How does the prius handle water, puddles?

I have only had my prius for about a month but i have had no issues with water. We just started teh raining season(or orange barrel season) here in MI so only time will tell. My traction control light flashes at me while hitting bumps and braking or going through a nice size puddle but i would think most cars do taht though.

 

It rains quite a lot in Japan, where the Prius is engineered and manufactured. I wouldn't worry any more about driving mine through the kind of puddles and shallow standing water you're likely to encounter on the road. Naturally you shouldn't drive into a flooded part of the road, but that goes for any car.

 

My wife drove our 2004 Prius through a flood (almost a foot deep!) in New Jersey and made it through. I would not have tried it. Electricity and dirty water do not mix well.

As in most cars, water near the coils or plugs can stop the engine, Water taken into the air supply to the engine WILL destroy the engine, and water above the wheel hubs can shorten the life of wheel bearings.

JeffD

 

I live in Tampa and we get torrential down pours and street flooding. I see Prii booking right along like it is nothing.

 

Most cars (and our Prii) have their air intakes at the level of the top of the engine. It is not likely that a "splash" would be a problem. One of my students installed a "Cold air" intake in his truck and soon thereafter had to rebuild his engine.

JeffD

 

prius is no different than any other car in the rain/puddles. driving through standing water that could enter the high voltage areas could be hazardous to your health, or at least the car's. but that would be some pretty high water. a vehicle that had problems with rain, snow, or puddles would not sell very well.

 

Yep, aka hydrolock. Water doesn't compress very well compared to an air/fuel mix.

I wouldn't be concerned about a few inches deep.

I live in the Seattle area w/my Prius for about 1.5 years. As you might've heard, it rains there a lot. No problems.

Toyota's sold over 5 million hybrids, most of them Priuses. You think if there were some inherent serious problem w/Priuses and water ingestion that there'd be some media attention coupled w/poor engine reliability ratings in Consumer Reports, right? Neither has happened.

I guess if you really want to drive a car thru deep water and not fear water ingestion into an engine, you could buy a car w/o an engine (e.g. an EV). See

. Not sure how soaked the interior got though....

300 mm = 11.81 inches

 

^^^
For reference (hope he doesn't mind), Tideland lives in an area of Canada that's just about as rainy as the Seattle area.

 

A couple of inches won't hurt anything. I meant you should never drive into a road which is submerged under water which may be flowing. Several people get killed each year in the US by discovering the water was deeper and faster than they thought, and I'm sure dozens of cars get destroyed that way every year.

As long as you don't get a lot of water into the engine compartment you should be fine. The Prius has a relatively low 7" clearance, but that should be ample to drive through a three- or four-inch deep puddle.

 

If you drive into water deep enough to draw a significant amount into the air intake, you've got a lot more to worry about than the car.

I knew a guy who drove his pickup into a flooded street and destroyed his engine. The engine backfired while the tailpipe was submerged; that drew water through the exhaust system into the engine which immediately seized.

 

No. Splash it all you want. (I do) Don't go in water that's higher than the belly of the car. (They're not good boats)

 

Just drive it like any other car. Don't go through water that is deep enough to get up to the doors, nor deep enough to cover the hubs or the exhaust pipe.

I have driven our's through some pretty good thunderstorm's and haven't had any problems. But I do not drive through standing water. I flooded a truck several years ago. It was my pride and joy. The insurance company totaled it. Since then, I turn around if I see water. I don't drive through it.

Like ken said above, the Prius is not a boat.

 

You can easily check the engine air filter and the inside of the air filter box for water. Here is a photo with the lid of the air filter box indicated:

The lid is locked with a few spring loaded latches around the perimeter. Just unlatch them and open the lid and remove the air filter inside to inspect for water entry. Remember to put the air filter back in the same orientation and make sure the rubber gasket is seated well before putting the lid back on.

The ignition coils are on top of the engine, in the area in between the air filter box and the relay box indicated in the picture above. You may need to temporarily remove the relay box for better access. Here is a photo of the coils:

Once you disconnect the wires (mark which is which first) and remove the bolt you can pull the coils out to check inside the wells for water. Good luck!