Need input??? Subaru Legacy Wagon went through certain puddles tonight...

[ViceKnightTA]

I went through some puddles (maybe around 5 inches) on my 96' Subaru Legacy (it was inevitable to get back to my parking lot)...it seemed to get through fine and I tried to drive slow in the puddles. I did notice that the brakes got a little weaker after I went through the puddle but I'm hoping that's due to the dampening and friction loss.

 

So I came back to the parking lot successfully.

 

I heard even if the car is running fine there could be potential problems in the aftermath...HELP, I'm really concerned about this, can anyone give me a detailed list of what needs to be done or checked at this point in case my car doesn't start tomorrow morning? I'm hoping it starts and I have good faith in subaru manufacturing line...

 

Background:

My subaru has 161k miles on it and has been well maintained since the past years. I am a striving car enthusiast and that is why I guess I am so worried about my car, any input from experts out there would be helpful...please help and thank you.

 

let me know if u need anymore info.

[desertsubaru]

I wouldn't worry about 5 inches of water, That wouldn't even reach your oil pan. I had an 86 wagon that I use to cross a low water crossing with everyday twice. The water would be anywhere from 6 inches to over a foot and it never missed a beat.

Edited March 14, 2010 by desertsubaru

[ViceKnightTA]

6 inches to a foot? hmm...i guess if yours is ok then mine should be too,

 

I've heard of under-the-engine splash guards, not sure if they're standard on all models but i guess ill find out tomorrow morning...

 

I'm still gonna use this as an opportunity to do a full check on my car...if not w/ the dealer, I'll definitely do it on my own heh, after all thats the best way to learn

[desertsubaru]

The car in my avatar is the one. Old subes had distributors that if they got wet it might either kill the car or give it a bad miss until you would dry it out. Your year has a coil pack that sits on top of the engine that is controlled by the ECU under your dash so it would take a lot of water to get to that.

Just check your car yourself, A dealer will charge an arm and a leg to do it. Subes are great cars to learn on.

[WoodsWagon]

As long as the car has the origional air intake system, you can go into a foot of water without worry.

Don't drive into the water fast, and don't stop in the water. Keep an even, slow pace through the water and you will keep a wave in front of the radiator that will help keep the engine dry.

 

The occasional water crossing isn't a cause for concern. My old lifted wagon spent a lot of time in rivers, ponds, and mudholes, and the only thing that I had problems with was wheel bearings. Remember though that I was taking the car through 20" deep water on a weekly basis, and spending time in the water getting stuck/unstuck/pulling other vehicles, not just driving through. I also had 30" diameter tires which put a lot more stress on the bearings. Oh, and soggy carpets. I ended up tearing them out and opening up the drainholes in the footwells. Water in, water out. Your 1996 legacy has the engine control computer in the passenger footwell, so try not to let that footwell fill up with water.

 

I hydrolocked and badly damaged the first motor in my wagon by going too fast through too deep of a pond. The water was up over the hood though so I deserved it. I nearly lost the car another time when spring runoff had swelled a river and the bottom had shifted. When I went to ford it, I ended up getting pushed downstream into the boulders and barely made it out the other side. That was another time the water momentarily came over the hood but I got lucky and there was enough of an air pocket in the engine bay to keep it running. Nothing like haveing water spashing up onto the sidewindows from the river pushing on the side of the car and having to hold the throttle and hope for the best.

[AWDfreak]

I laughed when I read 5 inches of water...

 

It won't be a problem, as long as you don't drive too slow/fast.

 

 

Oh, and just make sure your electronics and engine stay dry

 

 

\/\/\/ off-topicness post below \/\/\/

I went through a 9" to 1 foot deep mud puddle at 35 MPH like a wannabe-rally driver. It splashed the whole windshield and a bit of the side windows. Sadly, a CEL ensued, and the engine ran rougher by the minute. It came to the point where I had to do some throttle input just to stay running. Then it got so bad, I had to floor it just to get going. The engine finally stopped running at a stoplight.

 

Turns out the air filter got a little wet and the MAF sensor got seriously soaked. The MAF stopped functioning as a result, ECU panicked, and that's how my engine started acting weird.

[idosubaru]

I laughed when I read 5 inches of water....

agreed, you have nothing to worry about. if you have an actual problem let us know, but driving through water is no big deal. these things get off roaded, driven in some very harsh environments and pounded with some stout snow all the time. general daily driving through some puddles is nothing. these are AWD cars that see quite a bit more use and play than FWD counterparts.

 

at most - some of the evaporating water may have scared you, looked bad, or might possibly cause a cylinder misfire. if it does it just means the problem is with the car, not the puddles - meaning you need a tune up like plugs and wires.

[Fairtax4me]

I wouldn't worry. I plowed through about 8 - 10 inches of water slush and ice in my 96 at about 40 mph just a few weeks ago. Melt water and chunks of ice from a huge snow storm had clogged up a storm drain on one of our major roads. The whole car got drenched, and so did every other car within about 50 feet of me. It was raining slush and ice on the windshield. The car wasn't even phased. When the wheels finally reconnected with the road it just kept right on going.