When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Pics of air intake 2019 C63S - hydrolock issue - Did the design change for 2019?
I’ve taken delivery of my 2019 AMG C63S coupe and have some photos of the air intake to share.
There have been been many discussions here about the design of the air intake and its association with the known potential to contribute to engine hydrolock in heavy wet conditions.
Here are are the photos.
So: did Mercedes change the design, or is the air intake the same?
I don't think the design causes a hydrolock issue at all... I think it was one blogger who made a big stink about it (probably made it up so he could get more views) and it spread like wildfire.
I don't think the design causes a hydrolock issue at all... I think it was one blogger who made a big stink about it (probably made it up so he could get more views) and it spread like wildfire.
Okay but a debate about that topic has been exhausted elsewhere. Let’s not go down that road again.
The purpose of this thread is simply for somebody who knows about these things to tell us if the design changed. Many knowledgeable people commented on the design and imagined a change for 2019.
Looks the same as my 2018. It's obvious that a hydro-lock can happen, but only if a wave of water washes over the hood from an oncoming vehicle, IMO, which I believe happened to the vlogger.
I've seen the video everyone is referring to and personal options of said person aside here's my opinion... Pretty much every modern vehicle has an intake design like that in an attempt to pickup a few HP. I've personally seen a honda accord suffer the same issue driving in flash flood conditions and getting hit with a "wave"... It's not a design fault, you just have to use common sense. If you're driving a car in conditions like that you're rolling the dice... If you try to restart your vehicle after being hit with a wave you're an idiot... If that happens you need to pull the plugs and motor over the engine.
I don't think the design causes a hydrolock issue at all... I think it was one blogger who made a big stink about it (probably made it up so he could get more views) and it spread like wildfire.
It was just one dumbass youtuber who did it for views. There's no worries about hydrolocking this engine bc of the intake position driving in rain. This same intake setup has been used on past V8biturbo MB engines for years now with now issues. M157 etc.
Words like “idiot,” “dumbass,” etc. belong elsewhere in a debate thread. This is a thread about facts, not one for re-hashing the issue.
Well you already got your answer so you can't say it's really been hijacked, because the basis of the fear is idiotic. The vehicle is still susceptible to that issue as is pretty much every car made in the past 20 or so years. If you're worried about it go buy a jacked up truck or something
Every time I drive in the rain I do a dance and say “please don’t lock up my 4 liter” and it works like a charm every time. Haven’t locked up that motor even once! 😋
Well you already got your answer so you can't say it's really been hijacked, because the basis of the fear is idiotic. The vehicle is still susceptible to that issue as is pretty much every car made in the past 20 or so years. If you're worried about it go buy a jacked up truck or something
1) I never indicated I harbored fear
2) Your conclusion is your opinion, so don’t pretend to speak as if your conclusion is fact. I also doubt you know this issue thoroughly.
3) Don’t tell me what to buy
1) I never indicated I harbored fear
2) Your conclusion is your opinion, so don’t pretend to know this issue thoroughly or as if your conclusion is fact.
3) Don’t tell me what to buy
Your contribution is mean-spirited and useless.
oh wow... you're one of THOSE people... Gotca.... Best of luck to you sir
One of those people who doesn’t bring mean-spirited and self-righteous discourse to a total stranger.
no.... You're really pushing this...
More or less every vehicle made in the past 20+ years pulls air directly from the grille area. It's a pretty standard performance thing, guys really started doing that back in the 1950s and 60s. You'll even see US manufacturers pulling air from the grille from that era on some models. In the past 20-25 years its become a standard design. You pickup a few HP, it's more efficient, etc, etc.
Flip side of the coin, when you're drawing air from the front of the grille you've made the engine susceptible to water ingestion. I've personally seen a honda accord driving in flash flood conditions (8ish inches of standing water) get hit with a wave and ingest water and hydrolock the engine. That is the reality of a design like that, and you're going to be hard pressed to find a factory configuration vehicle that isn't susceptible to it.
What this really boils down to is don't drive a low profile car in flash flood conditions and for the love of god if you do ingest water DO NOT try and restart the engine.
Sorry your feelers got hurt man, don't know what else to tell you at this point... Really not trying to be mean, just bringing my mechanical knowledge to the table and provide the most down to earth answer for you.
More or less every vehicle made in the past 20+ years pulls air directly from the grille area. It's a pretty standard performance thing, guys really started doing that back in the 1950s and 60s. You'll even see US manufacturers pulling air from the grille from that era on some models. In the past 20-25 years its become a standard design. You pickup a few HP, it's more efficient, etc, etc.
Flip side of the coin, when you're drawing air from the front of the grille you've made the engine susceptible to water ingestion. I've personally seen a honda accord driving in flash flood conditions (8ish inches of standing water) get hit with a wave and ingest water and hydrolock the engine. That is the reality of a design like that, and you're going to be hard pressed to find a factory configuration vehicle that isn't susceptible to it.
What this really boils down to is don't drive a low profile car in flash flood conditions and for the love of god if you do ingest water DO NOT try and restart the engine.
Sorry your feelers got hurt man, don't know what else to tell you at this point... Really not trying to be mean, just bringing my mechanical knowledge to the table and bring the most down to earth answer for you.
Thanks for the explanation but the thing is at this point I don’t care about all those details... because I’ve heard them 100 times over. I learned all about this and witnessed the chaos and the debate back and forth on the other threads.
All I wanted to know was whether the design changed... I guess I got my answer. If I was so fearful I obviously wouldn’t have bought the car.
My feelings aren’t hurt. They get hurt by people close to me. However when a total stranger on a forum such as this- which is a place where enthusiasts are supposed to be in good spirits sharing a common hobby- attacks me and turns negative, I don’t believe it should go on uncorrected.
Thanks for the explanation but the thing is at this point I don’t care about all those details... because I’ve heard them 100 times over. I learned all about this and witnessed the chaos and the debate back and forth on the other threads.
All I wanted to know was whether the design changed... I guess I got my answer. If I was so fearful I obviously wouldn’t have bought the car.
My feelings aren’t hurt. They get hurt by people close to me. However when a total stranger on a forum such as this- which is a place where enthusiasts are supposed to be in good spirits sharing a common hobby- attacks me and turns negative, I don’t believe it should go on uncorrected.
No one attacked you, I'm sorry that you got that impression. And no, they didn't change the design to not be susceptible to that "issue" and they're not going to. Neither is FIAT, Ford, GM, Chrysler, Honda, Nissan, Toyota, BMW, Audi, rolls royce, etc, etc, etc. Designs like this are the reality of the automotive world we live in and have been living in for some time.
That's what I tried to tell him the first time... Why would MB change a design that had no problem in the first place... Ie. No there is no change in the design.
With the hood down, there is no way for water to get into the intake. Furthermore, you would need INCHES of water to get into the intake to even get up to the level of the filters (open up the airbox).
Anyways, not trying to insult or demean the OP. I think the comments are mostly a result of everyone's annoyance with that vlogger haha. Bottom line, no change in intake design, and no need to worry about hydrolock. 👍👌
That's what I tried to tell him the first time... Why would MB change a design that had no problem in the first place... Ie. No there is no change in the design.
With the hood down, there is no way for water to get into the intake. Furthermore, you would need INCHES of water to get into the intake to even get up to the level of the filters (open up the airbox).
Anyways, not trying to insult or demean the OP. I think the comments are mostly a result of everyone's annoyance with that vlogger haha. Bottom line, no change in intake design, and no need to worry about hydrolock. 👍👌
Yes. That particular vlogger attracts a certain crowd. Being that he has the same car as me with nearly the same specs made my eye twitch. I honestly can’t understand why people watch that dude.
12-14-2018, 07:53 PM
