Is It Serious for a BMW to Stall in Water?
1 Answers
It is very serious for a BMW to stall in water. The lower position of the air intake makes the engine highly susceptible to water ingress during wading. When the water level exceeds the engine's air intake, water can be sucked into the engine cylinders. Since water is incompressible, if the vehicle is restarted after stalling due to water ingress, the immense reverse force can cause the connecting rods to bend and rub against the engine cylinder block, potentially rupturing it instantly and leading to severe engine damage. Below are relevant details: Automatic Stalling in Water: The reason why a BMW stalls automatically when wading is that BMW models, designed for high performance, have their air intake positioned below the air filter. This low air intake design results in poor wading capability, making the engine prone to stalling in water. Additionally, the turbocharger in turbocharged engines can easily draw water into the intake pipe. Therefore, if the water level exceeds the centerline of the wheel hub, forced wading should be avoided. Precautions: It is crucial to note that if a BMW stalls in water, never attempt to restart or turn over the engine. Doing so may result in the need for major engine repairs or even total engine failure. After wading, promptly contact your insurance company for damage assessment and arrange for a tow truck to prevent further damage. It is advisable to take the vehicle to a 4S shop or a professional repair shop where technicians can dismantle the cylinder block to drain the water.
