Riding through Floods

[motorbike mike]

Hello All,
I took a ride today on my new xt (03), it chucked it down with rain the whole ride, and was all going fine until I came round a bend to find several broken down cars next to a flooded road, the 4wheel drives were getting thru so I gave it a go - the depth was around 500mm (truthfully) maybe slightly more and halfway thru she cutout - dead. I turned the ignition off and pushed her out, 2 minutes later I pressed the start and Bingo we were off again ! If anyone has any idea exactly what the problem was then I'd really like to know. If it was electrical then I would of expected a lot of faffing around before a restart - but apart from the cutout midstream she ran fine all day. All help appreciated ( I'm hoping to go to Iceland next year and apparently the fords ther are really deeeeep!).
Thanks in advance Mike

[Robbert]

I'd say an electrical something that got splashed and the engine heat made it dry out quickly and there you go...

[Walkabout]

Originally Posted by Robbert

I'd say an electrical something that got splashed and the engine heat made it dry out quickly and there you go...

Agreed. Most likely the spark plug got wet, shorted out then dried out with the heat of the engine.

For more of the same:-
www.wetroads.co.uk

[motorbike mike]

Hi,
Thanks for your responses, my last "trailbike" was a yamaha ttr 250 and I regularly forded streams of this depth with no problems, is there anything I could do like use a different HT cap or grease the HT lead ? I think the ttr may of had a bit more ground clearance.
Cheers Mike

[gwel]

Hey Mike,

Maybe this could you, I used to get electricals problem too with water projections or rain.
That the conclusion I found after 5 years under the rain

I identified 4 main problems with the electrics with the XT, the fuse connection, spark plug and the ignition coil, AND THE STARTER RELAY.

As the mud guard is very short all the water goes directlty onto the sparkplug and ignition coil if the wire linking the ignition coil and the sparkclub cap is not tight the slight amount of water causes problem, I would first check that.

I myself covered the all area spark plug to ignition coil with a old bycicle tube, everyting is then dry at all time.

I added an extension to the mudguard to reduce the water projections, you could also get those after market mudguard used on moutain bike and to be fixed on the frame.

Same story for the main fuse should some water get into the fuse box , you will have faulty connection, I too covered this area with an old bicycle tube .

Now the starter relay can get rusty two, when its gets tooo bad even if the outside looks ok you won't be able to start your bike.Now the trick would be to short cut directly the starter with the + of the Battery with a cable if you find yourself unable to oush start the bike with a heavy loads or just because the road is muddy.
As per before . cover the starter relay with some kind of old bycicle tube...

I'm pretty sure that if you do all of that you won't encounter any problem with water or at least have an idea on how to fix them...

Cheers

Gwel

[gwel]

Hi Again,

If the problem comes from the main fuse you will see the neutral light going on and off as the bike rattle
If the light stay on a solid green and you can't start the bike, or the bike rattle then it's the spark plug

[motorbike mike]

hi Gwel,
I reckon the mudguard extension idea of yours could make a lot of difference, the spark plug area was taking a lot of spray, I'll definitely get one of those, I think I'll also get a can of wd40 and see if it keeps the water out any more.
thanks Mike

[motorbike mike]

Hi Gwel,
The bike just cut out midstream, all the lights were still showing, sounds like the spark plug shorting out, the good thing was that the bike started first press after just a couple of minutes so praps it did dry itself off ? Still I'm back out in the rain tomorrow so I'll see how she goes!
Cheers Mike

[Walkabout]

Originally Posted by gwel

Hey Mike,

Maybe this could you, I used to get electricals problem too with water projections or rain.
That the conclusion I found after 5 years under the rain

I identified 4 main problems with the electrics with the XT, the fuse connection, spark plug and the ignition coil, AND THE STARTER RELAY.

As the mud guard is very short all the water goes directlty onto the sparkplug and ignition coil if the wire linking the ignition coil and the sparkclub cap is not tight the slight amount of water causes problem, I would first check that.

I myself covered the all area spark plug to ignition coil with a old bycicle tube, everyting is then dry at all time.

I added an extension to the mudguard to reduce the water projections, you could also get those after market mudguard used on moutain bike and to be fixed on the frame.

Same story for the main fuse should some water get into the fuse box , you will have faulty connection, I too covered this area with an old bicycle tube .

Now the starter relay can get rusty two, when its gets tooo bad even if the outside looks ok you won't be able to start your bike.Now the trick would be to short cut directly the starter with the + of the Battery with a cable if you find yourself unable to oush start the bike with a heavy loads or just because the road is muddy.
As per before . cover the starter relay with some kind of old bycicle tube...

I'm pretty sure that if you do all of that you won't encounter any problem with water or at least have an idea on how to fix them...

Cheers

Gwel

A comprehensive reply Gwel.

The NGK spark plug cap has a rubber bit on the end which seals against the porcelain insulator of the plug and helps to stop the high tension voltage from tracking to earth in damp conditions.
Worth getting one of those if you haven't one already.

Probably still your spark plug that shorted - it is well recessed in the engine so it provides somewhere for the water to lie + it self-solved itself as the heat got in there after you stopped.

[motorbike mike]

Hi Dave,
the engine was hot when it cut out, It looked dry by the time I tried to start it again coz of the heat, the ht cap does have the rubber bit so it must have been the heat that cured it, at least there was no lasting harm done, i'll try to pick up a front mudguard extender and see if that helps.
Cheers Mike

[*Touring Ted*]

how long were you riding through the water ??

Are you carb breathers hanging down near the rear shock ??

[mollydog]

Boys Boys Boys.
None on you are even in the ballpark here...except Ted of course...who hit the answer dead center!

[Walkabout]

That's a good description/reply Mollydog.

My TTR is sorted for that with an air filter fixed straight onto the carb replacing the breather tube to the carb diaphragm (the bit you describe for allowing atmospheric pressure to act on one side of said diaphragm).
Hence, for my bike, it is the spark plug as the first likely "culprit".

[motorbike mike]

Hi Guys,
Thanks for the further responses, I did wonder if it was something other than electrical because of the suspiciously easy restart, I've had a cast around on the forums and found an old thread about putting two "t" pieces in the breather tubes from the carbs and raising them ( Just as you suggest Patrick ) so I've been up the local aquarium shop - I don't think I looked like a typical customer -and got some tube etc and now the mod is done, only problem is it's stopped raining, when the local fords are down to a couple of feet deep then I'm going out on submarine duties! I'll definitely let you know how I get on, hopefully this is going to be a real before and after story. Ted, the section of flooded road was a good 80metres long, and it was after 10-20 seconds in the deepest part that she conked out.
Thanks again guys, I'll keep you posted.
Cheers Mike

[oldbmw]

Water in the electrics is a plus point for a diesel.. all you have to do is keep your air intake dry.