Random question ... wading depth for Elise S1

[moribund]

Just been swapping emails with a guy about a tour/navigational rally I might do in March.

All sounds good except he mentioned a couple of fords on the route. There is an alternative route if I'm unsure, but I was wondering what height of water would be safe in an Elise?

The air intake is quite high, the fuse box is too but the battery is pretty low down, as are the electrics for the heater fan etc. What do you reckon the max depth would be?

I'm guessing it would have to be below the front air intake (or even the number plate) otherwise the water would be channelled through the intake and splashed all over the sensitive bits under the front bonnet. So if it's anything more than 3 or 4 inches deep it's safer to take another route.

Now amaze me with your stories of bow waves in 2 foot deep floods and how the car came away unscathed...!

[Captain Muppet]

I drove through a flooded road in my lowered S1. It wasn't more than 8" deep.

I didn't have any mechanical issues, but the greif of having to take the wet carpets out to dry them was annoyance enough that I'd avoid doing it again.

Serves me right for having carpets I suppose.

[Mr E]

Until it floats?

[moribund]

Captain Muppet said:

I drove through a flooded road in my lowered S1. It wasn't more than 8" deep.

I didn't have any mechanical issues, but the greif of having to take the wet carpets out to dry them was annoyance enough that I'd avoid doing it again.

Serves me right for having carpets I suppose.

Carpets here too - certainly don't want to go in anything deep enough to end up with damp smells!

Reassuring that there were no other issues.

[moribund]

Mr E said:

Until it floats?

This topic is a moot point really, I've already decided that anything other than a trivial depth and I'll take the bypass route!