Automatic Car Wash and Snorkel

[tekbench]

I've got a new (2005) LR3 for a work truck. We routinely drive our existing Disco II in feet of snow, lots of dust, dirt and generally wet nasty conditions (Pacific Northwest Washington, USA). Some deep water from time to time. Our department repairs Radio Transmitter sites. We opted for the Snorkel on the new LR3 just in case. Sometimes it gets really ugly out there, and as a dealer installed option it made sense (cost wasn't really and issue).
However, my guys muck up the Disco II really good, and then drag it back to the office a complete mess. In the Disco, we just run it through the local car wash. We don't care a ton about making sure we don't have swirly marks in the paint. It's a real work truck, and we treat it as such.
I didn't even think to ask if you could run a LR3 with a snorkel and factory roof rack through an automatic car wash without it destroying it, or the car wash.
Anybody tried it before? The dealer is, of course, less than helpful.

 

[davez26]

The factory roof rack will make it through the car wash, (brushless high pressure), and snorkel should be okay. Trirling brushes and stuff, roof rack okay, snorkel, no okay, will rip the top off.
From your post, it seems to me that you were led to beleive it is a snorkel, for deep water. It's not. It is a raised air intake, to reduce dust intake by raising the intake air much higher. Unless it was heavily modified, you still has a wading depth of 27.6 inches. The air intake tube has a bunch of tubes for drainage, and the air box even has drain holes in the bottom.
I'm glad you are using it as a work truck. It can take the heat, and be comfortable to drive.

 

[zdas04]

My LR3 is also a work truck (no snorkle) and I've taken it through many regular car washes (brushes on the side, rug looking things dragged over the hood and roof) and even took it through an extreme truck wash (200 gpm at around 300 psig) a couple of times. Nothing fell off, but every so often water gets into the oil pressure sensor relay and you get a horrible red oil-can light on the dash. I really freaked the first couple of times but now it has happend dozens of times and I usually just go home or go to lunch and let it dry for a half hour or so. Never any lingering problems from it, just scary.

David

 

[nwoods]

and the air box even has drain holes in the bottom.

I was under this impression also, but I pulled mine out of the truck the other day, and there is NOT a drain hole in the bottom. Instead, it is a one way purge valve. I think the air box is pretty liquid tight. That must be why there are 200 screws holding the lid on ...well, okay, maybe 8 or 10, but it sure seems like more than neccessary

 

[nwoods]

I have been through a car wash with the snorkle on. No worries, it does not rise above the roof line, so the brushes or roller wheels skip it or roll past it on the sides.

HOWEVER, you will want to tape or superglue the little black plastic screw caps on. they come off very easily, and are quite hard to come by should you need to replace them. In fact, you should do this even if you never plan to wash your truck again.