Ok if you were to cross a river and the water came up to about your chest, wouldnt that kll all the elctrical? Besides the dist. I mean like all your lights and all the fuses and stuff. I dont know anything about DC except that DC motors can run underwater for some reason.

 

What do you mean by DC?
Are you talking about Diesel motors,Yes they can run submerged because they dont use a distribitor or coil Etc.But you must be carefull not to let water into the air intake,or it will hydrulic(seize).
As far as driving in water up to your chest,I would say
Not A Good Idea Captain Nemo.

 

I assume he is referring to DC, as in "Direct Current" electrical systems and motors

 

the car doesnt run on DC which is direct current its internal combustion.... but switches and fuses and anything that could arc would short due to water unless insulated against it

 

Oh ok,I get ya:pat:
Well it still not a good mix,electrics & water

 

In theory you should be fine as 12V DC is not enough to even cross a small distance in water, resistance is too high. However electronics do not like water at all and have to be sealed properly, (very simple explanation) as water have the tendancy to change the resistance properties on electronic boards and components and they tend to get damaged.

 

I've run my 87 4Runner up to its mirrors during a river crossing with no electrical issues other than a wet distributor. Another one of the nice things about the 1st gen, most of the connectors are sealed. This doesn't happen anymore.

Gotta watch out for hydrolock, lest you bend a connecting rod, and change fluid in axles and transmission when you get back, as water leaks in through the breathers.

 

First and foremost, remember that if you suck water into your air filter it will die, at best, and hydrolock and bend rods and break cranks at worst. Chest deep, unless you're running 10 inch lift and 38s, aint gonna happen. Remember where your intake snorkel is? Headlight deep can be a killer. Mirror deep is deeper than the intake so I don't see that happenin either with stock intake, and god forbid you cross deep water with one of those CAI setups!

As for the electrical, usually isn't much of an issue except for the distributor. THAT has to be dry. If you like to play in deep water (I always did, and can tell you first hand about crankcases full of water and bent rods...) spray lithium battery cable waterproofing (red stuff - looks like red candle waz when it dries) into and all over every single connection you can find on the whole rig. Toyota distributors (at least older ones) were very well sealed, but spray all around the cap and wires and at the coil too. Better yet put a surgical glove on it with the wires poking out the finger holes. I've had a rig float away on me, I've hydro-locked, and also been plain lucky and had nothing happen when it sure should have! Worst ever was a bent rod. I was lucky. By the way, even the nicer SR5 interiors can be hosed out - just pull the plugs under the mats, then make sure it really thoroughly air dries...

Good times. I miss those days.

 

i didnt want to go that deep, but ive seem some videos where there is alot of water in the cab and was just wondering how all the elctricals still work under that much water.

 

As long as you keep the air intake dry, I never had a single electrical problem. Clean off your door seals and you shouldn't even get water inside either, unless you get stuck and stay too long in deep water. I got my 4Runner stuck in deep muddy water (that got inside!) 2 weeks after I bought it. I had like about 6 inches of muddy water inside. I was horrified, but it served me right...

Here's some pics, all this talk about my old 85s and I finally had to dig out some pics and scan them... This guy in the Scout made the mistake of following me...

 

This was near that same spot, maybe 7 years earlier. My 4Runner was only a few weeks old when this was taken. I'm sure because the first hunting season I had it I ripped the back bumper off. A homemade bumper, winch mount, and 4"lift with 33s followed the next spring. This is bone stock. So this has to be 1985.

 

Stuck!!

 

oregon mud. Check out my winch mount. I was pretty proud of that. I cut out the bumper and frenched the winch into it, so it didn't hang off the front looking ugly.