Particularly how those in completely unsuitable vehicles manage to get through unscathed, yet the occasional 4×4 gets ruined five minutes later. There is even a video where a Tesla gets though but an X5 dies.

 

Based on personal experience (having a Transit and Freelander so deep they started floating), look at the side of your car. Measure the ground to to bottom of the door. Unless you want water coming in, that is your wading depth.

 

Sod snorkels etc, that is the lowest level of where your vehicles electrics will be, and unless they are shielded then water will be a problem.

 

If you do drive into water that you can’t deal with, turn the engine off right away.

 

Do not be tempted to try to “crank it out” on the starter motor. You will destroy your engine. Once water gets in the intake, you are fucked, as the principal of hydraulics tells us that water will not compress.

 

The engine will bend before water does.

 

If you haven’t bent your engine, then once out of the water take the spark plugs out and crank it over until the magnificent fountain display is over.

 

Then pop the plugs back in and hope for the best.

 

Most importantly though, you should know the safe wading depth of your vehicle, know how to compare that to either a marker or what the car in front of you is doing, and not take an unnecessary risk.

You might be ok, but you might not.

 

The difference is probably a 30 minute detour, or a few grand for new engine (insurance companies don’t like paying out for flood damage).