1' Deep Puddle

[Marc Getty <marc@getty.net>]

"Chris DeLong" <green536@hotmail.com> wrote:
> I disagree. If he had just slightly bent the connecting rods it would cause
> his compression to fall in one or more cyilinders. Causing it to run rough.
> I have seen this happen with one of my friends rabbit and he drove through
> a puddle that was very deep and he bent the rods and it ran very poorly.
> but it still ran. If he was driving a diesel scirocco (have yet to see
> one) then he could have done so much damage that it wouldnt run at all.

I don't know about the diesel not running at all part. A few years back I was
stuck in the worst thunderstorm in Philly history, 7" of rain in one hour, and
I was driving my diesel at the time. Being new to cars in general at the time
I did not know too much, but I was learning. I did know from the previous week
that the diesel did not require electric to continue running because I broke
the alternator belt and just kept driving for another 50 miles. So knowing
this, I knew I could drive through very deep water without getting any wires
wet. I also knew that water and a hot engine were not a good mix. So together
with these two things I proceeded to drive through an overflowing creek.

First I inched my way into the creek only enough to have the water touch my
oil pan. I stayed there for a good minute and watched the temperature gauge go
from warm to cold in only sixty seconds. After I did this I inched extremely
slowly into the creek, taking about 3 to 4 minutes to immerse the engine. Once
I was in the creek I did quite well! I even stopped, and picked up a stranded
motorist who was stuck in between the two parts of the creek and could not get
out.

The only car related problems were the screaming alternator and the complete
lack of breaks. The big car unrelated problem was the 18 wheeler that went
through the creek going the opposite direction. It had a wake (to use a boat
term) that actually lifted my car off the ground and floated it into the
woods.

The diesel jetta continued running for another six months before it needed a
new head. So, if properly done a diesel will go through a much deeper then 1'
puddle and not "have done so much damage that it wouldn't run at all". I drove
through a creek deep enough to have waves go over my hood and lived to tell
the tale with a still running car.

-Marc

'74 VW Thing For Sale: http://getty.net/thing/ http://vwthing.org
'81 VW Jetta Diesel gone to the scrap heap after 178,000 miles
'84 VW Jetta GLi was SOLD in Oct 99 with only 164,275 miles to NJ
'87 VW Scirocco Tornado Red 16V with 167,500 Miles, got it on 7/2/99

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