SammichLover
Banned
Or a manhole cover has popped off, where-upon you slam into the deepest of "potholes".
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Model 3 that think it a amphibious car
- Thread starter Jlemieu1
- Start date
Or a manhole cover has popped off, where-upon you slam into the deepest of "potholes".
SammichLover
Banned
It has happened to someone local here. It might be though that their cap wasn't fully snapped in? If you aren't careful putting them on they can look in place but without all 10 clips holding.
AlanSubie4Life
Efficiency Obsessed Member
Could be. All I can say is that moving water is powerful! I guess I have to suck up my disagree from @MP3Mike. That, in particular, hurts.
I wonder how many pounds of water would fit in a bumper cover that is acting like a scoop as in the referenced thread? I would think at least 250lbs, maybe as much as 400lbs (50 gallons)? Volumes are tough to estimate.
SammichLover
Banned
A lot, yeah. The speed differential between the water and car as it first starts scooping the water is what'll do the damage, though. Water doesn't compress very well.
I never saw anything that showed the underbody shields were missing from the cars, 2?, that were reported to have their rear bumper covers ripped off by going through a "puddle".
It didn't/doesn't seem like an attempt at humor.
AlanSubie4Life
Efficiency Obsessed Member
It’s true (I don't remember seeing any pictures of the underside of those vehicles prior to them visiting the shop); it is possible that the underbody shields being missing is not a necessary condition for loss of the bumper cover. However, the ones I saw were reported to be lost in rain...so it makes you wonder how it happened.
As I noted elsewhere, the cars that lost their bumper covers notably had weak spot welds on the rear brackets (it’s extremely obvious from the pictures - the brackets are missing!). For sure those welds were weak (weaker than the bumper cover plastic anyway). It’s possible those brackets simply detached and the bumper covers fell off, unrelated to water. However, I’ve taken off the bumper cover, and there are enough other attachment points that I am not sure those weld failures by themselves would result in bumper cover loss (though it would not be good).
So, considering all the evidence, and GUESSING, I would guess it was a combination of large amounts of water intrusion into the rear bumper cover (and can’t see how that would happen without a damaged or missing (which is not a one-off thing, surprisingly enough) aero shield), and weak welds on those brackets (the bracket welds being weak hurt because it is the loss of two attachment points)...though even if the bracket welds were super strong there would have presumably been massive bumper cover damage...
Basically I just can’t see how you could lose a bumper cover unless:
1) The aero shield is missing so allows hundreds of pounds of water to be scooped in a deep puddle
OR:
2) At least 6 of the ~8 attachment bolts of the rear bumper cover were missing. (I think you could lose it if this happened even if the aero cover were installed). It would stay on initially due to the upper clip points and the Torx screws & push-in fasteners in the wheel wells (if they were installed).
Since the brackets were gone on the missing bumper cover vehicles, I have to assume those (2) associated bolts WERE present...so I actually feel like the bumper cover would generally stay on in that case (though it might be flapping around a bit depending on the "present/not-present" status of the other bolts), at least until the welds fail...or you hit a big puddle.
I’ll try to avoid my more "dry" sense of humor in future.
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AlanSubie4Life
Efficiency Obsessed Member
A lot, yeah. The speed differential between the water and car as it first starts scooping the water is what'll do the damage, though. Water doesn't compress very well.
Yeah, takes a lot of power to instantly get that water moving at 25mph or whatever. Not sure the ~7-8 M6 bolts are rated for that impulse. Or the spot welds.
Rojer Lockless
Member
SammichLover
Banned
I think that's a thin sheet running off the hood and down the quarter panel that's splashing outwards when it hits the camera bump. But undoubtedly that car is getting plenty of water forced up into places that it isn't mean to get it.
I'm pretty sure I remember Elon saying the Model S could "swim" for a while and even make headway with the wheels spinning in the water. I wonder if that is true with the Model 3?
Let’s see you try and report back to us lol.
I’m taking my Prius on stormy weather lol
AlanSubie4Life
Efficiency Obsessed Member
Teslas are not boats, or paddleboats. The door seals (and other seals) are meant to prevent water ingress from incidental water contact, not from plowing through 8-inch deep water. No matter what Elon and Tesla may say - and yes, they have tweeted/retweeted various videos recently (over the winter) about this. Which I find to be a strange thing to do (even though they said concurrently that they did not recommend it).
I can't imagine that Teslas are any different than regular cars in this regard, in the sense that if the ICE vehicle is floating and air can get to the engine, you can probably use the wheels as paddles. Though it's possible that there are belts and such that would be negatively impacted in an ICE that don't exist in a Tesla. My point is that in either case it's a disaster and will result in likely irreparable harm to the vehicle.
Just to be clear, I never said the Model S should be used as a boat. Elon was referring to an incident where someone drove one into high water by accident and mentioned it could survive that under some circumstances.
https://electrek.co/2016/06/18/tesla-model-s-driving-swimming-flooded-tunnel-video/
https://electrek.co/2016/06/18/tesla-model-s-driving-swimming-flooded-tunnel-video/
AlanSubie4Life
Efficiency Obsessed Member
Yeah, there was a more recent retweet as well. It's an odd thing to advertise (though, they aren't advertising it - they specifically say in the tweets (as I recall) they don't recommend it, but do draw attention to it...), as all Tesla's (and in fact all normal passenger vehicles) are wholly unsuited to driving through standing water of sufficient depth! And generally, it's extremely unsafe even if it does not appear deep - you cannot tell whether a road exists under the water.
I think the point of Elon's tweet is humor/fun-loving. At least that's the way I take it. I think this video is kind of fun too. I would try to avoid that situation to protect my car just like most of you. But the 8 year old in me really really wants to see if I can skip across a lake in mine.
SammichLover
Banned
Unless snorkeled, an ICE engine is going to conk out far earlier from water coming through the air intake. You'll definitely be able to get further from shore.
That said, the Tesla is going to be on a short clock until it sinks, too, for reasons you give. And you aren't going to know the clock time until the point at which it'll be extremely difficult to open the doors due to water pressure as you submerge.
