused us in a thick German accent for not going first. We thanked him politely and pointed out his was a hire car but we owned ours, and drove on through...

Needn't have worried as it was only bumper deep but at least we knew it was safe.

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

So you would drive the river crossings in AJ's photos without a snorkel?

Some years ago with my 80 series petrol, I drove across a river about that depth, but only a narrow river compared to the photos, heading to Jim Jim Falls in N.T.

No snorkel, but a canvas radiator blind was used across the bonnet. No water around the motor area, but I kept moving. I drove back across the river the next day at the same crossing.

I was going to wade the river, but one of the locals suggested a saltie had moved up the river and was rather hungry, so I used his directions to ride on the shallow points, and it was not straight across but at 3 different angles when he yelled out to turn.

[glen_ep Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close glen_ep]

Hard to say without being there. I'd prefer not to, but could if I had to.
The main point is prados float well until the tide has come in, so don't think your invincible with a snorkel. If you look at the first pic, at the outside where the snorkel is attached, the water is no where near the air intake.

So you'd prefer to have a snorkel - but still insist the water isn't near the standard air intake. Why do you want a snorkel then? To protect your air filter from dust in the middle of a river?

The point is - whilst floatation can definitely be a risk in deep or flowing water, let's not distract from the importance of protecting the engine from water damage.

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

So you'd prefer to have a snorkel - but still insist the water isn't near the standard air intake. Why do you want a snorkel then? To protect your air filter from dust in the middle of a river?

The point is - whilst floatation can definitely be a risk in deep or flowing water, let's not distract from the importance of protecting the engine from water damage.

Yep, that's the point I was making. A snorkel doesn't make you invincible but you can certainly drive a Prado through water deep enough that it sucking water into the engine without a snorkel is highly likely.

In the second Picture I posted if you look closely you can see the windscreen is wet, the third pic was actually the deepest but the windscreen stayed dry from memory but water was freely flowing over the bonnet and through the bonnet scoop at the deepest point. It was our 11 year old at the time son taking the pictures so we can cut him some slack for not getting all the best shots.

Hers another pic in deepish water with more of a side on view, the standard intake is just above the inner guard, the front wheel well is well and truly full of water so water ingress into the engine while not a given would be highly risky.




In that particular crossing which was totally unexpected there were 2 vehicles waiting for someone to come along so they could see if the river was doable, one of them didn't have a snorkel. I don't know what they eventually did re the crossing but after seeing us go through I reckon they would have turned around and found a different path.

Cheers Andrew

[Anth120playdo Banned Find all posts View Profile Close Anth120playdo]

So you'd prefer to have a snorkel - but still insist the water isn't near the standard air intake. Why do you want a snorkel then? To protect your air filter from dust in the middle of a river?

The point is - whilst floatation can definitely be a risk in deep or flowing water, let's not distract from the importance of protecting the engine from water damage.

Because If you float away, you might just get to keep water out of the intake, but like said if you floated away likely have other problems.
To be clear it is my opinion, I don't believe a snorkel is going to decide wether you can drive through or not.
However,
$150 is cheap insurance.

Yep, that's the point I was making. A snorkel doesn't make you invincible but you can certainly drive a Prado through water deep enough that it sucking water into the engine without a snorkel is highly likely.

In the second Picture I posted if you look closely you can see the windscreen is wet, the third pic was actually the deepest but the windscreen stayed dry from memory but water was freely flowing over the bonnet and through the bonnet scoop at the deepest point. It was our 11 year old at the time son taking the pictures so we can cut him some slack for not getting all the best shots.

Hers another pic in deepish water with more of a side on view, the standard intake is just above the inner guard, the front wheel well is well and truly full of water so water ingress into the engine while not a given would be highly risky.



In that particular crossing which was totally unexpected there were 2 vehicles waiting for someone to come along so they could see if the river was doable, one of them didn't have a snorkel. I don't know what they eventually did re the crossing but after seeing us go through I reckon they would have turned around and found a different path.

Cheers Andrew

In that pic, at the rear of the lower part of the snorkel, where the intake is on a standard intake, there is no water anywhere near it. The gaurd liner repels splashing, but I can't see getting much of that either. If you stopped, it's just above the side steps & bottom of trailer?!?!
Also intake faces backwards, making it much harder for water to enter, it would have to be drowned in 1.3-4 MT of water = write off anyway. It's easy to Wet your windscreen even when not so deep.

Got any pics going slower with the water even within 100mm of the lower section of the snorkel?
Anyone?

I'm not disagreeing a snorkel is good advise, just that in a real life test, I don't think it is required.
There are vehicles driven through deeper water than any of those pics, petrol models with water 100mm below the side windows, that's too deep!!! Also very stupid & lucky.

[glen_ep Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close glen_ep]

Because If you float away, you might just get to keep water out of the intake, but like said if you floated away likely have other problems.
To be clear it is my opinion, I don't believe a snorkel is going to decide wether you can drive through or not.
However,
$150 is cheap insurance.



In that pic, at the rear of the lower part of the snorkel, where the intake is on a standard intake, there is no water anywhere near it. The gaurd liner repels splashing, but I can't see getting much of that either. If you stopped, it's just above the side steps & bottom of trailer?!?!
Also intake faces backwards, making it much harder for water to enter, it would have to be drowned in 1.3-4 MT of water = write off anyway. It's easy to Wet your windscreen even when not so deep.

Got any pics going slower with the water even within 100mm of the lower section of the snorkel?
Anyone?

I'm not disagreeing a snorkel is good advise, just that in a real life test, I don't think it is required.
There are vehicles driven through deeper water than any of those pics, petrol models with water 100mm below the side windows, that's too deep!!! Also very stupid & lucky.

So you'd spend $150 as cheap insurance for your engine in case your car floats away even though it's a "write off anyway".

Got it

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

Cheers Andrew

Upper Carawine I do beleive.

[Anth120playdo Banned Find all posts View Profile Close Anth120playdo]

So you'd spend $150 as cheap insurance for your engine in case your car floats away even though it's a "write off anyway".

Got it

Sorry Glen I'm not good at explaining my opinion, did the best I could for you, as you can see from previous posts I'm fairly illiterate.

Yes you got it right!

Same as my vehicle insurance, I know i Don't need it, but I have it.