Flooded here last night (still is actually). Was leaving the bank when an inch of water turned into more like six. Stalled, wouldn't start back up. My initial thought was the impact was enough to stall it and the starter shorted out being submerged. Fortunately my shop was only two blocks away, so hauled it there (which was scary enough considering the only thing to really grab onto is the strut bar). Called it a night a got a loaner which was also depressing, being a GrandMa[rquis]. Then proceeded to get wasted and have nightmares about bent rods.

Pull the plugs out this morning to find a pool of water in #1 and considerable moisture in #2, not to mention oil that looked more like capuccino. Flushed her out and fortunately still running fine. Scared the hell out of me.

But in any case the real reason of this post: mental image of a 350Z with a snorkel. Maybe even some camouflage paint...

 

that sucks..
thank goodness everything is still fine though

but yeah.. still raining... probably making up for all the rain it didnt make the pass year

thank goodness i took the ford instead of the Z today..

 

I take it you must have a CAI?

 

yea i didnt take mine out for the exact reason... and i have a nismo CAI

 

All stock here. Air filter was soaked.

Threw a code, having trouble starting unless I reset the computer. Gonna replace the MAF and change the oil again and see what happens.

 

Just a tip , there is a little panel to pull up front and a toe hook in the trunk. Remove panel in grill and install toe hook.

 

So there is... Didn't notice that, thanks for the tip. Though hopefully I won't have another reason to tow her.

 

That sucks!!.....

Not trying to call BS. But i think you had to have hit more then 6 inches of water, IF you do really have a stock airbox like you say. Even if you went nose first, it would take a couple seconds to get up into area where the intake snorkle for the air box is, THEN it would have to suck it in past the "water trap" in the bottom of your airbox. I realized the front bumper isn't airtight, but there would be enough of a "bubble" or air in the upper bumper area, that you would have time to kill the engine. And even then i have seen tests done on cars where, while at idle, if you completely submerge the intake, the engine will stall from before it sucks any water all the way into the engine. The engine doesn't draw that much vacume at idle to fill that whole intake tube with water and pull it all the way up like a straw. (start your car with the intake pipe off and put your hand over the TB, it only takes a split second of no air to stall the engine.)

My conclusion is the water was more like a foot or greater, and you tried to quickly plow through it with high engine RPMs and it shoved it up into the bumper area where your intake is for long enough of a period to cause the engine to stall.

Not trying to be a d!ck. Just keeping it reall!

 

When I got out it was right above my ankles. That'd be 6-8". And yes, I'm still talking about water level. Unfortunately this was not a confined and controlled experiment.

Definitely got a bad MAF now. Reading around 3V instead of 1V at idle. AutoZone wants $220 for a new one, while the dealership wants $620. How the hell can there be a $400 difference in a few resistors? Not to mention this particular MAF is the exact same card unit used on lots of newer model cars (I just pulled one out of a GM car the other day), the only difference being that the connector is a different size. Jews.

 

this is epic !


stock intake - hydrolocked !


WTF you say now CAI haters ?

 

Yeah, that's not gonna get you banned.

This still smells fishy. Tell us what really happened. I've NEVER heard of anyone in any car hydrolocking their engine with a stock intake. Engineers design cars so this won't happen, the Z is no exception. There's more to this then you are willing to admit. We all make dumb mistakes, don't feel embarassed.

 

Going down a straight road in approximately 1" thick water. Continue about my business in doing 20-30mph. Cruising along when water begins spilling out the sides of my fenders (obvious indication water is getting deeper). Get on the clutch to slow down, stalled within a few seconds. The speed was probably the determining factor, creating a "wave" so to say directed towards my intake. Other factors to consider: not a stock bumper and side markers have been removed (i.e., front lip sits lower than stock, picking up the water possibly, and the marker hole is a more direct access to the intake hole).

 

Ahhhhhh. There we go!!! Like pulling teeth here!! lol Did you have one of those holes in your bumper too for the "ram air effect"? lol

 

"All stock here," was in reference to the CAI question.

Marker lenses were missing when I bought it. I could care less about "ram-air".

Moral of the story: I should have been creeping instead of cruising. None the less I am surprised how little it took. Definitely won't be driving the Z in the rain anymore.

 

his car would have been really really fk'd with a Cai?

 

no.

if he was aware of potential danger, he would think twice before getting foot deep….


edit: now he thinks that a stock z is not safe to drive in the rain.... and we have a bunch of noobs running scared.

 

Either...
a) Your ankles are higher than usual
b) you were wearing platform shoes
c) your feet are just huge




Btw, look at where the air intake is. Unless you went flying through such a deep puddle, you wouldn't have had this experience. ****.

 

I tried to tell him, he just didn't want to listen!!

 

Say what you will, I still stand by the comment. 6-8" of water, 20-30mph.

If you would like to perform a controlled experiment, I encourage you to fill up your kiddy pool with said amoung of water and drive into at said speed. Let me know what happens. Just be sure to videotape it. Otherwise its an eye for an eye.

Am I try trying to say Nissan ****ed me with a bad design? No, I'm sure they don't have aszholes driving through high water in mind when they came up with it. Am I saying oh goddamn don't drive in the rain or you will f-ck your car up? No, but I will personally avoid it for a while considering this whole experience. Am I saying it is technically impossible to hydro-lock a Z based on measurements of fluid density, air volume, precise moments of cylinder revolution, the differential of the curve of the #1 intake runner, and the airspeed of an unladen swallow? No.

I'm saying I hydrolocked my car by driving through water that was too deep going too fast. Lesson learned. End of story. What else are we trying to prove here?

 

i hydro locked my Z32 the same way. it was a few inches above my ankles, almost high enough to get water into the car with the door open. the amount of water that splashes up is more than you would think .