Van Air Intake and Floods

[Wendelspanswick]

Lots of floods here in Somerset again, in my old van (VW T4) I was confident about driving through floods as I could see the air intake on the drivers side wing and so long as the water level was below this I was happy.
New van is a 2010 Renault Trafic and although I've tried to trace where the air intake pipework goes to I can't find the end, it seems to disappear behind the nearside headlight but I am worried that being French () it might go down as low as the bumper which would be a disaster in a flood.
Anyone know where the air intake picks up from?

 

[octo0072000]

probably inside the inner wheel arch liner
as it's french air intake most likely to be nearside as the french drive on the right peugeot 406 used to blow engines due to low down air intake

 

[brightspark]

bloody fiestas did tell me about it

 

[Kayos]

I used to drive my 2014 and 2015 trafics through puddles and flooding like I didn't care, because I didn't as they were works vans, I never killed an engine and once went through a very deep flood that had killed a few cars

 

[brightspark]

I used to drive my 2014 and 2015 trafics through puddles and flooding like I didn't care, because I didn't as they were works vans, I never killed an engine and once went through a very deep flood that had killed a few cars

good job u didn't work for me with that attitude

 

[Kayos]

good job u didn't work for me with that attitude

Once told a gaffer I'd treat a van like it was my own, he didn't like the way my mate was rolling round laughing

To be fair I generally look after works vans, but the planning at the company with the trafics was so bad you just flew around as quick as possible or you wouldn't earn any money

 

[the snooper]

good job u didn't work for me with that attitude

A few years ago I threatened to sack a driver for less, his attitude changed on the spot

 

[brightspark]

I have people work for me and I always pay them over the odds and we all get rewarded. p..ss me off though and that's a different matter

 

[Nick67GT]

probably inside the inner wheel arch liner
as it's french air intake most likely to be nearside as the french drive on the right peugeot 406 used to blow engines due to low down air intake

Citroen Picasso had theirs within the near side inner wheel arch liner.

In very heavy rain, water would make its way up to the MAF sensor and cause the engine management light to come on.

Cleaned & dried it on several occasions, but never any serious damage or failure to start.

 

[Wendelspanswick]

Found the video I took driving my VW T4 across the Somerset Levels during the flooding a few years back.

 

[octo0072000]

I used to drive my 2014 and 2015 trafics through puddles and flooding like I didn't care, because I didn't as they were works vans, I never killed an engine and once went through a very deep flood that had killed a few cars

trafics dont like water

 

[brightspark]

trafics dont like water

seen that one what a pack of tossers they asked for it

 

[pedrobedro]

When I had the diesel Clio there was a section in the handbook telling you how deep you could drive through. It was only about up to the wheel nuts when I measured it.

 

[wookie]

Was watching the news earlier and there was footage of a idiot driving his hatchback car into the water and then it just stops and his headlights go on and off a few times, there was already a couple of cars stuck in the water before he tried, I hope his insurance company are watching and refuse to pay out.

The last set of floods I had to drive through was about 3ft deep but I have a Hilux pickup that's been lifted & bigger wheels plus the air intake is up at the top of the bonnet so about 4 1/2ft from the floor, suffice to say the wife wasn't very happy about me doing it but was impressed with it for getting through just fine, mind you I sure as hell wouldn't try it in a normal car, my old beemer's air intake was only about 8 inch off the road.

 

[colnerov]

Hi, It's not just air intakes you need to be careful of. Some vans have fuel cooler rads under the van floor with a scoop to direct the air flow, the only problem is it scoops the water and the force rips the lot off.

Colin

 

[Mee]

Many modern vehicles have their intakes down low in low pressure air to improve engine performance and reduce emissions.

Its kind of ironic when you see it on modern Jeeps which are allegedly designed to wade.

 

[knighty]

Lots of floods here in Somerset again, in my old van (VW T4) I was confident about driving through floods as I could see the air intake on the drivers side wing and so long as the water level was below this I was happy.
New van is a 2010 Renault Trafic and although I've tried to trace where the air intake pipework goes to I can't find the end, it seems to disappear behind the nearside headlight but I am worried that being French () it might go down as low as the bumper which would be a disaster in a flood.
Anyone know where the air intake picks up from?

cant you just pull the intake pipe off the air filter ?

you might get slightly more noise, and microscopically less mpg as the air intake will be warm but that's about the only downsite

 

[Sean]

ha ha had an old 2.5 T4 and used to jet wash the engine when it was running - then know it all neighbour came over to tell me i was ruining the engine , explained to him that a diesel engine with 12v electrics would run under water if needed just as long as the intake was above the water.

guess what happened when the road flooded and he decided to wade his diesel picasso....with the intake down by the front air dam

obviously it was all my fault....F-wit!

 

[optima21]

and there was this guy who was rescued from his Landrover in a local flood last year

I think I read at the time that he refused to get out, until they dragged him out through the sun roof

 

[Rannsachair]

My air intake is fine. I hate it when the water comes in the doors, takes ages to dry the carpets though