I briefly touched on preparation for deep water wading earlier in this series, but I would now like to concentrate on certain aspects of wading in all Land Rover models.
Land Rover Series I, II and III vehicles have oil bath air cleaners and are sufficiently high enough within the engine bay to keep them out of water.

Land Rover 90, 110 and 127/130 V8 petrol models have their air cleaners high above the engine - like my own 90. Again, no problem if normal wading depth is not exceeded. Yes, I know the accompanying pictures will make you grin!

But on Land Rover 90/110 and 127/130 four-cylinder petrol and naturally aspirated diesel-engined models the air cleaner (paper element type) intakes are lower. Not too clever, should you exceed normal maximum wading depth, or drive too fast and splash water about under the bonnet. If you're concerned, consider fitting a high-level external air intake, usually called a 'snorkel', on these vehicles.

If you use a Land Rover 90/110/130 diesel, Defender Tdi, or Td5 which has its air intake positioned on the side of the wing just above and behind the wheel arch, you could be asking for problems if crossing water that is too deep. Mark my words. The 200 Tdi models have their air intake on the left wing and 300 Tdis, on the right-hand side.

You don't need much water to splash up across this side vent to cause water getting in. Imagine that you are crossing a fast-flowing river, maybe a touch too deep. The wall of water coming down into the side of the vehicle could instantly cover the intake and completely spoil an enjoyable day.

The only safe answer in this case is to fit an external high-level air intake. Several pounds spent now before embarking upon an expedition into the unknown where river crossings are envisaged, could save a lot of headaches.

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(c)Goodwinch Limited 2006