Got the below from Heartland X's site under their "ToolBox" section. Do you guys that cross water follow the below maintenance? Have any had water mix with diff oil as explained below?

Maintenance after Water-crossings
So once you have successfully crossed to the other side and are on your way home, you don't need to give the water crossing a second thought, right? Wrong! Any crossing at axle depth or deeper necessitates a checking of the diff oil for water contamination. Having an extended diff breather is not a 100% guarantee of waterproofness and any crossing above your axles without extended cliff breathers should mean a mandatory inspection.

Checking your diffs for water contamination is very easy. Since water is heavier than oil, it will collect at the lowest point in the diff, right where the drain plug is located. After allowing time for your vehicle to cool, just loosen the drain bolt and run a small amount (~20mls) of the diff oil into a glass. If you're unlucky enough to have water present, the diff oil should be drained. It is best to flush the diff several times to ensure all traces of water are removed. Milky coloured oil also indicates water is present and should also be changed.

If you're like the majority of 4WDrivers, you won't be able to change the diff oil until you get home, because you won't have spare oil and a sump pump to change it. If you suspect contaminated oil (a deep water crossing without extended diff breathers or perhaps you have leaking diff seals) then you can try and remove the water by draining the diff until only oil comes out the drain hole. Do not drain too much and leave your diff short of lubrication. Collect this oil and water emulsion as you should never dispose of oil into the environment. Save it till you get back home and dispose of it properly.

I'm not sure of the site you mentioned where you got this info, but they take some liberties.

I don't know about Xterra owners, but most off-road savvy LR owners carry enough gear oil to do a full change, enough coolant to do a coolant change, and enough oil and tranny fluid to do that as well. We also try to carry a suitable container to drain that stuff into. In my case, I carry HD trashbags with tie closures.

I extended my diff breathers and check the connections on regular inspection. I've rebuilt my axle seals with the proper versions to keep water and mud out. I also keep suitable stock of bearing and waterproof grease.

With stuff like this, it might be useful for newer X owners to follow the lead of long time jeepers or Rover owners. We tend to standardize fluids, toolkits, spare parts, etc. I generally have a fluids and spares box, a toolbox, and a recovery kit and serious first aid kit onboard all the time.

Water crossing is one of the most hostile environments in which to operate a truck. Water is not compatible with any system in your truck below the midline. It can cause havoc in anything that needs oil to work properly, which is most stuff below the seats.

-P

So, you mean to tell me that on all these websites dedicated to Xterras that all these people stop soon after water/mud crossings and do a field diff check? This has not been mentioned anywhere else on any site I have recently looked into, nor have I seen fleets of owners doing checks and changes in pics or roadside. My other question would be, in many sites you see crossings in water over/ to almost window level of water/mud, are the doors waterproof or do people just deal with wetness and mud?

Field Check or At-Home Check, I wonder if our frequent X offroaders here do this check at all. I haven't read on our site of this being done, maybe it should be done without saying.

I'm just looking for feedback on this check that I should or should not be concerned about for water crossings around mid to top tire, not much higher.

Not only should you check your diffs, but your transfer case too (well at least on toyotas so I'm assuming on Xs too) if you go that deep. Toyota owners usually extend the transfer case breather too, in fact, they do it with a nissan part.

Yes, when people cross really deep water they just deal with the water in the cab. A lot of times you'll see them open their doors and out comes a deluge of water. On my 4runner the computer is located by the passenger kick panel and many people waterproof it or move it higher.

Steve

The thing is not many people go through water deeper than their hubs so its never an issue.

not many, but it has happened... and it seems its happened a lot recently

no seriously... this has been discussed... ad infinitum. deep water = check fluids, repack bearings.

as a side note... the X computer is located in front of the center console below the dash, if i recall correctly... and yes, there have been a couple people on here that have dunked theirs

What about Huey? :p

Actually, I have checked my fluids after water runs, and it has been suggested to me (and I tend to agree) to change the diff fluids and repack the hubs after a good dunking, just to be on the safe side. I'd rather spend the small aount of money to change all of my fluids, than to have water or contaminated oils and have to replace parts of my drivetrain...very expensive parts. Better safe than sorry.

SCoach:
:rolleyes: please note thick layer of sarcasm :rolleyes:
Wow, first...nice podium Professor.
Yeah, None of us Xterra owners have a first aid kit, not in any shape or form.
What is this toolbox you talk of?
Recovery Kit? You mean Rovers get stuck?

Of course, none of us know anything about offroading if we just bought our Xterra, because we must have never done it before. We must also know nothing about vehicle maintenance, because we've never owned a Rover (which I hear, along with opwning a FIAT, is an acceptable experience to instantly become a head mechanic).

So thank you, great dispenser of knowledge, for enlightening the ignorant and helping the simple folk that aren't worthy to own a Rover... :rolleyes:
end thick layer of sarcasm

SCoach:
Wow, first...nice podium Professor.
Yeah, None of us Xterra owners have a first aid kit, not in any shape or form.
What is this toolbox you talk of?
Recovery Kit? You mean Rovers get stuck?

Give it a rest man. I know you guys get a stock first aid kit in the truck. And I'll admit I have no idea what's in it. But carrying a good first-aid kit is important to personal safety. If you take offense to that, you're not as smart as I thought you were. Toolbox is for tools, recovery gear is for our trucks as well as others. Rovers get stuck and so do other trucks.

Of course, none of us know anything about offroading if we just bought our Xterra, because we must have never done it before. We must also

I didn't say that, but thought it appropriate on a post about basic maintenance after crossing water to mention a few things.

know nothing about vehicle maintenance, because we've never owned a Rover (which I hear, along

Who said anything about owning a Rover?

with opwning a FIAT, is an acceptable experience to instantly become a head mechanic).

Hmm... so you're saying you know everything about off-roading, but nothing about other trucks. Maybe if you spent less time being sarcastic and more time listening, you'd actually know something about Rovers or other trucks.

So thank you, great dispenser of knowledge, for enlightening the ignorant and helping the simple folk that aren't worthy to own a Rover... :rolleyes:

Worthy to own a Rover? What are you talking about? Since when is it a crime to give advice on carrying spare fluids, tools, and basic recovery gear in a truck. Just because you know this stuff, doesn't mean everyone else does...

...so much for inviting local Florida folk out for a multi-vehicle run. I wouldn't want to bruise your ego inviting you out to run with Rovers, Jeeps, Pinzes, Sammys, Hummers, or other non-Xterras.

Geez, what a waste.

Whoa, hold up a second, and backtrack just a bit.

SCoach, before you fly farther off the handle...
My comments were not intended to be a personal attack, and I apologize if they were interpreted as such.
My tone was 100% sarcastic, hence my comments were a joke and intended to be taken with a grain of salt and as nothing more than humor. Apparently you think my comments were my personal reflection on you, and they aren't. I was just ribbing you a little, partially because you drive a couple of cool offroad vehicles, but not an X (not that it matters to me anyway).

If you want to assume that I don't want to run with non-X's, then you obviously have missed that I have been on joint runs with Xterras, Jeeps, Toyotas, and an Isuzu Vehi-cross. As I said in the thread regarding the joint run, I am up for it. I also asked if a finalized date has been set, and still don't know if it has. I don't really care what anyone else drives, and it doesn't matter to me unless they give me the "mine is better than yours" attitude. You post had phrases about Jeep and Rover owners (and Xterra owners following their lead) which made it sound like thjose owners knew what to get and do, while Xterra owners have no clue what to get for mainentance and trail saftey. I know you didn't mean that, but I wasn't sure at first.

So, I posted my sarcastic section as a joke, picking on your comments, yes, but not on what you said, but how you said it. I'm sorry if you took it as a persoanl attack, because it wasn't. It was just a (what I thought, anyway) harmless joke, perpetrated at your expense. I figured you'd be cool with that, and I guess I was wrong.

Man, don't be so thin-skinned about sarcatsitic comments. It's just a message board, and my comments were meant to be humorous only. I didn't think I'd have to add "Humouros, funny, joking portion of post, do not take this seriously" because I had said "thick layer of sarcasm" which I believed had expressed that.

I figured a little humorous perspective might avoid another "Rover vs Xterra vs whatever" pissing contest, because it just isn't worth it (and with a Rover and Toyota owner jumping in talking about what maintenance Xterra owners should do, I saw that this thread could definately go in that direction, and I'm personally getting sick of those kinds of arguments because they always just end up in juvenile name calling contests.

I'm sorry if I offended you, and I hope we can let bygones be bygones

Joke?

Ok, jokes are good with me. If I had known you were joking, then this would have been a non-issue. I have seen your posts in the past which is why this one really surprised me. Your notes on sarcasm led me to believe that you thight I was being condescending, when nothing is further from the truth. I have learned a TON from older Rover owners and Jeep owners, and I figured someone else here might learn too.

God knows, I don't care what anyone drives as long as they get out and drive. So no harm, no foul.

-P

I don't, I'm not that anal. Diffs and transfer cases are pressurized from heat, so the chance of water getting into them during a mild submergence is minimal if that. So far, I have never had water in a diff or transfer case, and that's in 6 trucks dating back to 1988.

Many old timers check them all the time because they drive rusty old crap with bad seals. Ask the same guys if they check for water every time they drive on the highway at 60 miles per hour in the rain, or when they wash their truck.

Try and get an honest explanation out of them.

'Top of the tire' is about 15 inches too deep. It's an Xterra, not a Hummer, and even a Hummer recommends only 22 inches without a fording kit.

If it's deeper than the bottom of the body, get ready to open your wallet.

Then again, it's your truck, drive it through whatever you want, many people here will tell you it's OK.

So, Ian, would you also agree that in any situation where any fluid or semi-fluid (mud) comes in somewhat extended contact with the undercarriage, that we should be worried?

Yes, that was stupid to say top of tire. So middle of tire should be OK.

That's the problem, they are pressurized by heat. When you sink your diff in 55 degree water, it doesn't stay hot for very long. The front gearboxes are vented to the crankcase, so they should keep fairly well pressurized. The rear is vented to the air. When the diff is rapidly cooled, it will suck in air from the sudden contracting of the air in it. If the diff vent can't supply the air fast enough, it will suck in from the hubs, through the seals. If the hubs are in the water, it will suck in water instead of air. That's one of the main ways you can get water in your diff's.

If you can suck water through the seals that easily, wouldn't gear oil be spraying out of them all the time ?

I see his point. The warming is gradual, the pressure can vent properly, but a rapid cooling could create more vacuum than the tiny vent could keep up with and create a brief suction at the seals that might be enough to draw in water. Not likely, but possible.

Brent

Exactly. Not likely, but possible. It would not be large amounts of water by any means, but some would get pulled through. This is much less likely on the rear axle than it is in the front hubs. When they get cooled quickly, they will definately pull in water. BTW, Brent- Thanks for jinxing my argument with Ian. He hates you, now I'll never win!

Yup, I second this vote. This is the reason I've always heard.

Steve

So we are to assume that the 1/4" tubing for the diff vent can't allow about one tenth of a cubic foot of air into the diff in a few seconds, yet that same tubing is capable of handling over 100 CFM ?