water ingestion, hydrostatic lock

[unitacx]

Hi -
Has anyone addressed the water ingestation issue on TDI cars?
I ran across a TDI owner who had to replace his engine after running through some standing water, due to hydrostatic lock. (Hmm, something I would do, having run a W123 MBZ through more than its share of standing water with no detrimental effect.)
I looked at the air cleaner (from the top) and there was no obvious way to quickly disconnect the lower hoses. I suppose in an emergency one could just open the entire airbox.
Has anyone addressed this issue?
I was thinking of a cheap aftermarket "short run" filter that could be stowed in the back and "stuck onto" the engine during heavy rains (or when encountering a flood). Is this as simple as it sounds?
Is there a source for this sort of thing? Parts R Us stores? If so, what is the size of the scat tubing between the air cleaner and the first induction manifold?
- stan

 

[oilhammer]

You'd have to run through some pretty deep water at high speed. Easier to excercise common sense and use a boat for such adventures.

 

[dieseldorf]

 

[unitacx]

why I'm asking

You'd have to run through some pretty deep water at high speed. Easier to excercise common sense and use a boat for such adventures.

There's a difference between auto-boating and gingerly following traffic on flooded streets. According to this thread
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=143429&highlight=water
the limit is somewhere between the hubs and the top of the badge.

The problem I'm addressing is the possibility of hydrostatic lock; not "what happens to the alternator when you get it wet?" I've been through one starter like that, although who's to say it was from careless flooded street driving? The person I talked to at a Parts R Us store said he followed some J-S car and trashed his engine.

So my thoughts are **as a precaution** have a short pipe aircleaner in the back, for use once a year when roads are flooding everywhere. And probably drive the W123 anyway.

 

[unitacx]

Just a "war story"..

I was blasting through Hackensack when the streets were flooded, and passed someone on the right who had all windows down. It wasn't until it was too late that I realized what happened, which was the entire wheel splash wake went into his car.

I felt badly, but I wasn't about to stop and apologize, least I get killed. Well it would have been funny if it hadn't messed the guy over. Like I said, I felt bad about that.

- s

 

[weedeater]

Do a search on 'hydrolock'. There have been some incidents of this happening, never quite fully documented, in heavy rain.

Just be aware that diesels are not designed to compress water, just air.