[Carfreak09]

I meant to post this a few weeks ago and I don’t in any way suggest that driving through a flooded street is a smart thing, but I figured I would relate my experience. We had torrential downpours in central Florida a few weeks back and I had to make a delivery. It was a new neighborhood and apparently the construction had caused a lot of debris to plug up the drains. The only way to get to the customer’s house was driving through a flooded road. Knowing that the snorkel for the air box is at the very top of the hood on the left side, I felt confident that the water wasn’t too high. The water was I’m guessing about 5-6” high. The water got high enough that a small wave splashed a few inches over top the right side of the hood and that was a “pucker” moment. In reality, I think the water was mid bumper level but I tried to “power” through it, causing the water wave to splash over briefly. The engine was struggling to drag the car through the water, sounding like it was at about 3k rpms. Finally made it back to dry land, delivered to the customer and then found an even larger puddle on the way out! Going through that one was a little nerve racking as the steering felt like it was getting light, as if the car was starting to float. I think this sensation came from the well enclosed engine bay acting as a giant balloon of air. I went through that one slower and the engine didn’t sound as stressed. No one can claim I’m not dedicated to my customers!

Anyway, the Insight survived with flying colors. No sensors acted wonky and there’s been no lasting effects. I applaud Honda for having the air snorkel mounted at the highest possible place so going through low water is doable.

 

[Wifey'sInsight]

Just a suggestion as a former jeep owner. Fording water should be done at 5 mph or slower, to reduce the "wave" created. All of that water that hits the radiator, goes up, and the intake is positioned just there, luckily most modern intakes are designed with baffles to prevent water from getting all of the way through. But with the Insight, and the high voltage systems. You were extremely lucky. The battery pack sits much lower than the intake, and it's open to flooding.

Also, just another tip, you should never cross water without walking it first, you can't predict what you can't see.

Lastly, anyone reading this, I'm not endorsing crossing water with any vehicle, in any way shape or form. Especially with high voltage batteries, there is a reason why the military chose hydrogen cell technology over EV.

 

[Carfreak09]

Just a suggestion as a former jeep owner. Fording water should be done at 5 mph or slower, to reduce the "wave" created. All of that water that hits the radiator, goes up, and the intake is positioned just there, luckily most modern intakes are designed with baffles to prevent water from getting all of the way through. But with the Insight, and the high voltage systems. You were extremely lucky. The battery pack sits much lower than the intake, and it's open to flooding.

Also, just another tip, you should never cross water without walking it first, you can't predict what you can't see.

Lastly, anyone reading this, I'm not endorsing crossing water with any vehicle, in any way shape or form. Especially with high voltage batteries, there is a reason why the military chose hydrogen cell technology over EV.

I would assume if the water is high enough to flood the battery compartment, you’ve already flooded the engine. The battery compartment, while low, is encased in metal. It probably has a hose to allow air to escape, but the car would have to be in deep water to force water up that.

Your suggestion makes sense as the engine seemed to be much less stressed pulling the car at slower speeds in the second puddle and there was no overtopping of waves. I only attempted it because I scanned the surrounding area to gain an idea of how deep it could be and since the flooded part was only about 100 feet, I could see where the road exited and knew it was flat. This was stagnant non moving water. A rushing river at that depth would have been a whole other outcome.