MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
I made the mistake of going out for bread earlier today, I live next to a lovely Welsh river that likes to cover the track that leads to my house and in my bread desperation I drove through about 1ft deep water.
I managed to get through but my Fiat Doblo now sounds very stuttery, seems to have lost power and had a fair amount of steam coming out of the exhaust. I drove it about 100m after this then parked it up and left it, before returning to my house feeling both foolish and hungry.
I'll ring up the garage tomorrow but until then does anyone want to tell me how badly I've ****ed up?
Diesel?
Hydraulic lock☹
Brown bread?
Taty bread.
That's a sour-doh! experience by the sounds of it.
It's a diesel, hydraulic lock sounds bad...
Hydraulic lock
Jammed?
Could just be some wet electrickerybits. Attack with a can of WD40.
Go through faster next time.
Hydraulic lock would have jammed it solid surely? If there's steam coming out of the exhaust it might just be a bit of water in the intake. I would have kept driving it in that case, flush it out before it all gets cold and condenses in there.
Whatever you drive, make sure you know where the air intake is!
Popty Pinking?
Hydraulic lock would have jammed it solid surely?
Only if you get it really bad.
Bent Conrods it'll still run in many cases.
Check your air filter,if you have a really low intake like I had on a Clio many years ago it can fill the filter housing up and small amounts of water can splash over the top of the filter into the intake.Sounds unlikely,I was suprised when lifting the lid of the housing up to find it threequarters full.
Does it sound 'lumpy' or like it's running on 3 cylinders on idle? Probably hydraulic'd and bent a con rod.
{Edited - beaten by 2minutes!}
Hydraulic'd a Merc G-Wagen once thankfully it was only idling so stalled. Glow plugs out cranked over to blow the water out and it survived.
Use yer loaf next time mate.
feeling both foolish and hungry.
I imagine that’ll be the yeast of your problems.
Dry your air filter & hope it starts tomorrow.
Check your air filter
This. I broke down on a motorway sliproad after driving through a lot of water once (old car). The airfilter had become saturated. I stopped when it got a bit lumpy and it died. If I'd kept going it'd be fine.
That video of the ford crossing. I could stand there and watch that all day.
I'd like to say I'm not daft enough to try something like driving across that but I likely am.
If it does start but still sounds a bit ropey is it a bad idea to drive it to the garage?
I’d like to say I’m not daft enough to try something like driving across that but I likely am.
Personally, I would never do something so stupid
Thanks everyone for your puns and assistance.
^^ I've done plenty of stupid things on my own defence.😁
Hope it's not totalled mate and an easy fix.
That video of the cars just sums up the stupid mentality of so many drivers.
Doesn't matter if it's a slower car, a cyclist or a flood, they simply must get past.
Every one of them deserves whatever mechanical disaster they suffered
At worst you will have bent a conrod which will probably be the death of the van. At best you may have just saturated your air filter, and replacing it may cure the rough running. First thing would be to take the filter out. It will indicate just how much water went where it shouldn't have. Then try and start and drive without the filter. If it works fine, all is well, just change the filter. If it is still rough then your motor is toast!
That Rufford Mill ford is about 5 mins from Sherwood Pines.
Google maps always tries to direct me through it.
Good luck with the motor OP!
feeling both foolish and hungry.
I imagine that’ll be the yeast of your problems.
This deserves more credit.
I've always known it as hydrolocking, rather than hydraulicking (sp?) or hydraulic'd
Anyway, it's not great. I'm also surprised it ran ok. Is the air intake quite low down on the doblo?
Think the thread title should be "my van got bread, but is it toast?"
Honestly, all these joke posts, poor old OP has had a bad do and all you lot want to do is make bad puns?
How would you feel if the rolls were reversed?
I don't think this is the place to come for sympathy... there's lots of sensible suggestions.
I can't believe nobody's commented on the OP's username yet. But I shan't.
I'd suggest you know your wading depth, or get something more suitable. And still keep a look out for crocs.
[img] 
[/img]
Worth getting it checked over and contacting your insurance if it is hydro locked. I had the same experience with a VW T4 and insurers wrote it off
and insurers wrote it off
Crumbs!
+1 on filter and dry out electrics, you can but hope....
I hope this isn't a slice of life you don't feel too sour about in future.
Go through faster next time
I think this is a joke, but just in case it's not - watch the rufford ford video and see if you still think that's the solution...
Popty Pinking
Nice.
[candidate]"I know a little welsh, and i approve this message."[/candidate]
Just went and took a look at the van, air filter was quite wet, I took it out and the engine started fine but there is a bit of a knocking noise. Drove it a short way and it doesn't seem to want to get above 30mph.
Fairly certain I have done some damage to the engine which makes me very sad. Garage is 15 minutes down the road so I'll see if I can get there for them to have a listen.
@BikesandSubmarines
bit of a knocking noise
bent con rod.
Big job - head off, sump off, undo big end push piston and rod out, check big end bearings and crank journals. New rod, reassemble.
If the engine has a lot of miles on it its an opportunity to give it a freshen up whilst in bits.
haha thanks RNP, probably not something I would ever be up to though. Do you think it is something a competent garage would take on?
The cost might be prohibitive, but that's old school mechanic-ing, I'm sure any garage would tackle it.
I wish I'd known an Alfa 159 has its intake in the wheel arch, before I drove through here:
Looks shallow right? And when I approached it - to mitigate myself the bridge on the other side had a queue of cars on it - the measuring stick showed 9 inches, but after I killed the Alfa by hydro locking, some resident helped me pushed the car out and told me it happens all the time, because in reality its deeper because of wheel ruts caused by this:
Gah bad luck OP hope it’s not too pricey!
The ford in that video above really isn't that deep, but it's the bow wave that is sloshing the water up into air intakes.
And still keep a look out for crocs.
If OP was wearing Crocs he has had all his self-respect drain out of the holes.
Rufford Mill Ford - that'll be me wasting an afternoon of the family holiday this year...ta!
That video of the ford crossing. I could stand there and watch that all day.
I’d like to say I’m not daft enough to try something like driving across that but I likely am.
Rufford Mill Ford – that’ll be me wasting an afternoon of the family holiday this year…ta!
I live about 25 mins away and have taken my son (who is 2.5) and there is always a gathering there to see how many cars get wrecked driving through, the tally in a day can be spectacularly high!
but it’s the lack ofbow wave that is sloshing the water up into air intakes.
The idea of a bow wave is to have a wave just ahead of your vehicle causing a depression just behind keeping the area right Infront of your vehicle water free.
Done right - very impressive.
Vehicle come the other way or you get stuck /speed changes. Your in for a spendy time.
Just back from the garage, the engine is definitely borked. I was able to limp home but got about 200m from my house and the engine cut out completely, won't start and has an oil pressure warning light.
RIP Doblo
🙁
Viking burial?
Sorry to hear of your loss.
As an owner of a Doblo camper who lives in a floody area, I think I need to check this out. We often have to drive through 30-40m of 1 foot water to get home but this winter has been ok. Are the intakes particularly low on the Doblo? Ours is a 2012 manual diesel.
We have never had a problem in numerous other cars although our mk5 golf didn't like it years ago.
one the daft things about Rufford Mill Ford is they have road closed signs up.
the ford video. i get the deep ones, but there is couple at around 5mins where it's barely up to the sills. how low are the intakes on these cars?
As an owner of a Doblo camper who lives in a floody area, I think I need to check this out.
Time to start modding
the ford video. i get the deep ones, but there is couple at around 5mins where it’s barely up to the sills. how low are the intakes on these cars?
They're all piling in at Mach 1 the whole engine bay will be full of water. Even if it doesn't by some miracle reach the filter, imagine hitting water at 30+mph yourself. Lots of force there to break all sorts of electrical connectors and such
does anyone want to tell me how badly I’ve ****ed up?
As someone who had their Doblo written off by another driver I can tell you you ****ed up bad. I could forgive you for having drowned a sack full of kittens in the water but not a Doblo.
You want low revs & about 6mph (tick over in 2nd gear) to create the safest bow wave & some luck!
Would be good to rig up a gopro & light filming the airbox to see how close you are to lunching your motor.
That Rufford Mill ford has cost me several hours of my life on YouTube. Particularly concerning was the bloke in the saloon car who decided to divert down the river instead of crossing the ford :o)
RIP Doblo
I did it to a car in the 80s, it was my mother's pride and joy.
Is there any advantage to having an air intake low down? Would they design that for a reason or does it just end up there because that's where there's space?
Conversely, any disadvantages to a snorkel? Apart from it costs a bit and adds a little bit of weight. We aren't talking high performance engines here, will it make any real world difference to the performance?
Is there any advantage to having an air intake low down?
Cooler air at the bottom versus sucking it in at the top of the engine bay
A bow wave absolutely does not mean over the grill/bonnet, it means a gentle rise of water ahead of the car. I think it's very bad advice for normal cars, dead slow and know where the intake is!
To the OP, might be worth pulling the head off, getting some basic checks done. Some engines have sacrificial rockers that can be replaced.
I'd never restart an engine that's stalled in water, not until the airbox is open and plugs/injectors removed so you can't do now damage.
For whatever it's worth, I completely drowned my old mondeo- wasn't that deep water but a **** in a truck decided to just plough through and his wave literally went completely over me and a couple of other cars. Then it sat in the flood while the water got deeper getting smashed by other waves, for about 6 hours.
Trailered it home, let the water out of the exhaust, took out the injectors and blew out the water, changed the battery, did some other general drying and it started right up. Though it did smell of sweaty balls for the rest of its life.
To the OP, might be worth pulling the head off
Best advice ever seen on STW.
A bit deep at Rufford today
I am in awe of the confidence/optimism of those drivers piling into that Ford, beggars belief!
I have so many questions, is it a 1hr diversion for the alternative route, why would you? Do the helpful chaps with 4x4's take cards or is it cash only for removal? Oh my!
is it a 1hr diversion for the alternative route
No, about 10 mins. Gawd knows why folk risk it.
beggars belief!
gotta love the wrecked/ripped off exhausts, lost number plates and body panels, even before you get to the bent conrods.... there's also going to be one almighty collision midstream!
I particularly liked the recent episode with the JCB Fastrack hitting the ford at about 40mph 🙂
Sorry for your loss OP. You could try flogging it for parts but can't imagine there'd be many focaccia door, looking to buy it.
Px it though you might get muffin for it
I live nearish Rufford Ford. It's normally quite manageable (being aware of your max wading depth helps) so I'm guessing these videos are when it is unusually deep and people aren't checking the depth sign.
Just been doing some Googling, apparently the BMW X5 air intake is laughably low.
I’m guessing these videos are when it is unusually deep and people aren’t checking the depth sign.
And ignoring the road closed sign.
And ignoring the road closed sign.
And now playing up for the cameras.
Haha, fair enough. Idiots.
And so it continues
Poor Volvo 240😞
✊OneLifeLiveIt✊
I’d seen some of those videos before and generally felt sorry for the people who got stranded (particularly as two of my friends have had cars written off by the flooding in October). Did that lot seriously ignore closed road signs to try and cross the ford??
That Volvo looked tidy. What a waste.
One of these poor guys? 😀
Other than the deep wet bit and the dead cars littered by the side of the road, you’d think the crowd of spectators with cameras standing beside it would be a bit of a clue…
Aye - and that big eff-off ‘Road Closed’ sign for flooding. Not seen that on the videos before. Guess some people are trying it for the sport.
Anyway. Hope the OP gets everything fixed. My mate who got caught in the Ambleside-area flooding in October got away with a bent con-rod and the engine is just about holding it together. My other pal wasn’t so lucky. Ended up an insurance write off.
My mate who got caught in the Ambleside-area flooding in October got away with a bent con-rod and the engine is just about holding it together. My other pal wasn’t so lucky. Ended up an insurance write off.
Looking like the second option for me. The garage said if it started then I could probably limp home which I did until about 500m from my house where the engine light came on and the engine cut out, it won't start so I'm guessing it is fully ****ed now, if it wasn't before.
Luckily for me an older family member lost their licence recently, so I've been lent a car to keep me going until I can sort the van.
Biggest shame is that I spent a fair amount of time and money converting it into a bit of a campervan, going to try remove the bits I added before I gets sent to van heaven. Maybe I'll find another Doblo and I'll be able to fit them.
Biggest shame is that I spent a fair amount of time and money converting it into a bit of a campervan, going to try remove the bits I added before I gets sent to van heaven. Maybe I’ll find another Doblo and I’ll be able to fit them.
If you've got time and effort invested in it the it sounds wiser to put another engine in the van rather than all those bits into another vehicle.