Thread: D4 water crossing depths

Also thanks guys for your replies and you have given me some stuff to consider and think for in the future.

Hope this wasn't to much of a waste of thread!

Somebody trying to keep the tourists away?

Raised Air Intake is exactly as it says it is not a snorkel the same as your Discovery is not a boat. Modern vehicles are not the same as the older generation diesel with very little electronics. Modern diesel vehicles are the same if not more susceptible to issues in water as a petrol engined vehicle. A raised air intake in particular the Land Rover RAI is not designed for deep water crossings and the fact that it is not sealed and in fact has perforated slots in the piping is to allow any large particles of dust/debris to effectively fall out before getting to the air filter
Sealing the RAI still does not raise the wading depth of the vehicle
modern vehicles are well sealed for HVAC purposes and this can and does lead to the vehicle becoming a bubble and thus able to float and at 1.4 m of water I would suggest that this would be a real possibility. Long range fuel tanks which only have a smal amount of fuel can cause the rear of vehicles to float prematurely. I have seen two vehicles driven through the same section of water and the one drove through no problem the second vehicle started to float due to this very reason.
lots more to consider than just the RAI
Regards
XDrive

Why on earth would a parks and wildlife info line give you completely incorrect information?

Probably because like many other government websites the information is OLD and nobody has bothered to update it

Originally Posted by donh54

Just as a follow up, what is the point of an RAI if it's not sealed? I'd be sorting that out as a priority!

It is a Remote Air Intake (RAI) not a Snorkel - if a snorkel is what is required and one is available I guess that is what should have been fitted. Having said that I can understand if an RAI was already fitted then I guess I would be tempted to stay with it.

I believe that on a D4 the pipe that runs from the air intake in the guard to the airbox is fully sealed unlike the D3 which is perforated so on a case by case basis, maybe using gaffa tape to seal the RAI to the guard would work - replacing the tape for each deep crossing.

I agree with everyone else - 1.4m is just too deep.

Garry

Originally Posted by XDrive

Raised Air Intake is exactly as it says it is not a snorkel the same as your Discovery is not a boat. Modern vehicles are not the same as the older generation diesel with very little electronics. Modern diesel vehicles are the same if not more susceptible to issues in water as a petrol engined vehicle. A raised air intake in particular the Land Rover RAI is not designed for deep water crossings and the fact that it is not sealed and in fact has perforated slots in the piping is to allow any large particles of dust/debris to effectively fall out before getting to the air filter
Sealing the RAI still does not raise the wading depth of the vehicle
modern vehicles are well sealed for HVAC purposes and this can and does lead to the vehicle becoming a bubble and thus able to float and at 1.4 m of water I would suggest that this would be a real possibility. Long range fuel tanks which only have a smal amount of fuel can cause the rear of vehicles to float prematurely. I have seen two vehicles driven through the same section of water and the one drove through no problem the second vehicle started to float due to this very reason.
lots more to consider than just the RAI
Regards
XDrive

XDrive is spot on. Avoid deep water in anything built after, I dunno, mid 1980's? And before that, make sure you know what you're doing to protect either ignition and water intake in a petrol engine or just water intake in a diesel. The series Landrovers were brilliant for water crossings because they had so many holes, they would fill up with water and allow your wheels to settle deeper in the river bed. Just open the doors on the opposite bank and let the water drain out and you're good to go. The trick was to pack your gear up nice and high. But you still had to grease around the spark plugs and loosen the fan belt and probably other stuff I've long forgotten.
I once set up a Series 3 petrol with a fully submersible FFR ignition system (with Lumenition grafted onto the distributor) and a genuine Landrover RAI (which in those days was a snorkel). The car would literally run with the engine submerged. Brilliant for river crossings.
The only 4WD I am aware of that was designed to be submerged was the Austin Champ Scout Car developed during WW2. It was equipped with a submarine-like snorkel and a sealed ignition system and a Rolls Royce engine. Yes, it was petrol. The Landrover FFR system used similar components.
I will be fitting a RAI to the D4 when I get some time, but I'm under no illusions about the wading limits of the D4.

Originally Posted by DieselLSE

I will be fitting a RAI to the D4 when I get some time, but I'm under no illusions about the wading limits of the D4.

Why an RAI rather than say a Safari Snorkel?

Garry

Originally Posted by garrycol

Why an RAI rather than say a Safari Snorkel?

Garry

No real reason, Garry. I was able to get the Landrover one for a vaguely reasonable price and it probably looks better anyway. I've had it for a month or two and will fit it along with a few other mods I want to make.
I am aware that it is not watertight out of the box and will take time fitting it and making whatever mods I think will make it as watertight as possible. Having said that, I have no intention of testing the D4's wading limits. Like the winch, it is more for insurance than any planned adventure.
But I do have this mindset that I expect any 4WD I have to be able to go wherever I took the Series 3 (and SII before that), but I do sort of make exceptions for deep river crossings. I'm now happy to wait a day or two for the level to fall!