Hi!
On Tue, 18 Nov 2003 15:56:39 +0000 (UTC), "village idiot" <village
we are getting a forester xt but live in an area thats prone to winter
floods,we need to get to horses on a daily basis and would like to know what
depth of water is safe to ford [sorry to mention the last dirty word , but
i don't mean the car !!]
I _don't_ know about the Forester specifically, the Ms. shies away
from even splashing thru mud puddles with hers ;-)
However in general I would limit water crossings to not more than
about axle deep with your Soobie, and that in clear water with a firm
bottom. I have crossed streams considerably deeper than that with my
old GL wagon, and it has scars to prove it too! Stalling, sinking into
mud, or finding that hidden rock in the middle of a ford isn't a whole
lot of fun.
If you really must cross deep water, your Forester will probably not
balk at crossings up to knee-deep or maybe even a bit more, however
you'll want to get out and walk (wade) thru first. Find a firm line
for both wheel tracks and check for hidden rocks, holes, and such.
Drive thru as slowly as possible w/o risking a stall; a large bow wake
can wet out engine electronics, and even result in your engine
aspirating water. Be prepared to pull your carpets afterwards, as some
water will almost certainly find it's way in, and you'll probably want
to check the fluid in your differential for water contamination as
well. Go carefully!
I'll mention one more option often overlooked by adventurous
offroaders, tho it probably won't apply to your needs. For that real
deep/fast/scary crossing, especially if you feel there is any
possibility of sucking in water (very bad), use a winch to pull the
vehicle across with the engine off. Once you get to the other side,
allow a few minutes for water to drain from the airbox and such,
perhaps pull the distributor cap and dry it with a paper towel, and it
should start right up. If you are concerned about the possibility of
water entering the intake (usually a closed throttle butterfly will
keep this from being a concern), stuff a wad of rags in the inlet
track before starting across, and turn the engine thru several
revolutions with a wrench on the crank bolt before trying to turn it
with the starter.
We've gotten vehicles across rivers where the water was over their
hoods using this routine, but it sure is a pain in the a__, and you'll
want dry laundry by the time you're done.
ByeBye! S.
Steve Jernigan KG0MB
Laboratory Manager
Microelectronics Research
University of Colorado
(719) 262-3101
