Driving through a Ford

[decrep]

So road camber then, straddle the high point with your wheels, and go very easy with brake and accelerator.

 

[Kevin Smith]

I'd be more concerned about the under tray(s) given I lost part of one of mine for no reason- water will tug at a lose one with much more force than air...

 

[Tangoed Man]

We have a number of Fords around my area which do get high of water I’m very reluctant to go through one . Is it best to keep clear of them

The biggest unanticipated problem taking any car through a ford is whether or not the car's wiring loom runs through the cills. Most do, and it is this ingress of water that can, over time, rot all the control wires and that is a write-off for the car - ICE and EV.

 

[fred12345]

if it's not meant to go in the water, it's not meant to go in the water ... accidents will be covered by insurance but willingly doing something you are not supposed to...???

 

[Caramaddy]

It is all about risk. If you are willing to risk it and it gets through you may have a smug look on on your face .......... but If it goes pear shaped then it will be you who will be picking up the bill. Far better to find an alternative route than try to save time.

 

[turntoport]

My ford got driven through once, by a 44-ton lorry on a German autobahn.

 

[pollenface]

I wouldn't attempt a focus, but if you're feeling brave you could go for a fiesta.

My brother in law hydro-locked a focus driving through water.

 

[Zoomy]

I have forded a few times without issue. However a recent video on YouTube documenting a ZS battery replacement appears to show the pack case isn’t fully sealed with some holes in it, closed up with rubber bungs.

 

[Piperman]

We have a number of Fords around my area which do get high of water I’m very reluctant to go through one . Is it best to keep clear of them

Just remember Electricity and water do not mix.
Despite the electronic being sealed.
I wouldn't take the chance.
There was a flood near my home in n Wales I stopped reversed and took another route.
As good as electronic connectors are water will always find its way Inside of them.

 

[OriginalBigAl]

A normal level ford should be OK , but for a extended drive through deeper water the drain holes in the sills would reverse and become filling holes, only to drain out again when you exit. Any internal anti corrosion coatings may be washed off or degraded unseen only to cause future problems .

 

[DB Go Rex]

Just remember Electricity and water do not mixe.
Despite the electronic being sealed.
I wouldn't take the chance.
There was a flood near my home in n Wales I stopped reversed and took another route.
Aa good as electronic connectors are water will alway find its way Inside of them

EV packs and associated cabling are typically rated to IP67, which means 1m meter deep water and dust ingress protection. The reality is, it should do better than an ICE car. But, yes, better safe than sorry, but it shouldn’t be seen as a greater risk than an ICE vehicle.

 

[decrep]

The problem seems to be the vent holes in the battery. There's a thread here somewhere, about a battery getting water in it through the vent holes. I'd be playing safe, unless an emergency.

 

[DB Go Rex]

The problem seems to be the vent holes in the battery. There's a thread here somewhere, about a battery getting water in it through the vent holes. I'd be playing safe, unless an emergency.

The vents are valve based, it wouldn’t be IP rated if they let water straight into the cells.

 

[decrep]

Maybe the valves failed, cause water certainly got in

 

[KT23]

I had to drive through some deep flood water, so probably equivalent to a ford. No issues around the battery/drive but I did find that some foam padding/insulation in the front wheel arches got soaked and took ages to dry. If you open the driver or passenger door you can feel through to where the foam is - highlighted in photo.

 

[Stuart Wilson]

The vents are valve based, it wouldn’t be IP rated if they let water straight into the cells.

If I remember rightly when I used to IP rate electric motors the digit relating to water doesn’t mean water cannot get in (ie stay dry) but any water that does get in must not cause the product to fail.

 

[Alb]

HV Battery is rated to IP67, the second digit of which means it is protected from immersion in water. Any vent must have a non-return valve incorporated to maintain that rating.

 

[decrep]

So how does water get into the battery?????

 

[BOB353]

It shouldn't unless you take your car for a swim i.e. over the rated wading height, which will probably see water entering the cabin via the door seals etc.

Even 4x4's can be killed by going into deep water, especially down on the beach. Once water gets into things like the ECU you can virtually write the car of as corrosion will just keep coming back.

 

[decrep]

I can't find the post, but it wasn't so long ago, that somebody had bad water ingress into the battery. There was something about a plastic deflector in front of the vent missing, and water got in that way. MG wouldn't take any responsibility and an independant company pulled it apart, dried it out and fixed it.

It shouldn't happen, but it did. Somehow