Very deep water

zack · Apr 5, 2011

Last year in Minneapolis we had a torrential downpour that raised the water level on some streets to 18"+. My G55 made it through just fine. What would happen with the roadster? Would the enclosed alumin(i)um glider protect the passenger compartment and waterproof connections protect everything else? Or would something catastrophic happen? Btw this storm happened without (specific) warning during rush hour.

vfx · Apr 5, 2011

Toast.

Soggy Toast.

richkae · Apr 5, 2011

There are fans underneath the car that blow air at the electric motor and the PEM.
It is important to not get water in them. I worry about it when I go through 2 inches of water, if I was faced with 18 inches I would turn around.

doug · Apr 5, 2011

I seem to remember some kind of immersion detector that would cut the power. Not sure how high the water has to be to trigger that fail-safe.

Jaff · Apr 6, 2011

Zack, tons of ICE vehicles are written off by insurers every year in these "freshwater floods"...if you know it's coming, get to high ground...if you're stuck in it as you described (driving whilst the flood rains are in progress), vfx is right...you're "done like dinner".

Eberhard · Apr 6, 2011

maybe we have to ask Lotus to make the same modification on the Roadster like they did with James Bonds Lotus Esprit.

doug · Apr 6, 2011

Here's something on the ESS. Blast from the past... not sure how accurate it still is:
The Most Coddled Automotive Battery Ever? | Blog | Tesla Motors

Our ESS contains multiple overlapping safety systems – some active and some passive. Each module has its own microprocessor circuitry that monitors a wide range of conditions as well as actively balancing the cell voltage to help mitigate the danger of overcharging (and potential damage from over-discharge). There are sensors inside the ESS that sniff for smoke, check for the existence of water immersions (if the car were driven into a lake, for example), and continually monitor the pack to ensure that it is thermally stable. Each cell is independently fused, not once, but twice. And the pack has been designed to passively contain any single cell entering thermal runaway (e.g. start burning) without propagating further. (For more information on the Tesla Roadster's ESS, see our blog and white paper on the subject.)

vfx · Apr 6, 2011

doug said:
Here's something on the ESS. Blast from the past... not sure how accurate it still is: ...

This does seem like the Tesla of old with multiple multiple redundancies built in.

Eberhard · Apr 6, 2011

ok, to be correct. because of the liquid cooled battery, there is no chance for water to penetrate the back. The rain water has a high electrical residence therefore no current will flow. Most problems are the blower under the trunk. This are only IP33 and will quickly corrode. The fans for the AC are no problem because of IP68. A real problem would be an Tsunami because of the saltwater which leads the current quite well.

Talkredius · Apr 6, 2011

Eberhard said:
maybe we have to ask Lotus to make the same modification on the Roadster like they did with James Bonds Lotus Esprit.

already done, you only have to order the water sealed option. With this option the car can swim, the rear fans are switched to the main battery and will move the car forward. And I have heard rumors that the submarine option is already in alpha status. Diving is done with the front fans. Now we know the real reasons for some design issues.:wink:

doug · Apr 6, 2011

Yes, been done, but you have to pack your scuba gear.
Jalopnik - Drive Free or Die

Thread on it here.

suxxer · Apr 6, 2011

Manual says nothing about "very" deep water

AndrewBissell · Apr 7, 2011

Oops - I have driven through a ford on a river a couple of times. No ill effects at all but maybe I shouldn't have?

doug · Apr 7, 2011

suxxer said:
Manual says nothing about "very" deep water

View attachment 1576

This is the general rule for any car, I believe.

suxxer · Apr 7, 2011

This is the general rule for any car, I believe.

More or less

Land Rover Disco 4

doug · Apr 11, 2011

This is not an ocean - Gizmodo, the Gadget Guide

KBF · Apr 11, 2011

I live a tad North of Fargo - I am definitely not going to drive over flooded roads; someone died last week in Manitoba because he didn't know the submerged road he was driving on was washed out.

Search

Very deep water

zack

Member

vfx

Well-Known Member

richkae

VIN587

doug

Administrator / Head Moderator

Jaff

Active Member

Eberhard

#421 Model S #S32

doug

Administrator / Head Moderator

vfx

Well-Known Member

Eberhard

#421 Model S #S32

Talkredius

Member

doug

Administrator / Head Moderator

suxxer

ElektroVolt

AndrewBissell

Member

doug

Administrator / Head Moderator

suxxer

ElektroVolt

doug

Administrator / Head Moderator

KBF

Model X owner (formerly Cdn Signature Model S)

Similar threads