Snorkels - Are they worth it?

[Prado girlfriend Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Prado girlfriend]

I have read up a bit on snorkels but am still unsure about whether or not it's worth getting one. We have a Petrol 2004 GXL prado. We go driving heaps but would not need it so much for letting the engine breath in deep rivers, we tend to stay away from those and use the car more to get to good camping spots.

I have heard though that even for normal freeway driving the snorkel helps with air intake and can improve fuel economy. Can anyone verify this?
Has anyone else noticed a difference in the performance of thier Prado in general driving after installing a snorkel?

Also, if it is worth getting one does anyone recommend a specific type?

Thanks for your help.

[120GXV6 Member Find all posts View Profile Close 120GXV6]

Re: Snorkels - Are they worth it?

The main advantages of a snorkel are increased wading depth and reduction of dust at air intake. My air filter generally has a lot of bugs, but little dust - despite spending a lot of time on dirt roads.

The air intake temperature with the snorkel is nearly always the same as ambient (ScanGauge reading versus Prado outside temp display), whereas air intake temperature will normally be at least a couple of degrees higher without the snorkel (from what people without snorkels have told me). The engine will run more efficiently with cooler air as the mixture will be richer with warmer (less dense) air.

I have not noted any discernable change in fuel consumption.

Basically - if you generally stay away from water and dust I wouldn't bother with a snorkel!

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

Re: Snorkels - Are they worth it?

There are lots of posts about snorkels (including a couple more recent than I have listed below) which will probably answer most of your queries. I don't think that there are any real world gains or losses in fuel consumption or engine power and there is a minor (insignificant in my view) increase in wind noise with the Safari snorkel. The Airtec is a neater fitting and more attractive unit while the Safari allows the use of a precleaner in extreme dusty conditions. Again use the search function and all will become obvious.

The question of are they worth it depends on your driving as 120GXV6 has mentioned but for me they are cheap insurance. I did not have a snorkel on one of my first 4wds many years ago because I wasn't going to go through deep water crossings. Likewise I didn't extend the differential and gearbox/transfer case breathers for the same reason. On one simple day trip to 5 rocks near Rockhampton we drove through a creek that we knew was only 200mm deep or so. The whole creek was quite shallow and slow moving. On the way back there was a guy in a Suzuki sitting in the middle of the creek washing underneath his car (!). There had been a little rain but nothing significant or so I thought. So the other 4wd and I took a slightly different route not more than a metre off the usual line. When the water came up the windscreen I began to panic! Made it through and shut down the engine on the other side. My companion had a snorkel so he was fine. I checked the airbox and thankfully no water had got in during the short time the car was submerged. Needless to say I bought a snorkel the following week and snorkels and extended breathers are an automatic modification when I buy each 4wd. I also learned the lesson, always always wade creeks before and after if you don't know for sure!

http://www.pradopoint.com/viewtopic....2&hilit=airtec

http://www.pradopoint.com/viewtopic....3&hilit=airtec

http://www.pradopoint.com/viewtopic....snorkel#p67651

http://www.pradopoint.com/viewtopic....it=pre+cleaner

http://www.pradopoint.com/viewtopic....snorkel#p83106

http://www.pradopoint.com/viewtopic....snorkel#p81164

http://www.pradopoint.com/viewtopic....snorkel#p74906

http://www.pradopoint.com/viewtopic....snorkel#p71206

[ozwapet2 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close ozwapet2]

Re: Snorkels - Are they worth it?

I was debating whether to fit one - down here in Vic the rivers rarely get high enough these days to worry about it !
In the end i did. About $700 fitted and I'm going to have the car for at least 6 years, , good insurance.
I go out with a group quite often and there's going to be the time the others will cross a deepish river, and you need to make the call whether you're going around the long way, go home , or cross too.
Also I'm planning to go to Cape York at some stage and it's definitely needed for there.


To complete the deep water protection you should also extend the diff/transfer/gearbox breathers - I'm yet to do these but it's on the list.

[FlyingBushPig Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close FlyingBushPig]

Re: Snorkels - Are they worth it?

I've decided it's pretty important to me not because I plan too many deep water crossings although I'm sure they will come but every time I'm out on a track, if I know a hole is safe, no matter how mature I want to be the "inner prado" tells me to go through it :twisted:
Even on the recent Vic day out there were a few bog holes which were reasonably deep and every time I went through I wished I'd had one. Yes there are thoughts that a snorkel will increase economy and theoretically it should but I think it's only meant to be something like up to 3% better so don't buy one if that's your only reason.

[Prado girlfriend Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Prado girlfriend]

Re: Snorkels - Are they worth it?

Thankyou all very much. You've answered all my questions and my mind is made up. I suppose that although we try to avoid creeks they are sometimes unavoidable and it's better to be safe than sorry, and if it improves the air intake while driving on dusty roads (which we often do) then it 's worth it.

Thanks again I really appreciate your comments. Now it's time to shop around and get a good deal.

[IRON-PAWW Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close IRON-PAWW]

Re: Snorkels - Are they worth it?

Guys another aspect to this. Is there any evidence to suggest that fitting a snorkel will affect resale value? I know that in some instances, more 'agricultural' looking vehicles do not do so well second hand. I guess because people think they've been driven harder than a shiny 2nd hand stock vehicle.

Can't justify a snorkel for my rig right now as there is a distinct lack of water in the places we've been so far. But... that may change.......... :twisted:

[Bushbasher Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Bushbasher]

Re: Snorkels - Are they worth it?

Guys another aspect to this. Is there any evidence to suggest that fitting a snorkel will affect resale value? I know that in some instances, more 'agricultural' looking vehicles do not do so well second hand. I guess because people think they've been driven harder than a shiny 2nd hand stock vehicle.

Can't justify a snorkel for my rig right now as there is a distinct lack of water in the places we've been so far. But... that may change.......... :twisted:

I would think that anyone in the market for a good second fourby would welcome as many accessories as possible so therefore a snorkel would be a valuable selling point. If 80% of us put them onto our machines when new then there must be a large market out there for second handers that come with all the fruit.

If you've done a major dirt road extravaganza and put a few thousand kays under your belt in those dusty conditions then you will understand just how much dust gets sucked in and (thankfully) captured by the filter. The dust builds up under the fender where the intake is. Just pull out the little capture tray under the filter box and have a look at all the crud that gets pulled in before the filter. Grabbing cleaner air from above goes a long way to the life expectantcy of the filter.

The added bonus is having a higher air intake when playing in the water.

[Bushbasher Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Bushbasher]

Re: Snorkels - Are they worth it?

Forgot to also comment on the notion that a snorkel will save fuel or increase performance. An engine is simply an air pump. It can't take in any more air than can be drawn in by the cylinders under normal atmospheric pressure. The only way to force more air in is via supercharging or turbocharging or such other similar system.

The air will still have to pass through the filter. Cleaner filters will obviously work better than a dirty filter. Some "performance" filters may give less resistance to the passage of air and thus provide a tiny improvement in perceived performance.

You don't see air filters on drag cars or other racing type vehicles so that should tell you something about performance. The notion of "ram air effect" is also likewise a silly proposition. If you drive a motorbike at 100km/hr and open your mouth then according to some "ram air" supporters your lungs should fill up rapidly and explode from all the forced in air!

[stephenvsl Member Find all posts View Profile Close stephenvsl]

Re: Snorkels - Are they worth it?

Well, I hope they're worth it! I've booked in to have one fitted (together with diff, trans, and transfer box breathers) at my next service. Getting it fitted through my dealer was cheaper than ARB (who also would only quote for the diff breathers saying said it "wasn't necessary to fit the trans and transfer breathers as they are better sealed than in the past"). The dealer uses TJM but at least if I go through them I hope there won't be any warranty issues if something does get in. The labour costs for all the breathers was only $100 and given the difficulty of reaching the trans and transfer breathers it seemed to me to be a good deal.

[IRON-PAWW Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close IRON-PAWW]

Re: Snorkels - Are they worth it?

No doubt, if the Prado was bought by a fourby enthusiast then as much fruit as possible would go a very long way. I figure there are two markets for stock Prado's. The first is guys like us who stick on every bit of 4WD fruit possible and upgrade a swathe of stuff to add to the offroad ability of the rig. Then, you have the soccer mums and well-to-do family's who use Prado's to take the shopping home and get little Johnny to clarinet classes. Once you stick on a snorkel there's no going back, due to the nice big hole that's been drilled in the bodywork. Meaning you might have to accept a more limited 2nd hand market, as the soccer mums might frown at the big plastic pipe coming out.... I guess though, the 4WD enthusiast market isn't exactly small and, like you say, someone will want one with all the gear already fitted.

I'm assuming installers would paint/treat the bare metal after drilling the hole? Do you get your piece of body panelling back??

[Bushbasher Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Bushbasher]

Re: Snorkels - Are they worth it?

I don't know if you lot have noticed but Nissan are flogging Patrols with a swag of options thrown in for a considerably small additional fee which gets you a roo bar, tow bar and snorkel included. They (snorkels) are obviously in high demand here in westoz.

[Prado887 Member Find all posts View Profile Close Prado887]

Re: Snorkels - Are they worth it?

Apparently When the Nissan version Snorkels first came out they had a big problem of sucking in water, due to the two little holes drilled in the snorkel at guard level to rivet the "Nissan" badge to it........... whose smart idea was that...

Nissan are flogging Patrols with a swag of options thrown in

They have to because they are Nissans how else would they sell them .......... Not that Im Bias or anything :lol:

[IRON-PAWW Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close IRON-PAWW]

Re: Snorkels - Are they worth it?

I suppose I'm saying that you just need to be comfortable with the fact that a snorkel is permanent. There's no going back.

If I saw a 2nd hand 4by with a snorkel and was interested in it then I'd be wanting to check the installation job out pretty closely. It's no small modification after all. If the install had been done properly then there's no problem. But if it was done by Joe Smith and his sheetmetal holesaw in a drunken afternoon with the lads then the story could be quite different. A mess another words. A damn rusty mess at that! So I suppose I'm saying that if considering a snorkel you'd want to make sure the guys fitting it have a good reputation, because you could get a real mess on your hands if it's mucked up. But yeah, if you don't care much for the eventual resale value of the vehicle then you wouldn't be bothered by stuff like this.....

I think most peeps here would probably benefit from having a snorkel fitted. You say you'll never need it but.... famous last words. Just get it fitted properly.

[Prado887 Member Find all posts View Profile Close Prado887]

Re: Snorkels - Are they worth it?

Just get it fitted properly.

100% on this you dont want to have problems with it at all, let alone in the middle of a creek crossing.

I bought mine brand new in the box off a mate who originally wanted it but didnt like the look of it on the 120s Prado
Installed and pressure / leak tested by my Toyota dealership at 100K service, never looked back,
they still check it every 10K service to make sure nothing has come loose on corrigations and the like (or people leaning on it).

Ryan