Had to cross the river Stour yesterday. I managed the approach road OK (about a foot deep) but as I got nearer to the road bridge realized there was a strong current of water flowing over it with the flood extending as far as you could see.

Didn't like the thought of my 10 year old crank sensor getting a soaking and leaving the Stilo stranded in an ever deepening flood - so bottled it!

That's when I made the mistake of reversing out! The undertray protects the engine when moving forwards but when reversing acts like a massive water scoop. So much water got crammed into the engine compartment, the weight of it sheared the undertray clean off the front 10mm bolts.

As it happened, the tray just about stayed on and I managed to get across a bit further down stream and home without further mishap (just come back from Italian Car Spares POOLE who managed a quick repair job )

If anyone finds themselves in similar situation then remember to do a 3 point turn (or more if it's a narrow road ) instead of reversing - or if you're really forced to reverse then take it REALLY REALLY SLOW!

Take it easy

Worth remembering. Cheers for the head up

Same applies if driving through snow, of course...

or take the Landrover that day

Interesting! I think the Stilo's under tray survives better generally than the ones on Alfa 156/166. Well it seems a little better secured and less delicate, but it's good to know about the weakness in reverse.

Glad to see you're still around and offering advice as practical as ever, Argonought!

I remember learning all about how taking corners faster saves fuel, about how fitting a brake light switch is not too difficult if you practice shuffling a deck of cards with one hand upside down in the dark first (oops, that was Deckchair5 ), and about how the five-door is definitely the better-looking Stilo.

It's all stood by me and it's great to be back.

Meanwhile here at this time of year I have a few different problems to deal with - namely the need for sunscreen at the bottom of one's back while working on the engine.

-Alex

mine got smashed off by speed bumps and was that bad i never bothered to get a new one!

alexGS said:

Glad to see you're still around and offering advice as practical as ever, Argonought!

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Thanks for for heads up Alex

I've just realized how ironic this thread is - since it would turn out that I'd be one of the 1st to ignore my own advice :doh:

When I was standing next to my half submerged Stilo I fully appreciated the importance of being pulled out front first. My 4x4 friend however was quick to point that "it's always best to come out the way you got in - since at least you know that's feasible".

It was impossible to see what was under the water at the time and being pulled out forwards or backwards made equal sense to me. However, going back today (water level was least a foot lower) I could see that being pulled forward would have led to complete disaster!

In other words, sacrificing the undertray (still attached at the time) was the only option

Argonought said:

In other words, sacrificing the undertray (still attached at the time) was the only option

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Meh... Still having an undertray just means you haven't had enough fun. Much more importantly, you still have a Stilo!