Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I was driving along last night in vegas and got caught in a flash flood. I turned onto a side street and in an instant my car 1/2 way tire deep up in water. It stalled, but after the water passed I restarted it and drooe two miles home. When I got home the engine was smoking and it goes clank clank clank very loudly when turned on.
What is the possible damage? The engine light is on.
Wow, the water wasn't even that deep. The car can really be totaled?
The air intake is pretty low on most cars. You sucked water into your engine, hydro locked it and bent some connecting rods. At the very least, your engine is toast.
There is no air intake on any cars, unless it's modded for cold low air intake, to suck water in off not even a foot deep water. 1/2 way tire is about a foot.
You had exhaust in water, that you did. That is actually not bad, as far as you do not panic and keep exhaust pressure inside of it. Gasses push water out and do not allow it in. What most folks do, they panic and either shut engine down, or let go off gas, low rpms, and water creeps inside. As the result, engine stalls from exhaust back pressure.
That it started is good news. Drove you home - even better. 2 miles is not enough to judge much esp over the internet and without hearing the engine clunk.
I'd start with taking plugs out and running engine from starter, with fuel pump fuse removed, so that gas does not sputter all over.
Here's some links for you: What is a Hydrolocked Engine? - Bob Is The Oil Guy
I do not believe you hydrolocked it, or it wouldn't have started and taken you home through 2 miles. At this point, over the net, it is impossible to diagnose anything else.
There is no air intake on any cars, unless it's modded for cold low air intake, to suck water in off not even a foot deep water. 1/2 way tire is about a foot.
You had exhaust in water, that you did. That is actually not bad, as far as you do not panic and keep exhaust pressure inside of it. Gasses push water out and do not allow it in. What most folks do, they panic and either shut engine down, or let go off gas, low rpms, and water creeps inside. As the result, engine stalls from exhaust back pressure.
That it started is good news. Drove you home - even better. 2 miles is not enough to judge much esp over the internet and without hearing the engine clunk.
I'd start with taking plugs out and running engine from starter, with fuel pump fuse removed, so that gas does not sputter all over.
Here's some links for you: What is a Hydrolocked Engine? - Bob Is The Oil Guy
I do not believe you hydrolocked it, or it wouldn't have started and taken you home through 2 miles. At this point, over the net, it is impossible to diagnose anything else.
If the OP was moving 10 MPH, he could have very easily made enough splash to work up to the airbox. The loud clank clank clank is not a good sign and a CEL to follow.
Pull the air filter out and see if there is water in the airbox and maybe a wet filter. If so, there is a good chance you sucked up some water and bent something.
If it were a foot of water, i dont think anything got up to the exhaust manifold from stalling. You would have to pump a lot of water uphill to get to get it that far.
Ive seen it many times where a car sucks up water from being splashed into the airbox.
While the water may not have been all that deep, once you hit it, it got forced through the openings in your bumper and undertray, and it doesn't take much to completely soak your engine bay. Think about it... there's not that much empty space in there with modern cars. Driving 10 mph through that can definitely get enough water through the intake system on most cars.
If you've got a large truck or SUV, which is built for going offroad, you'd probably be fine. But a car... not so much.
Take off the airbox and check the filter. If it's wet, you could have an expensive problem on your hands.
The air intake is pretty low on most cars. You sucked water into your engine, hydro locked it and bent some connecting rods. At the very least, your engine is toast.
I had that happen to my '89 IROC-Z about 15 years ago. It still ran but it knocked. Ended up selling the car for $900.
Location: Lakewood NJ/Murrells Inlet SC/ N. Naples FL/Swainton NJ
4,026 posts, read 6,544,694 times
Reputation: 3531
We were in SC during Sandy. My 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix was here in NJ. It would have been fine inside of our Lakewood condo garage. But my son was using the car to commute to work with our new grand daughter since he could not use his front seat only truck with the baby seat. During the storm the car was parked in his driveway in Brick. The bay water came up the street, up the driveway and ended up dumping two feet of water in the bottom half of his house. The car had about a foot of water in it. After the storm was over and the water gone my son pulled the seats and carpets out of the car and cleaned everything. After all was dry, he reinstall all. The car ran fine and you would have never known it had been flooded......
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
