[Firecrest]

This picture doesn't give much confidence, all three cars look like new shape three series.

http://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/ne...-road-1.193205

[JustChris]

Ouch! First driver must have gone in at some pace, number plates been blasted half off.

[Waitey]

Why would you attempt it?

Water and engines do not mix. Especially when intakes are so low in modern cars.

[Zagga]

I bet they were X-drive owners...

[pete18]

This is so true.

[Firecrest]

Is it coincidental that all three seem to be F30/F31? Very high odds getting three together and all stuck! Bit worrying I think and might be down to the design.

[jimboss]

i've driven through pockets of flooded country roads round our way recently in my F31. Water depths similar to that in article. Nice and steady does it and no stopping, anything deeper is too risky....however i would have never attempted such a long drive through a depth of water! your asking for trouble!

[SGLL66]

the air intake is very low down and on my e93 ended up knackering the engine. It cost £10k to replace!!!! I'm sure its still down at spolier level.

[NISFAN]

Originally Posted by SGLL66

the air intake is very low down and on my e93 ended up knackering the engine. It cost £10k to replace!!!! I'm sure its still down at spolier level.

On F3x the intake is in the passenger side grille next to the headlight.

Wading that deep is just stupid, even if you can maintain a low bow wake, an oncoming car will cause a wave high enough to damage your engine.

[zooberoo]

Max wading depth is apparently 25cm. I guess the water level in the photo was much higher before the photo was taken.

[Firecrest]

Does no one think it odd that it's three BMW F3x that are stuck in the picture? is this more a BMW issue and particularly F3x.

We get some water build up at the end of our road, no other way out, never had a problem with any other car. Not using too much in snow I was expecting, few inches of water, not so!... saying that 25cm is quite a lot, almost a foot.

Taken from another forum below, can't say how accurate it is -

"A few weeks ago, a friend drowned her 5 series estate in a puddle that all other cars managed to get through without any problem - a point that irritated her immensely as she watched them continue through it while waiting to be recovered. She certainly wasn't driving it stupidly yet it sucked up so much water that it's written it off. According to the RAC man, most BMWs have their intakes too low and are very vulnerable to this.

The same day someone else at her work wrote off their brand new 3 series in a big puddle too.

I'm very unimpressed with BMWs. So much for their claimed engineering excellence."

[JohnM]

when I popped in to my local dealer in early Jan they had 5 in the workshop all with knackered engines because of this

[moonshine]

Does insurance cover this eventuality?
I thought I read somewhere that insurance companies wee trying to get out if flooded engine claims.

[NISFAN]

Originally Posted by Firecrest

Does no one think it odd that it's three BMW F3x that are stuck in the picture? is this more a BMW issue and particularly F3x.

We get some water build up at the end of our road, no other way out, never had a problem with any other car. Not using too much in snow I was expecting, few inches of water, not so!... saying that 25cm is quite a lot, almost a foot.

Taken from another forum below, can't say how accurate it is -

"A few weeks ago, a friend drowned her 5 series estate in a puddle that all other cars managed to get through without any problem - a point that irritated her immensely as she watched them continue through it while waiting to be recovered. She certainly wasn't driving it stupidly yet it sucked up so much water that it's written it off. According to the RAC man, most BMWs have their intakes too low and are very vulnerable to this.

The same day someone else at her work wrote off their brand new 3 series in a big puddle too.

I'm very unimpressed with BMWs. So much for their claimed engineering excellence."

What a load of sh*t in that quote.....BMW make the cars have good power and economy by placing the inlet in a cool high pressure intake area, an engineering solution that benefits tens of thousands of people, then get knocked by someone that should have bought a 4X4 if they fancy wading. My god the world is full of F*ckwits.

[zooberoo]

Originally Posted by Firecrest

Does no one think it odd that it's three BMW F3x that are stuck in the picture? is this more a BMW issue and particularly F3x.

We get some water build up at the end of our road, no other way out, never had a problem with any other car. Not using too much in snow I was expecting, few inches of water, not so!... saying that 25cm is quite a lot, almost a foot.

Taken from another forum below, can't say how accurate it is -

"A few weeks ago, a friend drowned her 5 series estate in a puddle that all other cars managed to get through without any problem - a point that irritated her immensely as she watched them continue through it while waiting to be recovered. She certainly wasn't driving it stupidly yet it sucked up so much water that it's written it off. According to the RAC man, most BMWs have their intakes too low and are very vulnerable to this.

The same day someone else at her work wrote off their brand new 3 series in a big puddle too.

I'm very unimpressed with BMWs. So much for their claimed engineering excellence."

Sometimes it's simply a case of driver stupidity:-

[NISFAN]

Originally Posted by moonshine

Does insurance cover this eventuality?
I thought I read somewhere that insurance companies wee trying to get out if flooded engine claims.

They paid out on my GF's car. I was amazed as I thought it would be dismissed.

No it wasn't a BMW.

[....,,,,..,,..]

Are those delivery plates on first car?

Anyone expecting a new car in White?

Check your mats are dry.


( ok, I know not delivery plates, however at moment I can see it happening in some parts of country).

[USC2000]

Looks like the water had receded from when they got stranded to when the picture was taken. It seems like the water was flowing high and fast enough to knock off part of the front plate. Definitely not something I'd try to cross.

[Tengocity]

My dad works at one of the nearest dealers to where this happened, so will try to find out if these cars came from there!

[Banksy]

Originally Posted by JohnM

when I popped in to my local dealer in early Jan they had 5 in the workshop all with knackered engines because of this

me too - i think it was even more than that, like 15. one poor guy had picked up a new x5 a few weeks earlier, had waited in front of a pond of water for another car coming the other way thinking, maybe i shouldn't try that, only to watch the other car drive through the water to fast, pushing a wave of water forward into his engine and up through the floor as he waited.

[JustChris]

Hmm some worrying comments in this thread. I think any risks I'll be stopping or diverting!!

[Banksy]

Originally Posted by ChesterX5

Hmm some worrying comments in this thread. I think any risks I'll be stopping or diverting!!

crazy times - i decided to go for a leisurely random drive last weekend, only to get caught right in the 'min-tornado' that hit parts of Surrey. chunks of tree raining down all around and the road in front of me getting blocked to the extent i had to turn around and retreat quickly home carefully driving over the chunks of debris and branches in my path. miraculous that i suffered no damage.

http://metro.co.uk/2014/01/26/cats-l...ussex-4277713/