de_engineered

iTrader: (24)

During Stormzilla, I drove through a puddle that turned out to be more of a pool. Car hydrolocked, due to cold air intake near the bottom of the car. Would not turn over. Had it towed home.

Had a cold air intake on because smog, because it has a big old EO number on it, because the Perrin short ram the car came with didn't pass. Had been driving with it for a while now, kinda out of sight out of mind.

It was dark, I am unused to things like this creeping up on me, and only afterwards the CalTrans folks started showing up to put up signs and cones. They were up to almost their knees at the deepest. At present I don't care if I am soley responsable here, or it's the weather's fault, or the last owner for taking out the stock intake in the first place, whatever, I just want a functioning car again.

A fair amount of water drained out of the front, driverside cylinder after I pulled the spark plug out, and got some spritzing after I took all the plugs out and turned the engine over. The starter appears to be working fine.

The draining in action:
Took the day off work so I could put the plugs back in today, thankfully it being a dry and sunny day. Turned it over first without the intercooler to see if any more water would be bilged out of the turbo. Couldn't tell from inside the car with the hood up, but doubt much. There was a little pooled inside the compressor outlet after the first round, dried it out and didn't get any more after.

Put intercooler back on. Turned the car over, and over... Held down the throttle to the floor to help the process along. Modulated and kicked throttle too.

Car seemed to cough, about to start, once, but not when my foot was on the throttle in time, and no luck since. I smell fuel after I crank it a few times (didn't disable the pump in retrospect).

Attempts to push start it have not been successful. I can't tell if it's on the verge of starting or just making a heavy thump over being thrown into gear.

Please don't tell me I have a cracked motor.

Please advise

ddavis

iTrader: (4)

Sorry to here that man. If your engine is spinning you might be ok. Drain that old oil out of there and put some fresh oil w/ new oil filter in. Stick a dry air filter on the car and I would clean the maf sensor to help dry out the moisture.

You remember where your revs was at when you hit the puddle?

de_engineered

iTrader: (24)

Thanks. I was going to change to oil next. MAF should be bone dry by now, though I haven't put any cleaner to it.

And I was bypassing the air filter altogether until I get it up and running (just the straight portion with the MAF on it). Suppose I could try connecting it though.

RPMs were probably 2.5K or less, as it was a right turn corner I was stopping at.

ddavis

iTrader: (4)

Did you check the plugs when they where out? Make sure they are firing.

redmy

iTrader: (5)

I'm so sorry to hear that this happened to you. I avoided driving my car during the storm because I also have a CAI. I wish you the best of luck.

de_engineered

iTrader: (24)

Thanks kindly. I'm finding out after the fact that AEM makes a coupler that will switch to engine bay intake in the event of clogging up the filter side.

I'd have been ok if not for the darn pool. Or maybe if I didn't want to get some In-n-Out that night. Or wasn't born if we're gonna go that far back lol. But what's been done has been done.

Changing the oil in the next day or two, we'll see what's changed if anything...

de_engineered

iTrader: (24)

Negative there. That'll be next to check.

Stay tuned kids...

PaulWalker

iTrader: (5)

Been there. It super sucks. Dropped 8k on a new motor.

de_engineered

iTrader: (24)

Arguably a potential opportunity to get a rebuild/upgrade etc., but no no no no monies now. And I really, really don't want to put in another claim on the insurance.

Think ddavis is onto something about the spark plugs. I don't think I'd be smelling so much fuel otherwise.

de_engineered

iTrader: (24)

Update:

Cleaned the MAF, changed the oil. Know what espresso looks like coming fresh out of the portafilter? Yeah, my oil. Water literally came out when I took the filter off too. Filter itself looked like it just came up from the bottom of a lake. Aieee.

Still not starting.

de_engineered

iTrader: (24)

To note, and this is interesting, I'm not getting any codes by the way...

de_engineered

iTrader: (24)

Progress, ish.

Got it to cough about twice, then back to the starter just turning over and over.

Changed the plugs out with some low mileage ones I bought off here about a year ago, NGK Iridiums. The plugs I had in there seemed gunky around the electrodes.

And for ****s n giggles, cleaned out the MAF connector with some contact cleaner.

Again, no CELs.

The mystery continues...

queeg9k

iTrader: (11)

Need a hand/stoopeerviser? I should be free on monday.

de_engineered

iTrader: (24)

St. Walker the Greater, yes, save me

de_engineered

iTrader: (24)

Regardless of the condition of the motor, I'm looking at swapping a new one in at this point. Even if I get the current one up and running, who's to say when and where problems unseen may rise.

Fandangling some inexpensive (but quality) options, probably recycling my heads with a rebuilt short block.