So, many flood alerts in place and some of you may have encountered some. I went through I minor flood at Breadsall in Derby and also Coxbench but nothing serious.

LR state that the wading depth is 50cm as discussed in a recent topic but what if you encountered deeper water? I believe it has been stated on here that as long as water doesn't reach the air intake, you will be fine. I also believe the air intake is level with the side indicators. I know the key is to create a bow wave in front of the car and keeping a steady pace in 1st gear with the revs kept up around 2k to make sure water doesn't get into the exhaust. I tried 2nd gear in a mini flood and it was more of a challenge to keep the revs up due to the resistance of the water.

So, to those experienced individuals on here such as Athelstan, have you ever gone over the recommended wading depth? I ask now because I am in Ashbourne later today and was thinking about venturing over to Tissington Ford whilst I am in the vicinity. There is a measuring sign in the ford which is visible before entry so I can check the depth and flow speed. I suspect it will be too deep but worth a look. The wise mind of Athelstan would be useful here.... LL.B (Hons) - University of Derby
LOT (Lord of Time) - University of Gallifrey

The 50 cm limit is imposed by the door level sills.
If you stay long enough on water over this level, then the water could enter inside the car through the doors.
At the rear lower level of the doors, on the inside face, there is an orifice for draining the water that enters inside the door through the upper window seals.
If you exceed its level, on the basis of the communicating vessels principle, the water will ingress inside the door and then later inside the car through the door trim.
Look below for an explanation.
Not to mention that somewhere inside, in the middle of the door, there is the door and window controller that could lower the window unexpectedly if soaked in water and from there the water could.... just look at https://www.freel2.com/forum/topic12585.html
A fun that turned out to be an over GBP 12,000 drain hole...
For waters over 50 cm, I will take a boat for that money and still remain some...
If you feel lucky, then go ahead, but I learned the lesson, luckily for me from my friend unlucky experience...



Last edited by alex_pescaru on 7th Jul 2012 3:14 pm. Edited 3 times in total

Doc - FL2 Manual:
Never been over the recommended 50 cm of the FL2 as I believe that if LR say not to then don't, especially as Alex has pointed out that there are some very important electronics located on the floor pan of the FL2 under the front seats

Re avoiding back wash into the rear exhaust; whether you are in 1st or 2nd gear will depend as much on the road surface condition and its incline (decline - HDC is an option to consider) as well as the level (and flow rate) of water, as all combined will contribute to the "forward resistant" you encounter, and thus the engine will have to overcome.

I've found that in the FL2 TD4 manual if you maintain an rpm between 1500 to 1800 without exceeding the 50cm depth then you can do so in 2nd, and don't forget to turn the TR onto "wet" mode. Steady unhurried progress is what you are aiming for.

And remember - if possible walk the navigable waterway first - not always possible or practicably on a public highway

Finally, Tissington Ford. The bed of Bradbourne Brook is not flat at the ford, it slopes a few degrees to the south and is composed in the main of large Derbyshire Gritstone flags. In flood they will be very slippery and the water usually flows fast and high. How high check the marker post. At times if there has been problems in the past 24hrs there the police usually close the crossing to traffic. Coming directly off the B5056 you see the road closed sign. Approaching from the Hall and around Wibben Hill they post the closure by the bridge over the old Ashbourne > Buxton railway so that folks can easily turn around in the old station car park.

Have fun but remember - caution avoids calamity

athelstan wrote:

and don't forget to turn the TR onto "wet" mode. :

which ones wet mode mate  freelander 2 SE black and beige - now sold

s7gpt wrote:

athelstan wrote:

and don't forget to turn the TR onto "wet" mode. :

which ones wet mode mate

Grass, Gravel, Snow. It cuts throttle response if one was heavy footed and also applies more power to the back wheels. I think it is a 60:40 split in GGS mode.

Thanks for the tips by the way  LL.B (Hons) - University of Derby
LOT (Lord of Time) - University of Gallifrey

If one is heavy footed in an Auto this can cause the gear changes to jerk

ad210358 wrote:

If one is heavy footed in an Auto this can cause the gear changes to jerk which is why the auto is terrible

ad210358 wrote:

If one is heavy footed in an Auto this can cause the gear changes to jerk

The Doc had the wisdom to secure the services of a vehicle that enables the driver to manually select his or her own gear ratio, and not someone else predetermined ratio

So do auto's have an extra "comfort" feature that "jerk's off" the driver f.o.c.

Don't FL2 autos have command shift  ______________________
2011 Full Fat RR 4.4 TDV8
2012 FL2 SD4 Auto HSE
2013 Kawasaki Versys 650

Dave wrote:

Don't FL2 autos have command shift

There are other things to worry about apart from the air intake. There are various drain/breather holes for things like gearboxes and cam belt covers. I'm not sure where these are on the FL2 but if you get water or, more importantly, sand or mud in these you may sustain expensive damage. As implied above, I'd be a bit worried about being swept sideways in fast-moving water, and once the level is above the cills your car will start to think about floating. If the conditions are at all dodgy I'd prefer to walk the ford first, or at least have a mate with a long rope along too.

He's right you know,also fast moving water can wash away the road,unseen under the water At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

As they tell you on the LR Experiance, if you cannot see clearly the terrain ahead, get out and walk it first.

Well it turned out to be a successful crossing. I looked at the depth gauge which read just under 0.5m and the flow was fairly quick but not bad and there was evidence of other vehicles having gone through.

A fairly bumpy ride and I had it in GGS mode as per Athelstans advice. LL.B (Hons) - University of Derby
LOT (Lord of Time) - University of Gallifrey

ad210358 wrote:

As they tell you on the LR Experiance, if you cannot see clearly the terrain ahead, get out and walk it first.

stuff that,I'd get me keks wet,just go get the tractor instead


does it always rain so much in Derbishire? what a memorable holiday. There is now a swimming pool outside my log cabin. At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race