Damn, I got caught in NJ's heaviest downpour in my "new" 87 300D.
Maybe this a stupid question, and maybe it isn't, but I am going to ask it just in case I am overlooking the obvious or in the hopes of learning something new. We had heavy rain, 6 to 10 inches, and many roads I drove through were literally flooded. Quite a few cars were disabled. Many SUV owners, accustomed to thinking their vehicles were stormproof,didnt realize their electrical/ignition systems were not waterproof, and their charging ahead at 30 to 40 mph and putting up huge plumes of water left them dead.

What should I look for?
I checked all my body drain holes to make sure they werent plugged and were draining properly.
I checked to see if water could have reached any electrical connections.
Any chance I got water in my Duct Work? If so what do I do?

The funniest thing is my Door Lock system has come to Life and I hear the pump/motor running now. It didnt work at all before the storm.

How deep was the water you drove through. The biggest concern might be your differential and transmission. Being hot, those could suck water in if you drove in deep enough water. Also, wheel bearings can do the same thing. Also, even with a diesel, be careful driving through deep water. Your exhaust system is low and open.

Good luck.

BTW, maybe I should find a flood and try to repair my climate control unit. . . .

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1984 300SD 326,997 miles and counting . . . No wait, my odometer is still dead

"...Many SUV owners, accustomed to thinking their vehicles were stormproof,didnt realize their electrical/ignition systems were not waterproof, and their charging ahead at 30 to 40 mph and putting up huge plumes of water left them dead..."

Thanks for that tidbit of information...

Have to say I laughed till it hurt...

If you come across anymore hilarious observations let us know...

Always searching for a laugh, thanks.

I too would worry about the bearings. Bearings (and seals) that are heated from driving and braking, then immersed in water is a bad situation.... similar to what trailers face when a boat is launched.

Thanks for the laugh. I heard a story (maybe on this site) where a Humvee got stuck in 18" of water. What's funny is not the vehicle, but the expectation of the owner.

I heard of one guy who tried driving through deep water and ended up hydrolocking his engine. He slurped too much water through the intake.$$$$$

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95 E320 Cabriolet, 159K

I've replaced several SUV motors for the same reason. They think since it's an SUV, that they can go through deep water. Unknown to them though, is that most of them have the air inlet for the motor mounted low, so it sucks the water straight into the engine.

Thanks to all who responded...

I had a mechanic tell me about some people who drove through flooded water... and how the engine belt driven fan was bent forward as water passed through and ground the fan right into the radiator...

instantly destroying both fan and radiator

They made it through but had to get out and walk shortly thereafter...

In a repair frame of mind, I think the differential units would have to be checked for water contamination...

The brake hardware/connecters may not last as long after being fully submersed in water either?

Elusive 190e

Hello,
I am eminently qualified to advise on driving thru floods..........

If you drove thru water up to the centerline of the hubs fro a few hundred yards, don't sweat it. Just change the brake/clutch fluid and check for debris stuck in the lower part of the radiator.

If, on the other hand, you had water up to the hood AND a substantial bow wave(you are trying to teach your car to swim...I have done it over the years with a BMW3.0, Volvo 240 and a W123 300D!), then replace ALL oils, clean and repack hubs front and back, replace brake/clutch fluids and hope your fuel tank cap seal was good, otherwise drain the fuel tank and replace fuel filter.
Have a good week.

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Nachi11744

Several years back I was driving home from work immediately after a near-record rainstorm -- some areas got as much as 8 inches. Well, the rain let up and traffic on the interstate shot back up to 70 mph. I foolishly joined them, even though it was about midnight and visibility was still slightly affected.

Down the hill and crossing a bridge over the normally tame Fox River, I ran into a puddle about 9 inches deep (WAG) and maybe 20 feet in diameter. I don't know if the river had flash flooded or it was just accumulated runoff from the road. But I was hydroplaning like I've never hydroplaned before! It felt like I was in a boat, not a car.

I sailed across the puddle and returned to dry land and went on as if nothing had happened. I was obviously worried that the engine might have sucked in some water, but I was lucky. No ill effects, except to my shorts.

Russ M.

So you're saying that the trick is to go fast enough and skip like a stone across the water!

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95 E320 Cabriolet, 159K

Oops, guess I'd better add the legal disclaimers...

"Past performance is not indicative of future results."

Better yet, "Don't try this at home, boys and girls."



Russ M