I understand your point, and I do tread lightly and appropriately for a given situation. My point is that I think you could lock the motor hitting water on a city street.

 

I think a big problem is where that intake "horn" and where it sits in relation to the fender and the way the serpentine belt tosses water across the underside of the hood straight towards the opening. Check the underside of your hood and look at the dirt /water line and where it ends. IMO a very bad design. TJ design is much better.

 

I agree with mkjeep...definitely room for improvement in the design.

 

I've seen that water line as well and do have concerns

 

Admittedly, I had not considered driving around on sometimes flooded city streets.

Is there any real danger with the stock intake configuration though? The opening doesn't point toward the serpentine belt, but toward the inside wall of the close hood.

 

The water is thrown across the inside of the hood then tends to run down the inside curve of the hood towards the airbox opening. I did some homade fabing to my airaid box in the front where it's open and across the top so it seals against the hood. I've ended up keeping water off my pre filter hitting mudholes and a good bit of water. Imo this is working better than the stock airbox and gives me a bit more air.

 

according to David at Northridge4x4, ARB is releasing a snorkel in the next 30 days that does not go through the hood - i'm avoiding water until i have a snorkel installed since, unlike the inline 6, the new 3.8 motor is unforgiving.

 

For my part, and knowing a few people who also like "spraying" water or mud around, the stock configuration does not scare me for flowded streets or 12 inch deep crossing at reasonable speed, depending on the water height.

I have seen dirt and water marks in the box, but it is made for it. The water hits the factory filter and falls back in the box which has a drain. Unless you enter the whole box in water for longer than a splash, the box can handle it. The Jeep is rated for water up to 30" (but then at very low speed, you have to adjust...)

This being said, I still want a snorkel in the futur, not only for water but also for dust....

 

Speed kills - but it sure is fun - especially with the top down and and everyone is drinched

Suks when you hydrolock out in the middle of nowhere, it's pitch black, you hear something moving in the water and the mosquitos are biting

 

FWIW, when I hydrolocked, I was in water that was barely up past my hubs, and I was in no way "blasting" through it. There was a momentary splash that came up to the height of the airbox. I was running the stock airbox since I was scared of adding a CAI even before my little adventure, plus I think the performance benefits are negligible.

I had crossed much deeper water on many occasions without issue.

Sometimes, it appears, you just get "lucky." I now run a snorkel, which cost less than my deductible. If only I had gotten around to it earlier