I'm just wondering if there are any risks when a hybrid car, like a Prius goes through some levels of flood. Its already the raining season right now in Lagos, Nigeria, and there has being reported cases of conventional cars being flooded. Let's assume the flood levels got to the top of the tyres. I do know if they get to the fender section or the hood, they could pose a serious risk to the engine(hydro lock it), and even damage some of the electronics of the car(inverter/converter assembly; eCVT; electric power steering). My concern is this: would there be any risk of electrocution, if the car is submerged above the inverter assembly and the traction battery? Thanks guys for your replies.
Hello, There is a Technical Service Bulletin, T-SB-0229-12, that is completely dedicated to dealing with the car after flood encounters: first, making the car safe, second, classifying the exposure into a series of levels (level 1, lower edge of rim; level 2, axle centerline; level 3, top of rocker panel/lower door edge; level 4, lower edge of dash panel; level 5, top edge of dash panel) and whether the car was driven in the water, and whether the water was fresh or salt ... and third, what needs to be checked for each level, and repaired. I don't know if you can easily pull up the TSB from a Toyota site in your area, but maybe you can find a pdf of it somewhere. Besides electrical shock, a risk they attend to is fire, and recommend that the car be stored well away from any valuable structures while it is drying and being evaluated and fully repaired. As with any modern car, flooding damage can very easily become economically prohibitive to repair. -Chap
the battery sits fairly low. i would open it up and take a look. you may not want to go anywhere near the depth of the bottom elevation. i get nervous when the water is up to axle height, and i never proceed if i don't know the depth.
There's lots of risks, not just hybrid related. For starters: not knowing how deep it's gonna get, out in the middle, lol. If nobody's traversed it ahead of you, or if you're at all unsure: don't do it. And if you do go for it: take it dead slow.
