It is never a good idea for your Range Rover to be submerged in water, either in the sea or in fresh water. In some circumstances, but not all, you may be left needing a replacement engine.

Some things will not survive long in water, especially salty water. Anyone who has dropped a mobile phone in it will know this. However, Land Rovers and Range Rovers are somewhat more robust and designed to deal with ploughing through a lot of water.

Even so, each has its own stated safe wading depth:

·       900 mm for the standard Range Rover and Range Rover Sport, as well as the Land Rover Discovery

·       530 mm for a Range Rover Velar and Evoque

·       850 mm for Land Rover Defenders

·       600 mm for the Discovery Sport

Nonetheless, the last thing you want is for the vehicle to be sufficiently submerged for water to get in the engine, which is the fate that recently befell a Range Rover at Scarborough.

The vehicle had been used to attempt to tow a van stuck on the beach, but both vehicles ended up in the same predicament as the tide rolled in and they were soon both submerged. They could not be towed to safety until the tide went out.

Other vehicles may be caught in floods or have an accident while off-roading and end up in a river.

Will A Submerged Engine Need To Be Replaced?

However, the question of whether you need to get a replacement Range Rover engine is not a simple yes/no, as Range Rover enthusiasts often highlight in discussions.

Issues will include:

·       Whether the water is dirty and a lot of sediment has got into the engine

·       How far the water has penetrated the engine

·       Whether other damage was done to the engine during the incident

In some cases, it may be that water only got into the injectors and if these can be taken out, cleaned up and put back, all will be well.

However, if there has been serious damage, especially due to material getting into internal workings, it may indeed be that you need a new engine.