Per a Jeep dealership the JL is not water tight/expect it to fill with water during water crossings!

[LLANERO]

You are inferring something that isn't the case. 30" of fording means the engine is safe from hydrolocking, and there would be no damage to the axles or mechanical components. It says nothing about getting wet carpets. Automotive seals, be it on a G Wagon, a Range Rover, or a wrangler, are not marine grade, nor are they watertight. Now, while you may have zero water intrusion if you dip in and out of a 30" hole, if you are crossing a river, meaning, you will be submerged for a prolonged period, the water will start dribbling its way in, which is why Jeep gave you drain holes in the floor. Seasoned Jeep guys know, that if they are going to be doing water crossings regularly, it's just easier to pull the carpets, maybe even line-x the interior, and have no issues with water, but this nonsense of it being "watertight?" NO chance.

I agree with NFRs2000NYC.

Below are some videos/pics of my JKs going through water. I always got water in the Jeep, but no damage.

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[RussJeep1]

Maybe a picture is worth a 1000 words.

I like how this video on installing the rubber mats shows as a side benefit that what stands between you and water is a rubber grommet that let's just say I wouldn't patch a 10,000 gallon fish tank with.

 

[James]

Why on earth would you remove the drain plugs before entering water? Drain plugs are there to keep water out, and drain water if necessary. You are not supposed to keep them open. The drain plugs in the mats from what I saw were very tight, and they get even tighter when you reinsert the stock plugs into the mats.

With the all weather floor, you are to remove the drain plug, insert the floor mat into the floor pan, insert the drain plug into the floor mat.
On my JL the floor mat flops around in the drain plug hole. Is this a design flaw or is this the way they design it?
I feel like 99% of the folks don’t get where I’m going with this.

Here is a case in point. Mopar designed the 2” lift to have a bow in the front coil springs. After hundreds of folks arguing on multiple forms including Jeep cars chiming in, it turns out it was a massive design FLAW! How do I know this? I have the Mopar lift and they just replaced my driver side coil spring pad to fix it. Prior to the new pad every time I hit a bump the coil spring would smack the bump stop housing making a clunk noise.

 

[James]

I agree with NFRs2000NYC.

Below are some videos/pics of my JKs going through water. I always got water in the Jeep, but no damage.

Love it! Here is someone who knows what I’m talking about!
Thank you for the great post.

 

[James]

Maybe a picture is worth a 1000 words.

I like how this video on installing the rubber mats shows as a side benefit that what stands between you and water is a rubber grommet that let's just say I wouldn't patch a 10,000 gallon fish tank with.

Thanks for the post!
Yours and the other person on water crossing helps with what I’m trying to find out.
Is there a design flaw with these floor mats like with the lift kit by Mopar?

 

[RussJeep1]

Thanks for the post!
Yours and the other person on water crossing helps with what I’m trying to find out.
Is there a design flaw with these floor mats like with the lift kit by Mopar?

I imagine the answer to your question James is a matter of perspective.

If you feel the JL should be water tight (I don't) then yes.

But regardless of either of our opinions, I think we both can agree that we would both not be happy if that rubber grommet stood between 10K gallons of water, and our moms.

The grommet doesn't come with the mats. Perhaps an argument can be made that the rig holds that grommet more snugly that the OEM mats. I just don't know about that one.

 

[James]

Here is a photo of the JL tailgate that shows 30” at 5 mph.
The next two photos are of a measuring tape and my JLUR, my JL has the Mopar 2” lift and 35” tires.
Per the dealership today they have nothing that says the JL won’t fill with water at 30” with the drain plugs installed completely stock JL. This would be without the all weather floor mats being installed.
I’m not talking about a dribble of water. I’m talking about if you had removed both floor pan drain plugs type of flooding.

One of the other guys who posted here who does a lot of water crossings has experience the same as myself and have never had a massive amount of water come into our Jeep during a water crossing

 

[James]

I imagine the answer to your question James is a matter of perspective.

If you feel the JL should be water tight (I don't) then yes.

But regardless of either of our opinions, I think we both can agree that we would both not be happy if that rubber grommet stood between 10K gallons of water, and our moms.

The grommet doesn't come with the mats. Perhaps an argument can be made that the rig holds that grommet more snugly that the OEM mats. I just don't know about that one.

Very good point
My thought is, I do a ton of off roading, I do water crossings. Pulling the drain plug out and sticking it into the floor mat that does not make a seal is crazy. There are a few folks who claim their floor mats are snapped in with a solid seal.
My biggest concern, is there a design flaw with their floor mats like the 2” lift kit?
If so we need to bring it to their attention so they can fix it. I just got my JL back from the dealership, they had to install the driver side coil spring correction pad to fix it from hitting the bump stop housing.
The fight online prior to Mopar fixing it was a rough one. It was not until the factory inspected a few JLs to see they messed up before they fixed it.

I have another Mopar complaint that most don’t know yet. The Mopar front grab handles smack the windows while off roading, supper annoying. For $50 I kinda expected them to not hit the windows while off roading. Yet I could be wrong,

 

[rallydefault]

James - I respect that you do a lot of water crossings, but just the way you're using your words is tough to follow. You've gone from claiming "no" water got into your other jeeps to now saying just not a "massive" amount of water would get in (your friend's jeep, I think you said). That's a big difference. And for those of us who have done some actual water crossings, we know that water gets in. It just does. These are consumer vehicles, not military-grade vehicles.

I just think you're being a little unrealistic here. Just my opinion.

If you're going to do a water crossing, it's dumb to have the drain plug in the rubber Mopar floor mats, but those of us who do this kind of stuff regularly know that without having it told to us. It's just common sense. Take the plug out of the mat and put it directly back into the floor, not the mat.

Also, I have the Mopar front grab handles and have not experienced them hitting the windows while off roading. Admittedly I usually have my windows down while off roading, so do most of my club... I don't know. Just getting a weirdish vibe from some of your claims.

 

[Ahmed]

Who go to distant remote areas and are accompanied by rain and floods

Will they keep that sealer open for water discharge?
Or do they keep it locked in the middle of suffering?

This is a terrible thing known to those who have experienced those experiences.

JL should be ideal in relation to water .

 

[RussJeep1]

Very good point
My thought is, I do a ton of off roading, I do water crossings. Pulling the drain plug out and sticking it into the floor mat that does not make a seal is crazy. There are a few folks who claim their floor mats are snapped in with a solid seal.
My biggest concern, is there a design flaw with their floor mats like the 2” lift kit?
If so we need to bring it to their attention so they can fix it. I just got my JL back from the dealership, they had to install the driver side coil spring correction pad to fix it from hitting the bump stop housing.
The fight online prior to Mopar fixing it was a rough one. It was not until the factory inspected a few JLs to see they messed up before they fixed it.

I have another Mopar complaint that most don’t know yet. The Mopar front grab handles smack the windows while off roading, supper annoying. For $50 I kinda expected them to not hit the windows while off roading. Yet I could be wrong,

James..maybe we keep the rubber grommet where the factory put it, OEM rubber mats or not, and only remove it to drain wet mats, putting it back where FCA sold it to us at..

just a thought....

 

[wolfdog]

The floor mats have the same sealing ring that the plug does . It takes some work to get it sealed, check underneath the Jeep to be sure it fixed itself all around. The plug installed on the top of the floor mat just seals the water/snow from your feet from going thru to the cloth mat!
Before installing turn the rubber all weather mat upside down and study how it works by fitting as the plug you pulled out did. Then press hard work it around and check out under the vehicle.!!! I kinda wish I waited for Weather Tech to get theres going and left the plugs in! Although no leakage this messy winter. We'll see??

Go Jeep!!!

 

[fat_head]

 

[RussJeep1]

The floor mats have the same sealing ring that the plug does . It takes some work to get it sealed, check underneath the Jeep to be sure it fixed itself all around. The plug installed on the top of the floor mat just seals the water/snow from your feet from going thru to the cloth mat!
Before installing turn the rubber all weather mat upside down and study how it works by fitting as the plug you pulled out did. Then press hard work it around and check out under the vehicle.!!! I kinda wish I waited for Weather Tech to get theres going and left the plugs in! Although no leakage this messy winter. We'll see??

Go Jeep!!!

I'm confused wolfdog. Short of the carpet oval you had to pull up to get to the plugs, why couldn't you put them back as factory if/when better 3rd part (e.g. Weathertech) solutions meet your interest?

You think a plug left unremoved is better than one put back...?

 

[bobzdar]

Very good point
My thought is, I do a ton of off roading, I do water crossings. Pulling the drain plug out and sticking it into the floor mat that does not make a seal is crazy. There are a few folks who claim their floor mats are snapped in with a solid seal.
My biggest concern, is there a design flaw with their floor mats like the 2” lift kit?
If so we need to bring it to their attention so they can fix it. I just got my JL back from the dealership, they had to install the driver side coil spring correction pad to fix it from hitting the bump stop housing.
The fight online prior to Mopar fixing it was a rough one. It was not until the factory inspected a few JLs to see they messed up before they fixed it.

I have another Mopar complaint that most don’t know yet. The Mopar front grab handles smack the windows while off roading, supper annoying. For $50 I kinda expected them to not hit the windows while off roading. Yet I could be wrong,

Holy shit dude, if you're so worried then put the drain plug in the floor underneath the mat and it'll be even more watertight because the mat will hold it in.

I have the factory mats and they didn't bother to cut the hole and move the drain plug, so the mat sits on top. Not a big deal, I'll probably install them properly at some point but if I do a water crossing and water gets in I'll just pull the carpets. It's not something worth worrying about.

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