BMW's getting stuck in a ford.

[Mincey]

This is strangely compelling viewing. Will they get out, will they get stuck, will they end up on the back of a flat bed? Vorsprung durch 'ave that!
 

 

[LenT]

Very interesting variety of techniques.

All my previous cars have been manual, so I chose the ‘Slow & Steady’ method - using a low gear, possibly even slightly slipping the clutch - to keep the revs up to avoid water backing up the exhaust and so as not to swamp the electrics with an impressive bow wave.

But never so far encountered a ford with the auto Lexus.  My thought would be to use the paddle shifts to select a low gear to keep the revs up, but keep speed down to avoid swamping electrics.  Anyone had any practical experience?

Might as well find out now what works instead of discovering later what doesn’t!

[rich1068]

I had to go through some quite badly flooded roads in the MKII GS to get to the NEC for the last classic show I went to. Coped very well but I knew the intake was high up. Same as the LS iirc. Wouldn't have done it in the RX though. My worry there would be the batteries.

Do love a ford though. Used to seek them out with the kids in the XC90 http://www.wetroads.co.uk/index.htm I'm expecting a Subaru Outback in a couple of weeks so off to Tissington we go 

[First_Lexus]

2 hours ago, Mincey said:

This is strangely compelling viewing. Will they get out, will they get stuck, will they end up on the back of a flat bed? Vorsprung durch 'ave that!
 

 

^^ The blue NX did it in both directions! Any of those BMWs surely have intakes below the water so are simply sucking it into their engine with - one assumes - catastrophic results?!

Excellent video though. As you say, quite compelling viewing!

[steveledzep]

Great entertainment.  I'd worry about flooding the carburettor. 😉

[Barry14UK]

46 minutes ago, steveledzep said:

Great entertainment.  I'd worry about flooding the carburettor. 😉

Carburettor?  Only on old cars surely but get your drift.  

As regards BMW's, some of the diesel versions at least have a low air intake and owners should know better than attempt to go through anything like that.  I would not take any car of mine through that much water!

[Thackeray]

58 minutes ago, Barry14UK said:

As regards BMW's, some of the diesel versions at least have a low air intake and owners should know better than attempt to go through anything like that.  I would not take any car of mine through that much water!

Whereas the Land Rover Defender has a very high air intake...

 

[steveledzep]

My attempt at a joke Barry.  When I started driving with a MkI Escort, I could clean and reset the plugs and attend to the points with some wet&dry all inside quarter of an hour.  It takes longer than that to work out where the plugs are these days.

Poor starting was usually electrical, or with a manual choke it was easy to "flood the carburettor."

[talaipwros]

some BMW' saloons  have a button that raises the body height by about an inch. You have to stop , press the button and then maximum speed is 20mph.

Still not sure that this would be enough under the circumstances

[paulrnx]

A great video! Had to watch it right through to the end to make sure I didn’t miss anything. Some people went into it at quite high speed and I’m sure they’d have had bodywork trim damage. Thanks for posting it up.

[Sherra]

I live local to this ford and it is notorious. My son was married at the mill you can see where the people are watching and the driver of their wedding car insisted he took them through it at speed for the photo opportunity. They came through unscathed luckily. many people think they have escaped unharmed only to break down at the traffic lights a mile up the A614 near Center Parks.

Edited May 27, 2021 by Sherra
spelling

[Mr Vlad]

What a good way to spend a quarter hour 🙂. I have to say I'd love to know if either the RX or CT had any issues soon after. This video remi ded me of a thread some years ago. Can't remember if it was a RX or IS300h. The member here went through a similar pool of water but had major trouble very soon after. I think new traction batteries were installed. 

[Mincey]

Some buffoon has ruined a Gen 2 IS...
 

 

[paulrnx]

Thanks for sharing. Again. Couldn’t take my eyes off it. 👍

[Spacewagon52]

At 4:43 a Lexus GS goes through - I wonder if that is such a good idea regarding the hybrid Battery? Must check my handbook about wading water!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uI3GJi-kvVg

 

 

[Mr Vlad]

Read my post above David

[rich1068]

I watched a few more of these "Fails" vids last night. It really is astonishing that some people believe their vehicles will a) make it or b) still function after driving through that depth of water. One of them includes a Mercedes Sprinter van that is actually floating. Keeps the locals entertained I suppose.

And further to my post above, we did get the Scooby and we did have fun crossing back and forth over the ford at Tissington! But the water was probably no more than a foot deep. Any more than that and I'd worry about the plugs on the boxer engine. I even stopped halfway and let the stop/start kick in just to scare the kids 

[Mincey]

4 hours ago, Spacewagon52 said:

At 4:43 a Lexus GS goes through - I wonder if that is such a good idea regarding the hybrid battery? Must check my handbook about wading water!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uI3GJi-kvVg

 

 

With a Gen 2 IS right behind it - I wonder if they decided that discretion was the better part of valour and turned around?

[Mr Vlad]

I imagine that 2nd gen IS Did end up having a problem because the water went over its bonnet and hence into the air intake and quite possibly into the engine.

[paulrnx]

I think water is a little less compressible inside cylinders than air! 🤣

[steve2006]

I used to live fairly close to that ford at Rufford and it was a nice shortcut between the A614 and Boughton.

In the later 1970s I had a company Ford Escort van and there is also a wooden footbridge over the ford.

People used to stop on the bridge to look at the river just below, me being young, reckless and irresponsible at the time simply accelerated and charged through. I always remember that large sheet of water and the shadows of those unfortunate people behind it.

[paulrnx]

21 hours ago, steve2006 said:

I used to live fairly close to that ford at Rufford and it was a nice shortcut between the A614 and Boughton.

In the later 1970s I had a company Ford Escort van and there is also a wooden footbridge over the ford.

People used to stop on the bridge to look at the river just below, me being young, reckless and irresponsible at the time simply accelerated and charged through. I always remember that large sheet of water and the shadows of those unfortunate people behind it.

Excellent!! 🤣 It’s a well known fact that company cars can drive through deeper water.

[royoftherovers]

1 minute ago, paulrnx said:

Excellent!! 🤣 It’s a well known fact that company cars can drive through deeper water.

A well known "fact" Paul.

One of our London Investment Office employees rang me one Monday morning and said

"A sheep ran into my car " I said "it is our car ,not yours and had it been yours, your Insurance Company would have been as much  dismissive of your claim as I am of you!" 

[steve2006]

12 hours ago, royoftherovers said:

A well known "fact" Paul.

One of our London Investment Office employees rang me one Monday morning and said

"A sheep ran into my car " I said "it is our car ,not yours and had it been yours, your Insurance Company would have been as much  dismissive of your claim as I am of you!" 

Sounds like a legitimate claim to me, apparently Ram Raids are on the increase and the driver has been fleeced.

[Spacewagon52]

On 6/4/2021 at 1:20 AM, steve2006 said:

I used to live fairly close to that ford at Rufford and it was a nice shortcut between the A614 and Boughton.

In the later 1970s I had a company Ford Escort van and there is also a wooden footbridge over the ford.

People used to stop on the bridge to look at the river just below, me being young, reckless and irresponsible at the time simply accelerated and charged through. I always remember that large sheet of water and the shadows of those unfortunate people behind it.

I am quite shocked Steve! I had no idea you were so reckless!