Water and Electrics

ERover82

ERover82

Well-known member
Nov 26, 2011
3,927
460
Darien Gap
Washed the D1 today. Engine bay too as usual. Went to start truck and got a rapid clicking from security module, and strangely the fuel injectors. Obviously water got somewhere it shouldn't and will just wait for it to dry out. However, now I have no confidence in its water fording abilities. Anyone have success water proofing and fording?
 
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yoface13

Well-known member
Nov 22, 2006
87
0
charlottesville, va
Had the same question a while back and found someone's personal guide to waterproofing based on an Army instruction or manual. I saved it somewhere because I knew I'd never find it again. The main thing I got out of it is that I now use dielectric grease on all electrical connections. I also use chassis saver on any metal for rust sealing/proofing. Not the same thing, but in the sense that it keeps water from touching bare metal, that's kind of what I'm going for.
 
fishEH

fishEH

Well-known member
Jan 26, 2009
6,930
203
Lake Villa, IL
Yeah, have fun with that. Unwanted water ingress contributed to the death of my '98. You'll want to do something about about the ECU.
Water got in mine and formed this gelatinous ooze of corrosion and water.


 
Last edited:
kennith

kennith

Well-known member
Apr 22, 2004
10,891
172
North Carolina
EricTyrrell said:
Washed the D1 today. Engine bay too as usual. Went to start truck and got a rapid clicking from security module, and strangely the fuel injectors. Obviously water got somewhere it shouldn't and will just wait for it to dry out. However, now I have no confidence in its water fording abilities. Anyone have success water proofing and fording?
Click to expand...

I'm going to state the obvious here, to start with. I'll bring up a few more points later.

Drive slowly and don't go deeper than the front wheels. You'll have no trouble at all. If you want to go deeper, keep it below the fan and create a good, controlled bow wave to maintain that state.

My Jag will ford a foot of water without issue.

As for washing the engine bay, you've just exposed it to more water than it would ever see so long as you follow the above two instructions.

Also, your car is officially old now. Countless electrical connectors, whether the devices work or not, have become insufficiently sealed over time.

Cheers,

Kennith
 
crown14

crown14

Well-known member
May 11, 2006
6,288
4
Clayton, NC
There is an inherent problem on all Land Rovers with firewall mounted fuel cutoff (inertia) switches. The harness wiring to the switch isn't tape wrapped or heat shrunk or sealed at all, it just has a loose sheath. This sheath holds water and washing the engine is the best was to get it full of water... everyone should do themselves a favor and unplug the inertia switch, dump any water out of its harness, and let it dry before tape sealing it. Or cut the sheath off carefully and. Tape wrap it, then use some split conduit over it (which will let any future water drain out.
 
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nfbeckman

Well-known member
Dec 10, 2013
110
14
Memphis,TN
Once you resolve your current issue Id do these things if you want to help prevent future water/electical failures.
1. dissasemble the computer and reasemble while sealing all panels with gacket sealer also around were the connectors go thru the box. and when you reinstall it in the truck seal the splash shield along the fender.
2. the two most important sensors on the engine to maintain forward movment are the crank sensor and cam sensor. remove those connectors and smear die-electric grease arrount the factory rubber seal. NOT THE CONTACTS!
3. think about converting to an electric fan with a cut off switch on the dash to kill all power to the fan for deep water.
4. always carry a good used ECM, Fuel pump relay, and inertia switch or way to jump it.
5. Snorkel and raised breathers
I did these things and was very supprised that my rover was able to cross a fairly wide small river with water cresting the hood for about a 1 minute duration. I had no faith in it either before I did these things as steam from the exhaust would simply make it run like shit.
 
crown14

crown14

Well-known member
May 11, 2006
6,288
4
Clayton, NC
Also, if you didn't already do this, silicone grease both ends of every spark plug/coil wire. Make sure all the air intake hose clamps are tight. make sure the air filter is seated properly in the airbox and the MAF oring isn't missing. Silicone grease the seal on the MAF connector. Make sure the engine and transmission dipsticks seat on their tubes and stay there. I had one truck that would always pop the transmission dipstick out, drove me crazy.
 
ptschram

ptschram

Well-known member
Sep 27, 2004
21,955
50
In the shop doing the Lord's work one broken Rover
www.ptschram.com
fishEH said:
Yeah, have fun with that. Unwanted water ingress contributed to the death of my '98. You'll want to do something about about the ECU.
Water got in mine and formed this gelatinous ooze of corrosion and water.


Click to expand...

I told you I probably could fix that if you had just sent it to me...:banghead:

crown14 said:
Also, if you didn't already do this, silicone grease both ends of every spark plug/coil wire. Make sure all the air intake hose clamps are tight. make sure the air filter is seated properly in the airbox and the MAF oring isn't missing. Silicone grease the seal on the MAF connector. Make sure the engine and transmission dipsticks seat on their tubes and stay there. I had one truck that would always pop the transmission dipstick out, drove me crazy.
Click to expand...

If dipsticks are popping out, there is a bigger problem.
 
crown14

crown14

Well-known member
May 11, 2006
6,288
4
Clayton, NC
Mine was just not seating firmly in the tube . Its not like it was shooting out like a fucking bottle rocket PT
 
p m

p m

Administrator
Staff member
Apr 19, 2004
15,651
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La Jolla, CA
www.3rj.org
ptschram said:
Check your vent lines.

If you have so much pressure it's blowing the dipstick out, you'll be blowing the input seal soon.
Click to expand...
PT, methinks if I had, it would've blown the seals 200kmi ago. The dipstick is just loose, and vibration wiggles it upwards. It behaves the same way on 3 out of 4 rovers I have (one just doesn't get driven enough).
 
listerdiesel

listerdiesel

Well-known member
Feb 16, 2010
1,113
1
Rushden, Northants
www.stationary-engine.co.uk
At least the early ECU's had a modicum of protection, Thor engine ECU's are not sealed in any way at all, and LR fit them down by the floor!!!

Just been inside my son's LPG ECU, trying to pin down a weird misfire/stumble on LPG which doesn't happen if you have a laptop plugged in and reading live data.

We think it's the internal 5V regulator, the 5V rail being boosted by the USB connection.

Just swapped it out and he is off on a test run as I type.

Peter
 
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