any videos of under hood in heavy rain?

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You could break ground here and be the first. Let us know how it works out.


Or,,,,,,,,,,,, you can just open the hood after a rainy drive and check for yourself.
 
I'd be interested in seeing this kind of footage too. If only I had a GoPro or other rugged camera I could strap in there. There wouldn't be much water visible afterward because the heat and airflow will dry it out real quick. In the winter I do see a layer of salt and grime in the front of the engine bay from road spray getting through, but not sure how much a given amount of residue equates to how much actual water entered.
 
Originally Posted By: edwardh1
seems auto makers would check how well under hood stuff like the alternator is shielded by the hood and underpan.
It was common to see cars that had “drowned out” from driving through a rain storm, and would be stalled and blocking the road when I was a kid. It was due to water being splashed onto the cars electrical system under the hood, usually the old points type distributors would get water under the cap causing the engine to stop until the cap was removed and everything was dried out, usually by compressed air and shop towels. Back then you could see the ground with the hood up so yes, I’m thinking the car manufacturers learned how to protect the engines components from the weather several decades ago.
 
I did this on my truck one time after driving through a ton of rain for about 7 miles. It was a scattered storm, so it was done raining by the time I got home. I'm not sure if it dried on the last couple miles when it stopped raining, but it was dry as a bone in there. Of course on my truck the rain has quite a few things for it to go through before hitting the engine. Radiator, transmission cooler, inter cooler, ac condenser, etc.
 
Originally Posted By: gman2304
Originally Posted By: edwardh1
seems auto makers would check how well under hood stuff like the alternator is shielded by the hood and underpan.
It was common to see cars that had “drowned out” from driving through a rain storm, and would be stalled and blocking the road when I was a kid. It was due to water being splashed onto the cars electrical system under the hood, usually the old points type distributors would get water under the cap causing the engine to stop until the cap was removed and everything was dried out, usually by compressed air and shop towels. Back then you could see the ground with the hood up so yes, I’m thinking the car manufacturers learned how to protect the engines components from the weather several decades ago.


Drove through a large puddle in a thunderstorm several decades ago in a borrowed Mini Metro. Stopped dead. IIRC the distributor on FWD BMC A series engines is at the front of the car and vulnerable.

I was on a camping trip in East Anglia so I put my stove on the ground under the distributor and threw the tent flysheet over the bonnet (it was still raining heavily). Took about 20 minutes to dry out. A fuel leak could have been expensive, because it was a pretty good tent, though a fairly bad Mini Metro.
 
And then there was the time I was helping a buddy haul his Ice Fishing Shack onto the lake. He had rigged the shack with a simple torsion-bar and wheels setup, so the shack was basically a low-speed trailer until you popped the wheels off on the lake.

In this particular body of water, there is a dam upstream that varies the level from time to time. So, at the end of the boat launch, there was a good 20 feet of open water before the hard ice at all the banks, and locals were saying there was five feet of depth right at the threshold of the lake ice.

This guy is a heavy equipment operator (foreman, actually) and a farmer, and lived at this lake full time.

Somewhat to my surprise he just punches it, and drives right into the open water on his '08-ish Chevy half ton, there is water coming over the hood, he stays on the throttle, and away we go, 20 seconds later, up onto the ice and off to our destination. Not a hiccup from the truck.

I'm not too proud to say that afternoon he had bigger balls than me, but it just goes to show that a lot of anxiety about such things is unnecessary.

And, from another thread here, where I said the ICEngine isn't going anywhere around here, just try that with your Tesla3.
 
I have watched some YouTube videos of guys mudding or fordng a lake or river. Some make it through with water topping the hood. Some don't. I will drive in a foot or so of water in a flood, but after that, no way.
 
I've never had any issues pressure washing an engine while it's running if that means anything.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Johnny2Bad
ICEngine isn't going anywhere around here, just try that with your Tesla3.


Electric motors can run under water with no air.

A 4wd with a motor on each wheel would not care about water one bit
 
Originally Posted By: 123Saab
Originally Posted By: Johnny2Bad
ICEngine isn't going anywhere around here, just try that with your Tesla3.


Electric motors can run under water with no air.

A 4wd with a motor on each wheel would not care about water one bit


If properly sealed.
 
I've never had issues with an alternator on a modern vehicle after driving in heavy rain, washing and/or power-washing... I would assume the design conditions would account for some water contact, but not full submersion.
 
Originally Posted By: Shannow
Originally Posted By: 123Saab
Originally Posted By: Johnny2Bad
ICEngine isn't going anywhere around here, just try that with your Tesla3.


Electric motors can run under water with no air.

A 4wd with a motor on each wheel would not care about water one bit


If properly sealed.


Back in the day, I remember breaking in brushed R/C car motors by dipping the entire motor in water and running it. Bearings may not last long though. Probably not as good for a large AC motor running at high voltages though.

Like others have mentioned, overland off roaders throw a snorkel on their trucks and drive though rivers, no problem.


smile.gif
 
Isn't there a Chuck Berry song about this?

The rain water was a blowin' all unda my hood.. I knew that was doin' my mota good...
 
Silly me, I had thought that most cars were designed so they could be driven when it is raining outside without the electrics getting shorted out by the rain.
 
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