[Ennoch]

Originally Posted by Aviatrix

Unfortunately, my garage made it available on TikTok.

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGeUQBL6N/

I'd ask them to take that down, pretty unprofessional of them to have put a video online with the chassis number showing.

@Turboweasel, I'd say that driving too fast into water will definitely do damage but that doesn't discount the fact the BMW air intake design is shit for the real world compared to many cars. Not as bad as several of the Peugeots that had the intake in the wheel arch so even deep puddles could force water into the intake with sufficient force to lunch the engine, but crap nonetheless.

[TurboWeasel]

Originally Posted by Ennoch

I'd ask them to take that down, pretty unprofessional of them to have put a video online with the chassis number showing.

@Turboweasel, I'd say that driving too fast into water will definitely do damage but that doesn't discount the fact the BMW air intake design is shit for the real world compared to many cars. Not as bad as several of the Peugeots that had the intake in the wheel arch so even deep puddles could force water into the intake with sufficient force to lunch the engine, but crap nonetheless.

I agree, it's not the best, but fine if treading with caution. Just above the bumper and to the side of the air flow. You don't need much of a bow wave to shove water in there.
My old Golf's intake was high up above the grille and had a snow/debris/water spill gap in it, so stuff never got into the airbox. I guess it still comes down to owner neglect in as much as not educating one's self on where the intake is before delving into deep water. That is unfortunately the stance some insurance companies might take. Car makers cannot account for every scenario and the onus has to be on the owner for at least some level of mechanical sympathy.

[Allworth]

Originally Posted by TurboWeasel

I agree, it's not the best, but fine if treading with caution. Just above the bumper and to the side of the air flow. You don't need much of a bow wave to shove water in there.
My old Golf's intake was high up above the grille and had a snow/debris/water spill gap in it, so stuff never got into the airbox. I guess it still comes down to owner neglect in as much as not educating one's self on where the intake is before delving into deep water. That is unfortunately the stance some insurance companies might take. Car makers cannot account for every scenario and the onus has to be on the owner for at least some level of mechanical sympathy.

Exactly. And speaking about scenarios, if it wasn't engine it could have been short circuit, permanent smell in interior, mildew, fire, explosion.
My 3 Golf 1.9D had a deep dive and stalled due to water swallow. Once out of water cranked for 10seconds and drove away as if it just had a little enema for a minute.

[TurboWeasel]

Originally Posted by Allworth

Exactly. And speaking about scenarios, if it wasn't engine it could have been short circuit, permanent smell in interior, mildew, fire, explosion.
My 3 Golf 1.9D had a deep dive and stalled due to water swallow. Once out of water cranked for 10seconds and drove away as if it just had a little enema for a minute.

That is true actually. Once an interior gets drenched, it can take months, even years to get rid of the smell and perma-condensation on the interior glass. Plus the likely myriad electrical gremlins if any modules develop the green crusties on the connectors.

Makes you wonder if some people do it on purpose to cream off the insurance money.

[Allworth]

Originally Posted by TurboWeasel

That is true actually. Once an interior gets drenched, it can take months, even years to get rid of the smell and perma-condensation on the interior glass. Plus the likely myriad electrical gremlins if any modules develop the green crusties on the connectors.

Makes you wonder if some people do it on purpose to cream off the insurance money.

This is right, let's be honest. People are using any excuse to milk insurers, hence the insurance price which is one of the highest in the world. It rather leaves me with a question who are the insurers agreeing to pay to all those people that are trying to dissipate the grudge by making a fake claims, instead of protecting those who paying the bill and having a safe drive.
Here is an anecdote; It is hard to sell an elephant in a bad mood.

PS:
As per thread title 'Flooded my engine' - Who's done that? Stig? Stephen Hawking? Tony Blair? I'll top the bill.

[TurboWeasel]

Originally Posted by Allworth

This is right, let's be honest. People are using any excuse to milk insurers, hence the insurance price which is one of the highest in the world. It rather leaves me with a question who are the insurers agreeing to pay to all those people that are trying to dissipate the grudge by making a fake claims, instead of protecting those who paying the bill and having a safe drive.
Here is an anecdote; It is hard to sell an elephant in a bad mood.

PS:
As per thread title 'Flooded my engine' - Who's done that? Stig? Stephen Hawking? Tony Blair? I'll top the bill.

Food for thought eh?

Aside from a few YouTubers like Matt Armstrong, it seems the concept of salvage is being killed off in this country.

Example: OP's flood damaged 3 series. A new con rod or 2, dried out carpet and underlay, cleaned up module connectors and it's good to go again. A perfectly usable car for someone else - albeit 'tainted goods' at a reduced price. Perfectly decent for a hard up family looking for a decent estate.

But nope, it will likely get written off and then scrapped.

And speak to any busy body shop and they will tell you insurance companies are dead set on writing off decent cars with minor damage.

Who is gaining from filling up the planet with perfectly usable e-waste and cars? Big tech companies and car makers, that's who. With a healthy pinch of 'delete all fossil engines and replace them with EVs' sprinkled on top. Gotta get all that juicy ESG cash from Black Rock and Vanguard.

It's all one big corrupt mess.

[Pond]

Originally Posted by TurboWeasel

Food for thought eh?
It's all one big corrupt mess.

I would say more laziness than corruption.
When someone else is paying, it is so easy to not give a toss and move on. The UK Gov and Councils have been doing it for decades; seems that private industry has bought into the idea!

I get the same every day from my sub-contractors in the last few years..."we didn't do things properly but you still need to pay for it" kind of attitude.

The old joke of "we may be shit but at least we're expensive" has never been more apt from what I see.

[Ennoch]

The other problem we've got in this country is that the road network is absolutely fucked. Yes, it's covered in potholes but the other issue (and one that helps increase the number of holes) is that drainage is non existent. Gullies and ditches are filled in with 20+ years of sediment thanks to councils treating drainage as an easy thing to apply spending cuts to. The result? Roads get undermined, there's lots of standing water and potholes get worse. And of course that standing water builds up and gives greater risk of drivers knackering their engines. You only have to look at most roads in Europe to see much deeper (and maintained) ditches at the road side that are significantly bigger than you find on most British roads. Oh, and of course the engineers who design roads with the wrong camber so it holds the water even more.

[TurboWeasel]

Yeah, our transport infrastructure is an embarrassment. Decades of neglect. I reckon Bulgarian farm tracks have fewer pot holes. And the rail network is a complete joke, of course. Obviously there are worse places than the UK - but given this country's supposed position in the wealth pecking order, we really should be a damn site better.

Hong Kong were offering gigabit broadband to everyone's door for a tenner a month 10 years ago. In 2024, the UK STILL cannot even manage decent Broadband and mobile services nationwide - and this is 20 odd years since the government promised everyone they would force the telecoms companies to get their fingers out.

It's always a miserable feeling coming back to the UK after travelling abroad. I can't remember the last time I felt any kind of national pride or patriotism. I just find everything about this country to be ridiculously slow, expensive and grossly incompetent. If I was in a position to get out of this sh1t hole, I would do so immediately.

[Allworth]

Problem with this country it has no space program at all.
Personally waiting for conjuncture to change before moving to Russia.

[goram]

Originally Posted by TurboWeasel

Yeah, our transport infrastructure is an embarrassment. Decades of neglect. I reckon Bulgarian farm tracks have fewer pot holes. And the rail network is a complete joke, of course. Obviously there are worse places than the UK - but given this country's supposed position in the wealth pecking order, we really should be a damn site better.

Hong Kong were offering gigabit broadband to everyone's door for a tenner a month 10 years ago. In 2024, the UK STILL cannot even manage decent Broadband and mobile services nationwide - and this is 20 odd years since the government promised everyone they would force the telecoms companies to get their fingers out.

It's always a miserable feeling coming back to the UK after travelling abroad. I can't remember the last time I felt any kind of national pride or patriotism. I just find everything about this country to be ridiculously slow, expensive and grossly incompetent. If I was in a position to get out of this sh1t hole, I would do so immediately.

It’s really not that hard to leave this country if you want to. Even post Brexit. Depends how strongly you feel I guess?

[roundy]

A similar thing happened to my 535d, followed a car through and didn't think it was that bad, until I saw a small wave returning my way!!

Managed to just get out of the water and it stopped shortly after and was towed home by the AA.

Cost me around £2800 all in to have it all corrected.

I still have 2nd thoughts whenever I'm confronted by these Ford rivers, very expensive mistake so I feel your pain!!!

[nascot]

Originally Posted by TurboWeasel

Food for thought eh?

Aside from a few YouTubers like Matt Armstrong, it seems the concept of salvage is being killed off in this country.

Example: OP's flood damaged 3 series. A new con rod or 2, dried out carpet and underlay, cleaned up module connectors and it's good to go again. A perfectly usable car for someone else - albeit 'tainted goods' at a reduced price. Perfectly decent for a hard up family looking for a decent estate.

But nope, it will likely get written off and then scrapped.

And speak to any busy body shop and they will tell you insurance companies are dead set on writing off decent cars with minor damage.

Who is gaining from filling up the planet with perfectly usable e-waste and cars? Big tech companies and car makers, that's who. With a healthy pinch of 'delete all fossil engines and replace them with EVs' sprinkled on top. Gotta get all that juicy ESG cash from Black Rock and Vanguard.

It's all one big corrupt mess.

In a way it's typical of the throwaway culture we live. Doesn't work? Buy a new one.