[conebred]

I know the benefits and reasons for having a snorkel/scuba to protect the motor and drivetrain from deep water crossings but what things should be considered in respect to the electrical ? After my last adventure I noticed that it seems nearly impossible to keep the cab from taking on water. I am concerned that my ecu and other factory electrical systems might fail if I were to be stuck in deeper (sigh) water in the future What kind of mods could be done to ensure that doen't happen? I thought about just using silicone around the connectors under the seats and the othe obvious places but I think that might have some backlashes. Is there a aftermarket weatherproof fuse box or connectors similar to the stock ones that are available? I have already got some marine 6x9 speakers for the doors.

 

[Capt Sensible]

I have heard talk before of relocating your ecu to the roof area. But if memory serves me the general consensus is that there would be problems with adding the extra distance of wires to get it there, more wire means more resistance. Plus you would still need to figure out how to waterproof your connections.

I read on a jeep forum once, about some jeepers will some how mount their ecu in, yes, a tupperwear container. I would imagine there is a lot of silicone sealing involved. But, I would imagine that it would actually work well for waterproofing your ecu. Only down fall is there are so many electrical connections all over these rigs.

If you're going to do it, you really need to strip it all down and literally address every single wire. Honestly this is something I would like to do, but don't see myself actually doing. Just like one day I hope to remove the flooring and line-x the bottom of the tub. The FJ is great, but there are some areas where I felt like Toyota dropped the ball.

 

[FJNewb]

I read on a jeep forum once, about some jeepers will some how mount their ecu in, yes, a tupperwear container. I would imagine there is a lot of silicone sealing involved. But, I would imagine that it would actually work well for waterproofing your ecu. Only down fall is there are so many electrical connections all over these rigs.

Not a great idea when you consider heat dissipation. Running your ECU at higher than normal temperatures will have adverse effects. Also consider that there is not just 1 ECU in the FJ....Main ECU, 4x4 ECU, Elocker ECU...just to name a couple. Not only do you have to relocate all the ECU's, but also fuel pump wiring and everything else that runs into the back of the FJ. Then don't forget everything behind the dash....as you can see where I'm getting its not really that practical.

If you're going to do it, you really need to strip it all down and literally address every single wire. Honestly this is something I would like to do, but don't see myself actually doing. Just like one day I hope to remove the flooring and line-x the bottom of the tub. The FJ is great, but there are some areas where I felt like Toyota dropped the ball.

The FJC was never designed to forde deep water and Toyota never advertised it to do so...not sure how you can fault Toyota for dropping the ball when it was never designed to go in much over 2.25' of water. If your main driver is water crossings you need to start looking back a few generations at vehicles which don't have has many electronic headaches (40 & 60 series). The bottom line is water will get in, so the easiest way to get around it is simply walking your line before hand to determine if it is too deep or too soft (i.e. you'll likely get stuck)

 

[fj6high]

It would be way to much work and trouble trying to waterproof all the interior electronics.Someday down the road maybe 10 or so yrs. when I tear it all down. I would try and seal the tub and modify the door seals and relocate the front& rear vents. The big issue is the suicide doors.

Your not going to turn it into a submarine...but you could make it more water resistant than stock. Slow the water down just enough to be recovered before you fry everything.

 

[OK_FJ]

A bigger lift should do the trick, but then you run the risk of the ******* look. :lol:

 

[DoWork]

Disregarding the fact that the FJ was never meant to go swimming, old trucks that do ford deep water for long periods of time are meant to take on water. If you completely seal all points of water entry, then your car would float every time you went into something deep.

 

[woodsltc]

A bigger lift should do the trick, but then you run the risk of the ******* look. :lol:

Sounds good to me ............I am a ******* !! :wave:

 

[conebred]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I guess what I'm going to do is replace all the rubber drain plugs in the floorboards with some 2-piece knockout plugs that are left over from work. I think that would at least not let it fill up as fast as it did. When i removed the floor liner i noticed 4 were gone and 3 were popped out. I will definately be more careful about water in the future.
With all the negatives about the electrical and water fording, why so many snorkeled rigs?
I was planning on installing the one that I have out the passenger fender soon like normal but after reading about all this am considering routing into the cab somewhere. Not that I ever plan on going through another bottomless swamp anytime soon. But......who ever plans these kind of things? I have obviously caught Mod fever and want to do things right.

A bigger lift should do the trick, but then you run the risk of the ******* look. :lol:

Yeah. It's already bad enough that I'm in NW FL and installed obnoxios "Dukes of hazzard" horns that sound more like a sandwich truck than dixie !

Not a great idea when you consider heat dissipation. Running your ECU at higher than normal temperatures will have adverse effects. Also consider that there is not just 1 ECU in the FJ....Main ECU, 4x4 ECU, Elocker ECU...just to name a couple. Not only do you have to relocate all the ECU's, but also fuel pump wiring and everything else that runs into the back of the FJ. Then don't forget everything behind the dash....

Has anyone actually done this yet?
I'm sure that it would be extremely labor intensive and spend a good while down. Which I don't mind. Would the existing ecu's even fit under the head liner? Sorry about all questions but I'm just now getting into this.

 

[5150 Cruiser]

With all the negatives about the electrical and water fording, why so many snorkeled rigs?

A snorkel also has a performance benifit. Many that have them install with conjunction with a scan gauge have reported ambeit intake tempertures. Also better trottle response and gas milage. I have to say that is one of the reasons behind my purchase more than deep sea diving.

I'm sure that it would be extremely labor intensive and spend a good while down. Which I don't mind. Would the existing ecu's even fit under the head liner? Sorry about all questions but I'm just now getting into this.

problem is there are so many things that would have to be relocated... You have to ask yourself, is it really worth all the potential headache just to ford a crossing? There are also things that you can't relocate such as the gauge cluster and radio. (which sit at or around the same level as the ECM anyhow (i think) So if you can't do them all, then there's no point in doing just one, or even a couple.

 

[ducky]

With all the negatives about the electrical and water fording, why so many snorkeled rigs?

Cause when you go head first into the water, the stock location (CAI out the wheel well) is one of the first to suck water into the engine before the car get a chance to level out. Then the engine fan... and the pulleys... I hate mud

 

[Capt Sensible]

When I said that toyota dropped the ball, I just mean that I feel that they could have put a little more effort into the "waterproofing" of the interior. Just a few things here and there. 1. move as much electrical stuff as you can high up, and what cant be moved, really waterproof it. 2. The floor should be just line-xed or something to that effect instead of the rubber liner and padding. I know why they did that, and from a business perspective it makes sense, but I don't like it.

 

[U53ful 1di0t]

When I said that toyota dropped the ball, I just mean that I feel that they could have put a little more effort into the "waterproofing" of the interior. Just a few things here and there. 1. move as much electrical stuff as you can high up, and what cant be moved, really waterproof it. 2. The floor should be just line-xed or something to that effect instead of the rubber liner and padding. I know why they did that, and from a business perspective it makes sense, but I don't like it.

Although your frustration is justifiable you being an enthusiast, you have to understand that 90% of FJ owners consider going "off road" as pulling into the mall parking lot. The FJ is more than adequate for the "mass market" of customers that Toyota is targeting. Modyfing a vehicle to the extent you had mentioned would be much too costly for them to be able to offer the cars at the relatively low price that they sell them for, yet still be profitable and attractive to the public. In comparrison, the Hummer H1, which is designed to be a very capable vehicle off road in stock form, also costs $100,000...

 

[Steven13608]

Not to change or steal the thread, where are all the ecu's located? I recently found out that fjs dont like water and currently the truck doesnt wanna start.


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[David Beale]

I got my snorkel to get the intake out of the dust. I now have it turned backwards and it works well. I noticed a mileage increase - small but an increase. I noticed no difference facing forwards or backwards, but it stays cleaner (the intake opening) backwards so I don't have to spray water in there.

ECUs are behind the dash. Specifically behind the glove box.

If you pay attention to the floor drain plugs (keep them installed or replace when they disappear - and no, I have no idea where they go) the FJ can cross water without getting much inside. But you've only got about a minute in the water before you have to start worrying. It still leaks.

If you're tempted to use silicone rubber be sure to get the stuff labeled "Electronic grade". It won't corrode the copper.

Finally, if you do get stuck in deep water shut off the engine and disconnect the battery positive. Then tow it out. Then dry it out. You will have to access the ECUs and dry them as well - BEFORE you apply power! They will probably be ok unless power is applied when they're wet.

 

[FJTrailinator]

get a Kayak, Problem Solved. :-D

 

[Greggry]

Couple things here:

The FJ is not designed to take on water. It might have rubber floors, but there is material that will trap water underneath the ruber, which will result in smelly mold in the interior. There are floor vents for the heat/ac under the seats that will take on water as well. Once you get water trapped in the interior you can forget about getting the smell out.

ECUs can be relocated and waterproofed, this is not something for a rookie to do. You have to take into account many things run off resistance readings, and extended wires to the ECU can affect the numbers it sees, making it very difficult to have things work properly. Your better off doing a stand alone ECU for fuel injection that is designed to be waterproof from the start (like chevy's factory marine engines).

There are tons of wires everywhere in the FJ Floor, doors, dash, etc, and none of them are designed to be water proof. A couple water shorts and your down to salvaging the vehicle for parts because the cost of a shop to fix all the shorts would cost more then the threshold to replace the vehicle for insurance cases. Fuses might blow (saving the wire from total shorts) sure, but the residual wires that got wet will corrode, and short at a later date. The worst job I ever had to do was fix a wiring harness on a almost brand new vehicle that the owner had flooded out. 7K+ dollars and no guarntees it would last, because I had only fixed what I could get to without taking the whole car apart.

All the vehicles that last when submerged are typically much simpler designs. A carbed big block with a water proof distrubutor will run under water as long as the water isn't higher then the snorkel. running marine engines with water proof electronics will work too. You also have to worry about water getting into the transmission/tcases, diffs, etc.

I have been in some deep water and never had water coming into my truck, but then again I have a lift/big tires and I don't go in water thats much over my rock rails. If I wanted something that would foard deep water I would have bought a vehicle with no interior, oil/pressure fed guages instead of electrical, etc. Military humvees leak like a blown damn and don't have any wires running around, they run diesel engines that are more capable of running in water, and have very minimal electronics. Thats what you have to have to play submarine with a car.

 

[Glenarch]

liquid-tape or plasti-dip all the connectors in the danger zone of getting wet. plasti-dip your ECU with out unplugging it, make sure to get in between all the wires for a good seal the most important connectors to seal are the are bag sensors on the door sills also make sure you disconnect the battery when doing this. After all that is what plasti-dip or liquid tape was originally for, however it is very expensive to do mine cost me around $240 for the FJC and $8 for the FJ40 or you could just get a flood policy from the insurance guy for a $1.65 a month

 

[Greggry]

liquid-tape or plasti-dip all the connectors in the danger zone of getting wet. plasti-dip your ECU with out unplugging it,

Some ECUs generate a lot of heat and doing something like this will lead to premature failure of the ECU, and will likely violate any factory warranty dealing with the ecu or attached components. If this is what your down to to make a FJ a submarine then you might as well gut the whole interior and bed line it so you don't have mold problems, and eliminate most of all the wiring in the doors/floor/lower dash. Even the fuse box under hood and inside the cab is far from water proof.

******** may drive hillbilly trucks, but even they are smart enough to realize the only way to get a truck to last in deep mud and water is to have the engine and all electrical gear above the depth of the water/mud they are in. Alternators, fuse boxes, pulleys, ac compressor clutches, batteries, and everything else in a fj will not last in a water and grit enviroment.

I don't know what a ECU costs but thats small in comparision to the risks of loosing your whole car (and not having inusrance covering it because of whats know as "idiot clauses") going in 3 to 4 foot + of water. All off road vehicles like humvees will have water pour in everywhere, and then pour right back out so you don't have stangnant water in every crack and crevice to mold. Like I said before they don't have much of any electrical items below the dash level either.

If I recall the standard hummer h1 is rated to 30 inches of water depth, possibly 34 stock (remember the H1 is very low to the ground for its ground clearence and its intake pipe is right on the corner of the hood). If properly equipped with a snorkel a lot more then that, but at a risk of trashing the interior. Fjs are "rated" at 27.5 inches stock. running a lift and bigger tires will put you in the neighborhood of 30 inches. However thats with a bow wave infront of the vehicle, not sitting around idling in a big pool of water. The difference here is that the h1 is designed to take on water fast and drain it fast so it doesn't float. The FJ is not designed in this manner. Red necks with trucks that 4 foot of water doesn't even hit the running board will go through a lot more water (and last a lot longer) then even H1 hummers.

I guess its your vehicle and you can do what you want with it. If you want to play king of the water you should be looking at a 6 inch lift, tall tires, scuba mods, and gut your interior so you don't have issues with mold.

 

[Joepokah]

Yeah... You need to be careful with water haha. Side note - I would NOT recommend turning off your car if your buried in the water unless you want to hydro lock your motor. Always keep it running - and test the depth of water before going in.

I recently was out with a friend who has a 8" lift and 38s or something ridiculous and accidentally followed him into a deep... Really deep bit of water. Got out quick but I'm pulling up the mat and replacing the sound proofing underside with a water resistant liner because mine is shot...

Word to the wise, don't scuba haha
I have a 4" lift and 33s and the water was just at the top of the hood. Don't be stupid like me - lucky to escape with only damage to my girlfriends coach purse and a starter. Don't ask why she had the purse, sympathizing is the best route right now. Trust me..

 

[RomanHeber]

Some ECUs generate a lot of heat and doing something like this will lead to premature failure of the ECU, and will likely violate any factory warranty dealing with the ecu or attached components. If this is what your down to to make a FJ a submarine then you might as well gut the whole interior and bed line it so you don't have mold problems, and eliminate most of all the wiring in the doors/floor/lower dash. Even the fuse box under hood and inside the cab is far from water proof.

******** may drive hillbilly trucks, but even they are smart enough to realize the only way to get a truck to last in deep mud and water is to have the engine and all electrical gear above the depth of the water/mud they are in. Alternators, fuse boxes, pulleys, ac compressor clutches, batteries, and everything else in a fj will not last in a water and grit enviroment.

I don't know what a ECU costs but thats small in comparision to the risks of loosing your whole car (and not having inusrance covering it because of whats know as "idiot clauses") going in 3 to 4 foot + of water. All off road vehicles like humvees will have water pour in everywhere, and then pour right back out so you don't have stangnant water in every crack and crevice to mold. Like I said before they don't have much of any electrical items below the dash level either.

If I recall the standard hummer h1 is rated to 30 inches of water depth, possibly 34 stock (remember the H1 is very low to the ground for its ground clearence and its intake pipe is right on the corner of the hood). If properly equipped with a snorkel a lot more then that, but at a risk of trashing the interior. Fjs are "rated" at 27.5 inches stock. running a lift and bigger tires will put you in the neighborhood of 30 inches. However thats with a bow wave infront of the vehicle, not sitting around idling in a big pool of water. The difference here is that the h1 is designed to take on water fast and drain it fast so it doesn't float. The FJ is not designed in this manner. Red necks with trucks that 4 foot of water doesn't even hit the running board will go through a lot more water (and last a lot longer) then even H1 hummers.

I guess its your vehicle and you can do what you want with it. If you want to play king of the water you should be looking at a 6 inch lift, tall tires, scuba mods, and gut your interior so you don't have issues with mold.

You can play it with other private vehicles you don't have to modify your car for your own.And if you don't have issues with your car then you won't need any fixing or calling the waterproofing contractor for checking the internal wiring for it.