Engine cutout after driving through puddle

[sky]

Hey Guys - I wanted to check to see if this engine is a goner. We had substantial flooding and storms up here and the Scion because there was this giant puddle at night an I ran through it. It had to be towed back. Here's what I've done so far,

1. Pulled plugs + ignition coils
2. Pulled intake and dry up anything I see that is water
3. Dry cranked with EFI fuse out - (This didn't do anything. Engine did not crank at all, the starter just clicked. I did this while the car battery was connected with another car as the battery was dead) I think the fact that my engine didn't even want to crank might indicate things aren't looking good.

4. I am going to try to manually crank the engine today.

Anything else I might be missing?

 

[eljefino]

So did you go through 6 inches at 30 MPH or 30 inches at 6 MPH?

 

[sky]

It was more like 55mph and it was more than 6inches. Way too dark to tell, but I pretty much was like OH SH*T, and it was too late.

 

[Convert]

You might have a starter filled with water neutral cut-out switch might be filled with water etc etc etc
TOMB

 

[andyd]

Please post a follow up. Clicking starter isn't a good sign, but it may be wet still

 

[bullwinkle]

If you can't bar it over, it's probably hydrolocked and broken something. At least, if it's like my xB, the engines seem to be available about anywhere cheap (they rust out & get wrecked), and only weigh 200 pounds. I had an incident like that with a freak flash flood in mine, waves came up over the hood...

 

[joekingcorvette]

I would buy a new or junkyard starter and go from there. Maybe drain the oil to make sure there is not water in the engine. If it's hydro-locked you are in for a replacement engine or an overhaul.

 

[Triple_Se7en]

I would have towed the vehicle in-for service, immediately after realizing it will no longer start. Too many reasons why it will no longer start. Guess can easily outnumber the cost of having someone else fix it.

(or).... Roll the dice and keep guessing by changing various parts. That can get ridiculously expensive and time/labor consuming. Folks with very limited mechanical expertise need to make the smarter decision here. It is a call that needs to be made early-on..... like immediately after this experience.

Cut your losses and let a professional fix it.

 

[fordman65]

If you have the time and space in a garage. Leave it sit for a few days with some kind of heater blowing warm air on the motor.
Maybe that might dry your motor out. The stater clicking sounds like it was not getting enough volts to click over or the starter solenoid might be fried,

 

[sky]

That's what I am struggling with. I do have space to keep it but it's going to be cold real fast here. It was at 199510 miles, I was going to replace it very soon. This might just be a sign.

I might get it towed somewhere so they can see what's going on with it. I agree there are a lot of variables.

 

[fordman65]

Well that may have been the straw that broke the camel's back. Like I said let sit in your garage 2-3 days with some heat blowing on the motor.
Don't dig it's grave yet. I have a 97 Gran Marquis with 254k miles on it. I can't kill it.

 

[CT8]

You need to learn to diagnose what parts are needed before starting to change parts changing parts

 

[JamesBond]

Was the air filter wet? How much water was in the intake? Maybe you had a bad jump starting connection. Charge the battery. Turn the engine with a wrench. Figure out a way to dry everything in the engine bay.

 

[maxdustington]

Originally Posted by Triple_Se7en
I would have towed the vehicle in-for service, immediately after realizing it will no longer start. Too many reasons why it will no longer start. Guess can easily outnumber the cost of having someone else fix it.

(or).... Roll the dice and keep guessing by changing various parts. That can get ridiculously expensive and time/labor consuming. Folks with very limited mechanical expertise need to make the smarter decision here. It is a call that needs to be made early-on..... like immediately after this experience.

Cut your losses and let a professional fix it.
OP could be a good mechanic and hasn't bought any parts yet. Hasn't even tried to spin it by hand.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to detect engine damage. Don't give up on the diagnosis like a coward.

 

[spasm3]

I think just tuning the engine over my hand with the plugs out will tell you. If if turns easily by wrench and the starter won't turn it with the plugs out, you will need to trace where the voltage stops.

 

[Linctex]

Hydrolocked the engine.... some of the the connecting rods are now bent/broke

 

[sky]

I haven't purchased anything yet. I'm still troubleshooting and I'm not going to aimlessly throw parts. Will be out there shortly to manually crank.

 

[sky]

Just as an update as this happened Friday. It sat in the garage and today I attempted to manually crank the engine. Initially it was with a huge breaker bar with my friend and I trying to move it clockwise. It didn't budge. We then tried to go counter clock wise and it didn't even move at all! This was done with spark plugs out.

As a last resort and for my own curiously, I have an electronic impact wrench and I tried to use that to turn the crank. This thing didn't even move! How much force does one need to move this? Or as one might assume, seized!

 

[JamesBond]

With the plugs out, you should easily be able to turn it with a 1/2 inch ratchet. Is it in park or neutral? Can you remove the starter, and then try to turn it over?

 

[sky]

Originally Posted by JamesBond
With the plugs out, you should easily be able to turn it with a 1/2 inch ratchet. Is it in park or neutral? Can you remove the starter, and then try to turn it over?


This is what we thought as well. First we tried it in park, no good. Then we tried to do this in neutral, still no good.