Member Since: 10 Dec 2012
Location: London
Posts: 25
Waterproofing D4 - how to go about it
G'day everyone!
Here's a million roubles question: how waterproof is D4 generally? The manual states 70cm maximum wading depth, I assume this involves super-extended mode, and thus can be brought up by a maximum of 75mm with one of the suspension tweaks available (details here: http://www.disco4.com/forum/topic88176.html).
My old D2 however regularly found itself submerged to the point where I couldn't see the side mirrors or the bonnet, albeit briefly (and sometimes at the cost of a new ECU - until I've relocated it inside the cab). No blown fuses or dysfunctional winches after such a bath, though...
How good is D4 on this front? It does have a shorkel and a tray-mounted Warn 9.5XP winch, solenoid inside the grill. Connectors aren't sealed yet (fabulous Land Rover assembly ) but I'm sure a piece of heat-shrink tubing would cure this.
Do I need to seal the fuse box under the bonnet, or anything else for that matter (like the spare wheel lowering contraption in the boot)? I don't want to turn my Disco into a submarine, but it's nice to know that even if the ford you're crossing is not as shallow as your so called friends have told you the car will still pull you through
Please share your experience. Above is a little poll - I like statistics
25th Jan 2013 3:39 pm
DiscoDunc
Member Since: 08 May 2006
Location: Bristol
Posts: 16390
ive not taken the D4 through deep water yet, but the D3 went through over 1000mm (1m)
suspension went into extended mode
a decent bow wave will push the water enough to created a trough around the air intake
the photo below was taken before the deepest part
Click image to enlarge
Duncan
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If I'd known I was going to be so thirsty this morning I'd have drunk more beer last night.
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Last edited by DiscoDunc on 25th Jan 2013 3:58 pm. Edited 2 times in total
25th Jan 2013 3:55 pm
DG Site Moderator
Member Since: 12 Dec 2005
Location: The Gaff
Posts: 50979
Peeps have had water up on the windscreen for short periods ...aside from the potential electrical damage your greater issue for longer periods is floating away TBH 21 year LR veteran > D2 GS 2003 > D3 S 2006 > D3 HSE 2009 > D4 HSE 2013 > D4 HSE 2015 > D5 HSE 2018 > DS HSE R-Dynamic P300e 2021
25th Jan 2013 3:55 pm
LT
Member Since: 31 Dec 2005
Location: South West
Posts: 23866
Did I not read that the D4 had additional waterproofing that the D3 doesn't? I had water over the bonnet a couple of times in the D3, on tricky crossings it's sometimes not that easy to hold the correct speed for a good bow wave.
25th Jan 2013 7:43 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73123
Didn't someone here have their D3 written off a couple of years ago (or so) when it floated off when crossing a ford?? ISTR crossing a ford on one of the Salisbury Plain trips of old and the car gave the warning "SOD THIS, I'M GOING INTO EXTENDED MODE AS I'VE STARTED TO FLOAT", scary moment til the nose came up.
25th Jan 2013 7:50 pm
Russell
Member Since: 23 Aug 2007
Location: Kent
Posts: 10564
Crowdy I think, his was written off after floating and then getting washed down stream slowly.MY17 D5 1st Edition Namib Orange
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25th Jan 2013 8:28 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73123
Rings a bell name wise.
25th Jan 2013 8:31 pm
Crocodile
Member Since: 10 Dec 2012
Location: London
Posts: 25
DG wrote:
...aside from the potential electrical damage your greater issue for longer periods is floating away TBH
My point exactly: it seems that some potentially vulnerable components have been relocated on a D4 (at least my chat with LR technicians left me with this impression) but there is an issue of wiring, fuses and all that... We once managed to drown RR Sport Supercharged and it ended up in a few new wiring looms - although this was in part down to LR mechanics being lazy and not attempting repairs for about a week after the car's been given to them, so the things just kept rusting.
And quite bad flood damage I've suffered (apart from expensive ECUs ) was when water entered the boot on my D2 when I got stuck exiting a pond made some of the electric tools in the boot inoperable and some clothes wet Plus I spent ages cleaning mud from the boot... The spare wheel release nut in D4 has a rubber cap on it, but come on...
25th Jan 2013 9:26 pm
DiscoStu
Member Since: 09 Apr 2006
Location: London
Posts: 11412
The rubber cap works. Don't leave it off
25th Jan 2013 10:30 pm
RRR207
Member Since: 12 Oct 2011
Location: Bristol
Posts: 372
I had water over the bonnett & up the windscreen of my D4 on Salisbury Plain before Christmas, it came out of the water in 'super extended' mode & I have to admit that about half way through I was wondering if I'd been a bit too ambitious!
I have got a Safari RAI fitted, without it I'd have been fd!!! No water got into the car or into anywhere it shouldn't be Nick
2010 D4 ....... now gone and replaced with a 05RRV Autobiography
Member of Wessex4x4Response, (Bristol team)
26th Jan 2013 12:29 am
amazing
Member Since: 05 Mar 2011
Location: chengdu
Posts: 1542
had posted this before but does show standard d4 at times quite deep
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) but I'm sure a piece of heat-shrink tubing would cure this.
Rings a bell name wise. 
) was when water entered the boot on my D2 when I got stuck exiting a pond made some of the electric tools in the boot inoperable and some clothes wet 
Plus I spent ages cleaning mud from the boot... The spare wheel release nut in D4 has a rubber cap on it, but come on...
d!!! No water got into the car or into anywhere it shouldn't be 
