I'm considering buying a 2006 Tacoma reg or access cab to help us drive thru the normal road flooding that occurs in Houston, Texas when it rains without stalling. I don't know the height of the flooding but I'm guessing 8 inches or so???
I was once told and please tell me if you agree or disagree, that the tailpipe is the main concern when driving thru the water as far as stalling is concerned?
So I'm thinking of a 2006 Tacoma but it's gotta be automatic and prefer 4 cylinder tho if I had to have a 6 okay. Also since my wife and I are approaching our senior years, I don't want any monster truck but I don't mind using running boards to assist us getting inside.
With all this in mind, do you think a Tacoma here will work and based on my criteria, which model or specs do I need? What size rims should I consider? Appreciate your advice here.
That's false. The tail pipe can be submerged and it'll only gurgle like a boat. The trouble comes when the intake is submerged. Well, if the tail pipe is submerged AND the motor stops running, that could spell trouble, but by then the intake is probably under water anyway, and you already have trouble.
If your Tacoma is the PreRunner variety, and not 4WD, then it'll have an automatic anyhow. When I was looking for Tacos, I found to my dismay that they can't be had with a manual trans unless you get the 4WD, or .not. the PreRunner.
Hard to say because Houston is a large area which gets localized flooding so it depends where you drive. Since I'm able to afford a new truck, economics isn't my main concern but rather safety or peace of mind if I have to drive thru street flooding which is more often than I want to.
The sad part is I will have to trade in or sell my '92 Corolla which is a fine car because I don't need one more vehicle. I own several almost new cars now but for some reason I love older cars. Oh well, my problem.
I asked because I was wondering if you're ready to use at least 25-35% more fuel, which might be annoying if you only need the ground clearance for 3 hours per year.
Rule Number One: If you don't know how deep the water is, or what's under it, Do Not Drive There. Get your waders on and go check first.
It's far too easy to do some severe damage - run over a submerged fire hydrant, or a power transformer, or a "Do Not Back Up" spike strip that will wreck all four tires, or find out there's a 30-foot deep sinkhole where the road used to be...
Park the truck on high ground, and use a boat. Seriously. If you expect that severe a batch of weather, go buy yourself a boat and a trailer, and tow it around. Next flood I can Guarantee you'll be the most popular person for miles around.
False. Think about the average ski boat or fishing boat - they have the exhaust line underwater on the transom or on the side of the outdrive or through the propeller hub of the outboard motor, and it works perfectly. Sits there happily blowing bubbles at idle. The only difference being boats have a check valve to keep water out with the engine stopped, cars don't - but if the water is that deep over the tailpipe, you have far bigger problems to deal with.
Your primary hazards are ingesting water into the engine air intake, or drowning out the high-tension ignition wires or the 12-volt engine electricals with splashed water. An engine will not run without spark, fuel, and air. Drown the ignition system or the EFI system, and you stop. Drown the alternator, and you stop as soon as the battery goes flat. Drown the starter motor, and once it stalls you can not restart. Drown the air intake, and you can hydrolock one or more cylinders and permanently damage or destroy the engine.
If you want to play around in a lake, go buy yourself a 1942-era DUKW "Duck" amphibious truck, restore it, and use that. ;-) Or go drop $120K on a full-boat optioned Hummer H-1 with the fording kit.
But if you want it to be able to Slowly And Cautiously wade through some fairly severe flooding, go buy a Tacoma or Tundra, preferably
4WD. Too many hidden obstacles to get stuck on with a 2WD.
Get a mild lift kit (4 to 6 inches total) and slightly larger tires. Do not go overboard with the lift or tires, because that just makes it easier to roll over the first time you get in a severe off-camber.
If you need steps to get in, you do not want "nerf bars" as they are purely cosmetic - they can bend just by being used as steps. If you want full length running boards, ask for "Rock Sliders" that are built and mounted strong enough to prevent body damage. Much more added resale value - and far cheaper than getting a door replaced and the door sill repaired after you 'kiss a rock' driving off-road.
And Rock Sliders work in parking lots, too. Great for fending off the worst of the damage in sneak attacks by hidden crash posts. ;-P
Hook up remote vent hoses to the transmission, transfer case, and both axle differentials, so water can't come in through the breathers
- they make a common vent rail that mounts high up on the firewall where it won't flood that you can hook the vent hoses to.
The ignition systems and stock air box and intake systems are fairly well waterproofed from the factory, as long as you leave the splash shields in the fender wells in place. The biggest problem in drowning the engine is the radiator fan going underwater and flinging water back onto the engine, and after that it's hitting the water moving fast enough for it to send waves into the engine compartment. That's why I said "Slow And Easy".
If you do manage to drown the engine electricals, WD-40 is the magic elixir that can usually get you running again. "Don't Leave Home Without It." (When properly applied, of course. Have a mechanic show you how to dry out the distributor cap and other critical areas.)
You're right of course and compared to my old Corolla, almost anything will use more gas and cost MORE to maintain. Because of the initial expense to purchase this truck, I knew it wasn't an economical choice to start.
So yes, I am prepared for that but thanks for pointing it out.
A distributor cap is something you find on a slightly older truck, and I guarantee they aren't totally going away any time soon. One simple reason: They work. They've been totally debugged. Heck, light aircraft are still sticking with magnetos.
They could even get all the cars and trucks sold in the USA totally changed over to Distributorless Ignition Systems. But third world countries where you have to do field repairs but your "shop lift" consists of a rock and a big log (and there are none of those pesky smog laws) will still get KISS vehicles equipped with carburetors and distributors for the next 20 years.
And with a DIS there are many more electronics and sensors involved, any one of which can have water failure issues and stop dead on you. And it's possible to get water into the DIS coil packs, or shorting the spark plugs or the high-tension plug wires - there's no such thing as a perfect seal.
tailpipe can be submerged. IF you shut off the motor it will suck some water back but I doubt it will get in the motor ... may get in the cat though .. also not very lilely ..
What you do want to be concerned about is:
- Water getting in your axles ... to prevent that you can put Diff breathers on .. which u can do youself and costs a few $ .. let me know if u need more info.
- Heat shocking components like axles , trans, exhaust which isnt very good but no big deal unless done all the time .. the idea is that you dont want to have a HOT part touch cold water as it will cool down and warp and eventually break.
- Wheelbearings and driveshaft joints may get wet and need fresh lube every so often. Up to daily if you use your truck as boat ...
- getting water in the intake is bad but 8" is no issue here
I have an 03 stock. TRD 16in wheels and 31 tires. I've driven through water deeper than 8 inches, probably up to my doors. Check this pic...its a small pic, but I never stalled it there lol
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I have a friend in Houston and he has sent me pics of local flooding he has encountered...not good at all. I said if I ever lived there I'd have a 4x4.
It rained like that a few days ago. I guaged 5.5 inches in a couple of hours. The city uses the streets for drainage overflow here and you can see the water rise when it is raining real hard. You can find yourself bubbling through a foot of water in a hurry. We used to water ski behind motorcycles when I was a kid here in west houston.
While all this advice below is good, it is mostly impossible in Houston or unnecessary. I own a stock '84 4x4 xtracab 22R and I drive it through deep water here on a regular basis. You just can't get out and test the depth. First off you are usually in heavy traffic and everybody is pushing to move because the water ir rising in the street. The streets here are engineered to take the overflow instead of property. The water is usually between 4 to
15 inches deep. In a heavy rain you can suddenly find yourself floating or sinking. I almost got caught in my Honda Civic the other day when we got
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