Driving in High Water?

[crootloops]

Hi all,

We are picking up our Model X Friday (hooray!) and I'm wondering about driving it in high water. (Yesterday our kids were stuck in a stalled school bus in a flash flood and when they got rescued, we had to drive through flooded streets to get them, so I started wondering what would happen if I'd had the Model X.)

In general can you drive the car through a foot or two of water (same as what you'd do with other SUVs)?

Hopefully there won't be a need any time soon, but I thought I'd better be prepared!

Thanks!

 

[mongo]

Hi all,

We are picking up our Model X Friday (hooray!) and I'm wondering about driving it in high water. (Yesterday our kids were stuck in a stalled school bus in a flash flood and when they got rescued, we had to drive through flooded streets to get them, so I started wondering what would happen if I'd had the Model X.)

In general can you drive the car through a foot or two of water (same as what you'd do with other SUVs)?

Hopefully there won't be a need any time soon, but I thought I'd better be prepared!

Thanks!

Pop this into Google:
site:teslamotorsclub.com driving though water

Many data points, also a video out there of someone doing it with commentary by Elon.
Elon Musk on Twitter

Note: the usual issue with cars is that once the water gets to the rocker panels, bouancy takes over, and you start losing traction.

 

[lklundin]

In general can you drive the car through a foot or two of water (same as what you'd do with other SUVs)?

Considering the warranty implications I think Tesla should provide owners with a maximum guaranteed
fording depth, so the owners don't have to rely on potentially destructive trial and error.

Even the Jaguar I-Pace has it (and it is 50 cm, btw):
https://jalopnik.com/the-electric-le2019-jaguar-i-pace-can-wade-through-19-i-1824271097

 

[crootloops]

Thank you! Hopefully it won't happen again any time soon, but you never know these days!

 

[Yinn]

So far, I've found this is better than some of the other SUVs - at least crossovers. We don't have an exhaust to worry about. These things also weigh a good amount so it's a little more resistant to buoyancy.

With that said; if the school bus was stuck in high waters. Either from stalling out, seizing up, floating, etc. Chances are, there isn't an SUV that would be able to go through the same waters to rescue it.

 

[Peteybabes]

 

[mongo]

Trailer mode comes on due the extra drag the water put on the car. Takes more power to accelerate and maintain speed, so car thinks there is a load it is pulling.

 

[Saghost]

Hi all,

We are picking up our Model X Friday (hooray!) and I'm wondering about driving it in high water. (Yesterday our kids were stuck in a stalled school bus in a flash flood and when they got rescued, we had to drive through flooded streets to get them, so I started wondering what would happen if I'd had the Model X.)

In general can you drive the car through a foot or two of water (same as what you'd do with other SUVs)?

Hopefully there won't be a need any time soon, but I thought I'd better be prepared!

Thanks!

Just keep in mind, there may be all kinds of things you can't see lurking under the water to run over...

 

[Peteybabes]

Trailer mode comes on due the extra drag the water put on the car. Takes more power to accelerate and maintain speed, so car thinks there is a load it is pulling.

yep, what's funny is that i don't even have "tow mode" as an option, lol

 

[Yinn]

Trailer mode comes on due the extra drag the water put on the car. Takes more power to accelerate and maintain speed, so car thinks there is a load it is pulling.

Or it could be that the high water caused a short / completed the circuit in the tow harness to think it was plugged into one.

 

[mongo]

Or it could be that the high water caused a short / completed the circuit in the tow harness to think it was plugged into one.

That was my first thought the last time I saw a post like this, but the manual calls out this scenario:

Note: In situations where Model X detects a heavy load, it assumes that a trailer is connected and automatically engages Trailer Mode. A message displays on the instrument panel informing you that Trailer Mode has been engaged. When Trailer Mode is entered automatically due to detection of a heavy load, you can change the Trailer Mode setting only by stopping Model X and engaging Park or engaging Neutral and manually applying the parking brake using the touchscreen (Controls > Driving > E-Brake & Power Off >Parking Brake).

 

[ewoodrick]

Always remember, 6 inches of water is enough to wash the car away. At the point that any portion of the car or battery goes underwater, the car is effectively going to get even lighter, making it a lot easier to wash away. Even if the water looks stagnant, there can be a current and do you really want to lose your car, let alone your life?

 

[crootloops]

Thank you for all the feedback! I would definitely err on the side of caution -- we weren't trying to get to the bus but to the kids after they were rescued (by boat, believe it or not)! I rode with my neighbor in his SUV to get them (because I didn't want to take our Prius). I was just trying to figure out if I'd be okay in the Tesla SUV in a similar situation, driving on roads that had some water on them (but weren't in any danger of being washed away).

 

[HugoBoss]

Couldn't you jack up the suspension? It does get pretty high

 

[Anzir]

I've driven through a few inches of water with no problem. Just put the suspension on the highest setting.