ZUKIWORLD Online | Suzuki 4x4 Editorial and Forum
ZUKIWORLD Discussion Forum => Suzuki 4x4 Forum => Topic started by: andyt87 on September 20, 2005, 11:06:56 AM
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Just a quick question, how deep water, roughly, could a standard Samurai wade through??
cos ive bin lookin at this big puddle for a while now, and its something i have to do... every few months we have what we call "off road fest" where we all get together an do some off roading.. and at the last meeting i attempted this puddle with 1 wheels on the banks, an it came up to my door, so its gonna be about door half way up the door in the deepest part...
Is this too deep to go without a snorkle? an could i do major damage to my motor?
also, if i fitted a snorkle. would i need to water proof any of the electrics?
(i really have no idea :-\)
well, that wasn't such a short question after all. but hey!
Cheers again
Andy
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well like any vehicle first check the breather tubes ( are they there) then look at you intake and your electrics and see where the lowest is that will be you limit
remember if you do submerge get pulled out do not start it take out plugs turn the engine over a few times to get water out and then do oil change
and above all take a video so we can see
have fun
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The official Suzuki line is 'Up to the bottom of the door sills' (rocker guards).
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so to the bottom of the door sills.. thats not too deep, oh well... a small lift and we should be alright! cheers guys
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rhinoman, is the "official suzuki line" the same on a tracker/sidekick? how would one go about waterproofing the electronics and stuff? i've seen a picture of a sidekick sport (i believe) up to its hood in water.... in fact, i think its on someone's avatar or signature thingamajig
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You can get a Sammy a little higher than the sills
(http://www.omghi2.us/april05/sislfjgfn.jpg)
(http://www.omghi2.us/april05/dart.JPG)
;D
We regularly cross up to bonnet depth but it's risky stuff. This 413 has been caught in the currant and sunk in a 6' hole. The only part sticking out of the water was the spear wheel (with the driver sitting on it ;D). Water and trucklets can be dangerous mix, many times Mudfkr has been floating and it's not a good feeling to be siting inside with no control what so ever.
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I think it also depends on the veichle, me and my friend both have sammys, but he can go quite deep (above the bottom of the doors!)
On the other hand mine cuts out very easy, i think it must be the electrics beacuse, if i let it dry it starts fine.
Can i cover the electrics with anything?
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To capitalize on what mudfkr said when my buddy owned it he floated my 93 Tracker down a river a ways. So bear in mind it might float a bit...it's a light vehicle with a wide flat body...
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just get some ignition protector for you distributo and wires, run all breathers up as high as possible, mine are inside the cabin at the top of the windshield, a snorkle do some trial and error runs with a friend hooked up to you, that way in case you stall (starter doesnt work well underwater) you can get yanked out pretty fast. you'll also have to seal all holes in the body and firewall, unless you like to get wet
http://media.putfile.com/Floating-Sunrunner
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Can i cover the electrics with anything?
With Mudfkr being Multi point injected and having no end of electrics in the engine bay I spray a water despeller (SP?) kinda like WD40 all over the wiring before I leave home then again before going into the water. I probably spray another 2 or 3 times during the day as well. If I do this I seldom have a engine missing problem, If I forget to do it I end up with it missing and coughing all day.
Don't forget if you fit a snorkel to block the small drain hole in the air box otherwise you might as well not have the snorkel.
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Well, on my first wheeling experience, I had to cross the creek a few times.  The creek was suppose to be 2 feet deep.  I had a lifted jeep friend with me, so I thought I could get pulled out if somthing happend. But as my stock 4dr sidekick would hit a little dip under the water, the water would wash up on the hood.  I thought my intake was behind the front drivers side wheel well.  A few months later I found out that the intake was just behind the headlight.  I have video showing that the headlights got buried by a small wave just going into the water!! I Guess I got lucky! :-\  That trail I guess will have to wait for June not May or until I get some lift, or if the water is low enough.
Jeff
Ps Have not figured out how to get the video to be viewed on here.
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i bathe my leads in silicon bathroom sealer and let them dry,i put a blob of silicon grease into each plug cap before fitting,i cover the cap and coil in silicon grease then zip tie plastic food bags over the cap and coil.then spray the lot with WD40.
i have a snorkel fitted directly to the carb intake.
all breathers...axles,g/box/t/case go high.
i cover the heater vent in front of the screen with duct tape.
i can pressure wash the engine and it dont miss a beat....i test it by throwing a bucket of water over the coil and dizzi.it has never missed a beat yet no matter how deep the water.
ive had it over the bonnet,i think it would run completly submerged but not tried that yet.
i have no carpets and stuff inside and often have the footwells awash.i just have a screwdriver handy to pry the drainplugs out of the footwells when i hit dry land.
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(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y185/MUDDYJLX/my%20vit/86938219.jpg)
thats my lwb track with 6 inches of lift wading.
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rhinoman, is the "official suzuki line" the same on a tracker/sidekick? how would one go about waterproofing the electronics and stuff? i've seen a picture of a sidekick sport (i believe) up to its hood in water.... in fact, i think its on someone's avatar or signature thingamajig
It is the same for a Track/Kick. All 4x4 Zuks sold over here come with a guide to off road driving. It is possible to go deeper in fact the Suzuki handbook states 'easily up to the level of the bottom of the doors' or something like that. I used to have it posted on my site but I seem to have dropped the link at some time. FYI I have attached it to this post (apologies for the size but its difficult to read).
(http://www.rhinoman.org/images/images/pages8&9.jpg)
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Well, on my first wheeling experience, I had to cross the creek a few times.  The creek was suppose to be 2 feet deep.  I had a lifted jeep friend with me, so I thought I could get pulled out if somthing happend. But as my stock 4dr sidekick would hit a little dip under the water, the water would wash up on the hood.  I thought my intake was behind the front drivers side wheel well.  A few months later I found out that the intake was just behind the headlight.  I have video showing that the headlights got buried by a small wave just going into the water!! I Guess I got lucky! :-\  That trail I guess will have to wait for June not May or until I get some lift, or if the water is low enough.
Jeff
Ps Have not figured out how to get the video to be viewed on here.
There is a fair sized water trap behind the wheel arch. The air intake also comes from the top of the airbox. You can get quite a lot of water in before you run into problems. I did quite a bit of wading up to and above headlights, not realising that the air intake has two entry points. When I did do my engine the car was still only six months old and it cost me the equivalent of $2000 to have the bent rods and other trashed parts replaced :'( Now I have a snorkel.
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I have had my stock sidekick up to the lights. No problems, Just my wheelberings got full of water and rusted :(
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I dont like wd-40, I dont like washing it off in the streams. Ignition protector is like a clear coat that wont let water through and is permanent. can spray all your electrical connections if your paranoid. I sprayed where the wiring harness comes out the firewall. I sprayed once when I put the new wires on, a thin bead of silicone around the distributor mating surface, and I have not had a problem since. I had water over the hood before, where it flooded in through the wents, but ran like a charm. oh and silicone the distributor vent closed. dont need it
Trust me. ins