Bad experience with flood waters

[CaptDaveHowe]

I live on the water on the south shore of Long Island. I am really concerned and carefully if the roads flood. Bad enough if fresh water, normally a mixture of salt water from the bay will mix in. So after the enormous rain we jus had from Andrea, I kept the MS parked up on high ground. No way i would drive through a deep puddle in this car.

 

[William13]

This was all discussed a year and a half ago. At the original factory event three of us asked three different engineers (drive train, battery, and suspension) about this issue. The Model S must go through water frequently, it is thus water tight and sealed. There was no reason to expect a short to occur under any circumstance, but immersion driving was not recommended. We were told not to expect any recommendation about driving through water other than "do not drive through standing water."

Regardless, the car is waterproof but not rated for submersion.

 

[stsanford]

I live on the water on the south shore of Long Island. I am really concerned and carefully if the roads flood. Bad enough if fresh water, normally a mixture of salt water from the bay will mix in. So after the enormous rain we jus had from Andrea, I kept the MS parked up on high ground. No way i would drive through a deep puddle in this car.

Capt Dave, are you in Sayville. I think you buzzed me making the turn onto Lakeland a few weeks back. That was the day I put my reservation it. It was like a sign.
Started out seeing (maybe you) in the Staples parking lot in East Islip. An Audi driver and I (in my Cayenne) were going to walk over and check out the car, when we came around a Mercedes SUV, there was a line of people waiting to talk / have a look.

Anywhoo, see you soon from my Grey S!
Best,
Scott

 

[aviators99]

Remember, as of last month, the battery is covered under warranty, even if you drive through water.

 

[Arnold Panz]

Final update:

I got my car back this weekend. Apparently, the issues/warnings (related to the 12v battery) I had pre-dated the flood when they checked the logs. The water may have accelerated things, but actually the guys at the Service Center said the car held up remarkably well in the water. No real damage to anything structurally and the water didn't get into anything it shouldn't have. Kudos to Tesla for building such a structurally sound car!

They did say that other cars weren't so lucky. I guess for cars that sat in water for awhile the water eventually got into places within the car it shouldn't have. So, for anyone who is stuck having to go through water, just treat it like a regular ICE and try to drive through slowly and at a steady speed to try to minimize damage. The alternative (sitting in water for awhile) seems to be a worse option.

 

[ahaer]

I dunno about that. I've always felt that once you end up in the flood waters, the best policy is to move through it quickly as possible. Moving creates pressure differentials that helps keep water out of the car. If you stop the water is just going to get into everything.

Crimeny though. Amazing story. If the car comes out of it undamaged that's going to be pretty epic. What size were the vehicles in your convoy?

The main reason to keep moving in an ICE car is to prevent water from reaching the fan. When you are moving the water is pushed out in front and the level in the engine compartment is lower. If the water level gets high enough the fan will turn into a propeller. As the fan blades not stiff they will bend as they dig into the water and proceed to carve a nice circle in the radiator. All of this happens long before the ICE has a chance to breath water and get hydro locked

 

[Plug Me In]

I guess if you absolutely must get across deep standing water, then you should accelerate to as high a speed as possible, then hydroplane across.:wink:

 

[markwj]

From experience, keep going and head for high ground. Don't.stop.for.anything.

 

[brianman]

From experience, keep going and head for high ground. Don't.stop.for.anything.

See post #29.

 

[markwj]

See post #29.

Something like that. In my (foolish) youth, driving in the Philippines, through a bad flood near Subic Bay. The water covered the fields beside the road as well as the road itself. The only way we knew we were on the road was by keeping the car in the middle of the lines of telephone poles. Water water everywhere, as far as the eye could see.

The water kept rising as we drove. First up to the wheel hubs, then our feet started to get wet. I always thought ICE engines would stop when the exhaust was under water, but this 4 door Japanese sedan kept going. Things got bad when the headlights were under water and we had to roll down the windows to hold a torch out to see where we were going.

At that point, the water started overflowing the open windows. I have no idea how, but still the car kept going, and we saw the road heading up a slight rise in the distance. Dry land in sight.

It was at that point a huge truck passed us, coming the other way. A wave of water rushed up the bonnet and over the roof, as the car (now a boat) lurched to the side, and the engine died. My friend, driving, turned over the starter motor and slipped the clutch. The engine wouldn't start, but the starter motor had enough power to lurch the car forward for the last 20 meters to high ground (at which point the engine restarted).

As I said, foolish youth. I'd never do that again by choice, but if I had to I would keep going and not stop for anything.

P.S. The punch line is that we dried the car out as best we could and handed it back to the rental company. A week later they called up to ask if the car had been in a flood. We asked why, and they pointed out that there was water in the door ashtrays

 

[fiksegts]

great to hear your car is ok, water probably wasn't that deep, not many regular cars are driving through 2+ feet of water.... my Range rover is rated at 2.5 feet because it's built for that, air intakes are high up on the sides on the car, not in the front, etc...

 

[ElSupreme]

I guess if you absolutely must get across deep standing water, then you should accelerate to as high a speed as possible, then hydroplane across.:wink:

See post #29.

I saw a BMW 3 series try that on I-75 in Atlanta. He only made it about a car length before his car stopped dead! He then opened the door, and water poured into his BMW.

Granted that water was at least 2 feet deep where he went, and probably close to 5 feet deep at its deepest. Not sure what the hell he was thinking.

 

[huntjo]

Something like that. In my (foolish) youth, driving in the Philippines, through a bad flood near Subic Bay. The water covered the fields beside the road as well as the road itself. The only way we knew we were on the road was by keeping the car in the middle of the lines of telephone poles. Water water everywhere, as far as the eye could see.

The water kept rising as we drove. First up to the wheel hubs, then our feet started to get wet. I always thought ICE engines would stop when the exhaust was under water, but this 4 door Japanese sedan kept going. Things got bad when the headlights were under water and we had to roll down the windows to hold a torch out to see where we were going.

At that point, the water started overflowing the open windows. I have no idea how, but still the car kept going, and we saw the road heading up a slight rise in the distance. Dry land in sight.

It was at that point a huge truck passed us, coming the other way. A wave of water rushed up the bonnet and over the roof, as the car (now a boat) lurched to the side, and the engine died. My friend, driving, turned over the starter motor and slipped the clutch. The engine wouldn't start, but the starter motor had enough power to lurch the car forward for the last 20 meters to high ground (at which point the engine restarted).

As I said, foolish youth. I'd never do that again by choice, but if I had to I would keep going and not stop for anything.

P.S. The punch line is that we dried the car out as best we could and handed it back to the rental company. A week later they called up to ask if the car had been in a flood. We asked why, and they pointed out that there was water in the door ashtrays

Lmao! I almost woke my wife up chortling over the last lines!

 

[elecblue]

door ashtrays? Now you're dating yourself!

 

[CapitalistOppressor]

door ashtrays? Now you're dating yourself!

Wow. I remember those. Thinking back, I have all kinds of memories of folks smoking in the car, and even using the side ashtrays, or flicking cigarettes out of the window.

But I don't think I've been in a car where anyone was actively smoking in maybe 10 years. Even smokers tend to smoke only when they are alone because of the second hand smoke issues.

 

[twinklejet]

Wow. I remember those. Thinking back, I have all kinds of memories of folks smoking in the car, and even using the side ashtrays, or flicking cigarettes out of the window.

But I don't think I've been in a car where anyone was actively smoking in maybe 10 years. Even smokers tend to smoke only when they are alone because of the second hand smoke issues.

And I have friends who get OUT of their car, smoke a cig, eat a mint, then get back in their car. (To keep their interiors and luxury interiors clean and premium...)

A long way from door ashtrays on filmsy plastic.

 

[Holden]

We've had over ten inches of rain today in Miami and the street I have to take to get to my development was completely flooded. I drove through slowly and got a warning message saying that my car needed service and "may not restart". When I got home the charge port opened, but wouldn't charge (got a red light instead of green around the port)

Yikes! See, that right there is why perhaps I shouldn't advocate this car for my mother - who also lives in Miami - what with the ominous future of stronger tropical storms, more frequent hurricanes, and the like portended by climate-change Chicken Littles...

 

[jerry33]

Yikes! See, that right there is why perhaps I shouldn't advocate this car for my mother - who also lives in Miami - what with the ominous future of stronger tropical storms, more frequent hurricanes, and the like portended by climate-change Chicken Littles...

As I read it, the bottom line was that the problem was the 12V battery which started to go bad before the flood waters and that the Model S did fine with them. It was just coincidence that the alert happened at the same time as the immersion.

 

[ElSupreme]

Yikes! See, that right there is why perhaps I shouldn't advocate this car for my mother - who also lives in Miami - what with the ominous future of stronger tropical storms, more frequent hurricanes, and the like portended by climate-change Chicken Littles...

The car will work just as well as any other car. The problem lies with Miami (and most of South Florida). But honestly as much rain as can fall in a short period of time, it subsides stupidly quick also. Honestly an hour later I bet the roads were just damp.

As someone who lived in Tampa and would see roads turn to rivers for a few hours here and there fairly often.

 

[Dan5]

worried about potential flood damage scare

Just moved my car, it was just below the body of the car, water level wasn't touching the body or the frame. but was partially up to the rim, should I be worried?

The carpets are dry

boy is that scary