It is raining like mad here in Southern Indiana. I drove through a few inches of water on the road yesterday and started wondering...

how many inches of water (still water, obviously) can a 3rd Gen. go through before doing any damage? And is it better to get up some speed and blast through it, or crawl?

 

Depends on the condition of your electical connections and the location of your air filter. CAI + speeding through a lot of standing water = potential hydrolock. Cracked / aged connector with crappy seals plus water = short circuit. I avoid standing water and slow down in the rain.

 

well if your wondering about getting water in your intake you would have to be driving in water close to your headlights, as far as electrical stuff that would have problems i'm not sure, that would probably be something for winking to answer. ussually when i drive thru i try to make it through relatively quickly but i don't plow through and get water on the hood or anything. i'm sure there is lots of other stuff could be affected before your engine sucks up any water but i'm not sure of what exactly they would be.

 

Best thing to do is not drive in big puddles of water. Unless you like to gamble with your means of transportation...And your safety....

 

The alternator (at least on the VE) sits at the bottom of the engine. Well below the intake level. I'm thinking that submerging the alternator is not a good thing.

 

It is in the same place on the VG and the VE. Your splash guards should help with this but submerging it probably wouldn't be the best thing.

 

its only 12v, and 12v can run through water, it doesnt leech as easily as higher voltages

 

yeah Pervis is correct i had gone through many puddles earlier when i got the max because i was having fun on a rainy day then after a while the car stopped after like 3 mins it startwed back up but too many of those lead to a rectifire bridge faulty and it started cranking out 18 volts when i pressed the acellerator now my radio is fried and i need to get a new one but since then i put up some sheermetal from Home Depot like 5 bucks and somme screws ....shure beats the 75 bucks for each side of the splash guards..

 

I think that will always result when energized alt goes under water: so basically just measure the alt height from ground... If u take alt connectors off, (then it does not short), let it dry, maybe then the danger is below headlight level. Go open hood and figure out. Already before that, water may splash making shorts.

I would go very slow speed, no water touching bumper. In emergency I'd find wrap plastics and seal the whole front and push through, but not through stream. So far never been this kinda problem here... only jeep sinking into swamp and then the sixfeet mosquito swarm attack.

Life danger comes when the water moves, rises rapidly; dont drive like they do in the movies. With special preparation, taking air intake on the roof plus shielding electronics, one may do some awesome stunts.

 

mine always messes up the 02 sensor everytime i go thru a puddle of water, andwhen its messed up, it feels like it running on 3 cylinder!

 

Its supposed to be watertight: take a look and tape its open wires with self vulcanizing rubbertape.

 

Bad idea, the o2 is also supposed to take in fresh air as well

 

I could not agree more with your sig, ALTEZZA's ARE GAY

 

I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY MAX I WAS WONDERING WHAT THAT WAS

 

to jail! do Not pass go! Do not collect $200! WHy would you want to drive through water? If you did it dont do it again?

 

unavoidable circumstances! for example, here in ontario - perhaps 5literbeater knows what i'm talking about - a main rd. (vineyard) leads towards frwy....one of the cross street (4th st) is alway flooded when raining.

 

does your CEL comes on? and everytime you give gas, does it feels like its going to stall?

To verify if it is your 02 sensor, crawl under the car and disconnect the 02 connector, if it becomes drivable again...then its your 02 alright....just remember thought, this is temporary only!

btw, yes, your CEL will light up.

 

just a heads up i found it easier to take the passenger side tire off and then you can see where the o2 connection is...and be sure to replace it as soon as possible 15 mpg highway sux.

 

Please. Another bad idea: dont tape the exhaust pipe closed...

The shoddy work on wiring outer shield needs waterproofing: when aging cracking wires get oxygen and enviro soot side the outer jacket, they short and rot away.

One honda example: ---> black jacket is too short like in maxima, forms a nice waterhose. Dont wonder why horses stumble after pool fillup. Ol' wires are always cracked and leak voltage will be five times more as the signal level...:

 

FYI:

Compared to the more common zirconia O2 sensors, titania sensors have three advantages: (1) they don't need an air reference (there is no internal venting to the outside atmosphere to plug up); (2) they have a fast warm-up time (about 15 seconds); and (3) they work at lower exhaust temperatures (they won't cool off at idle and they can be located further downstream from the engine or used with turbochargers).

You'll find titania O2 sensors in '86 and later Nissan 300ZX and Stanza 4WD wagons, '87 and up Nissan Maxima and Sentra models, and 1986-1/2 and up Nissan D21 trucks. Chrysler also uses them on the Jeep Cherokee and Wrangler (because of the sensor's ability to handle off-road driving through water), and the Eagle Summit.

see: http://www.dnd-automotive.com/tuneup/02-sensor.htm