smart electrics (as in systems and wiring; not electric drive) in the rain

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Permalink Reply by neal on August 13, 2008 at 9:40am

You might consider reintroducing this question one or two years from now, as there isn't a lot of experience right now. When you do ask this question try to focus on the northeast, northwest U.S. & Canada as they have more rain than anyone.

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Permalink Reply by Gary on August 13, 2008 at 1:56pm

The roadster was clearly a 450 (last generation), as there is no roadster 451. I live in an extremely damp subtropical environment (tho we don't get 6 feet/yr!). After 6 months and 10,000 miles (just had my 10k service - $200) I have had no electrical glitches at all.

One might also consider that in England the 'Lucas: Prince of Darkness' ghost is all around...electrical impulses have always gotten the heebejeebee's anywhere near the home of The Lucas Electric Co., which, of course, is known to all Limies as the company that created refigeration that didn't and the entire god-forsaken electrical system for the MG, the car that one must learn to drive WITHOUT headlights, as they are apt to quit at the worst possible moment.

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Permalink Reply by 451 Kahn on August 14, 2008 at 1:16am

The ECU in the Smart is in the safest place. No H2O is going to find it. You will have to be in 3 foot flood for the ECU to get damaged. It is secured to the 451 with 4 3 inch Torx bolts. Rain should be no problem for the 451. Speed sensitive Wipers. Engine has splash guards and sits high up. The air intake is far above ground. I believe that Smart will drive through knee high standing water. I take my Lexus 470 through running water that goes over the hood and not a single drop comes inside the engine bay or the passanger compartment. I do have a snorkel on it.

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Permalink Reply by Ian Pellant on August 14, 2008 at 7:18am

The rain we get here can be beyond reason... as some fools discovered in our flash floods March this year:

I'm happy if the rain splash doesn't get in... extreme hydroplaning and subermersibles, I'll leave to others.
(Those floods in March at my corner intersection.... I phoned the office and told them see you later in the week!)

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Permalink Reply by 451 Kahn on August 16, 2008 at 4:02am

The good thing about the Smart is that it sits high. Good ground clearance. Driving slow in water is the best way to go. Smart has a cover on the bottom of the engine. This will keep the splashes away. Smart Electronics sit inside the car well protected.

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Permalink Reply by neal on August 14, 2008 at 10:55am

Hold on there little dogie. The smart is NOT a Labrador (loves water) and should NOT be driven with more than a few inches of water on the road. This vehicle only weighs 1500-1800 lbs. and is too light to withstand very much moving water so DON' T try to navigate heavy flooding. If you want to be a idiot and go through knee high water, be my guest but don't recommend this idiotic idea to others and call it safe. Neal of Texas

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Permalink Reply by Gary on August 14, 2008 at 1:38pm

Lexus with water running over hood with no H2O in engine compartment? What you smokin?

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Permalink Reply by Ian Pellant on August 15, 2008 at 11:56pm

Hey Guys,

Read the fine print... these pics are of the idiots that tried to drive through local flooding, and is just an example of how much rain we get here in THE WET TROPICS. The point being made: it can rain heavily.

Most offroad 4wd vehicles around here have snorkels fitted... about 1 in 100 of such trucks do go river crossing. It looks absurd at first to see so many vehicles fitted with snorkels. If you go bush in the wet season, they may be needed.... but not in the city where my smart will be.

I'm way too sane and experienced to expect the tiny smart to cross more than 4" of static water at very low speed. At that would only be if there was no alternative route.

What is of concern is water spray in heavy rains misting into the engine bay.

I owned several old Renaults way back in the late 60's and early 70's. They were rear engined. In average rain around Sydney, the engine would become saturated from drawing in road spray from the side and rear air intakes as well as from the rear wheels splashing it up. In those days of distributors and ignition leads, ignition failure did happen a few times when the moisture got in and caused shorts. It was then time for a new distributor cap and leads.

I'm just curious if anyone has had any experience with the 451 fortwo driving in very heavy rain (not crossing floods!).

My cousin in the UK had a smart roadster. They were based on a stretched 450 fortwo platform. The engine was the M-B built 3 cylinder turbo petrol. Not much in common with the current 451 engine hardware....

The electrics ?? Don't know how they are now. All he knows is that there were moisture problems a couple of years back. That was in the infamously damp English weather... which is damp, but not as warm and humid as it is here.

My smart is now about 6 weeks away; so it arrives in the dry season. Guess I'll know if problems exist in the New Year when the wet season hits.
____________________________
Now you can figure if I'm crazy or not:

With every car I've owned since those early Renaults, I have made it a policy to wash the engine occasionally. Except for a Jeep, all those cars have been Japanese and have never blinked after a wash and have started and run perfectly. That may sound extreme, but think about what happens when you are driving in heavy rain.... a front mounted engine is sucking in and spraying a lot of water which mists through the radiator. How many stalled cars do you see at the side of the road in heavy rains?

What happens in the smart?

Has any smart owner ever washed the engine? Doubt if many have. It should be okay to lift the lid on a cold engine and pour a bucket or two of clean water over everything. Then close the lid and seal it.... wait a few minutes and then start it... or not...! Anyone who has owned a motorcyle knows the value of hosing an engine at home to check for troubles before getting stuck in heavy rain.

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Permalink Reply by 451 Kahn on August 16, 2008 at 3:42am

We go off pavement and having a snorkel helps. I was amazed going through a river but the engine bay remained dry. The water went over the hood many times during the crossing.
The black LX470 is mine with a heavy duty bumper that can ram through cars like butter.

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Permalink Reply by 451 Kahn on August 16, 2008 at 4:00am

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Permalink Reply by Ian Pellant on August 16, 2008 at 5:36am

You'd feel at home here... ARB do a roaring business on "accessory bars" and heavy front bumpers and winches.

"ram through cars like butter".... you do drive a smart too?

The scary bit is seeing one stop behind at the lights, filling the rear view mirror. My Forester has double grooves in the rear bumper from a bull bar rolling into it when stopped.

The good news is that most of them are diesel and accelerate about half as fast as a smart.... such are the cat and mouse games in the city between traffic lights.

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Permalink Reply by 451 Kahn on August 16, 2008 at 11:29pm

I don't want any car run into me with a ARB. Total destruction.
I guess you are getting some answers. When it is heavy rain stay home. If you have to drive drive slow. Most of the time in foul weather it is 4x4 drivers who get in trouble because they asume they are invinciable.

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