Ran a Puddle and my RX stalled.
So yesterday I probably did the dumbest thing I have ever done. I ran a over a fairly large puddle and my car stalled. The engine light, battery, roadside, and other lights came on and the car won't start. My assumption is that my ignition plugs are gone, and that I may have even flooded the engine and fried the car computer. My question to you all is.
Using your most educated guess, what are the best and worst scenarios that I may be looking at regarding repairs? Thanks. PS: Don't RUN over puddles! :( |
do you happen to be running an aftermarket intake
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Everything on the car is stock. The only service I have had done to the car is replaced a fuel pump about a month ago. Prior to my retarded decision the car was running perfectly - performance wise.
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Best scenario? Let the engine drain out, and drain all of your fluids out and then refill everything after you let the engine dry a little. Then try starting it again. Best case. Worst case, you need a new engine/car computer and you are better off getting a new one.
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Originally Posted by Cole33
(Post 3685024)
Best scenario? Let the engine drain out, and drain all of your fluids out and then refill everything after you let the engine dry a little. Then try starting it again. Best case. Worst case, you need a new engine/car computer and you are better off getting a new one.
Other notes on the car status. When I try to turn the car on your hear the ignition fail, but the battery is still working. Lights come on, AC works, transmission works. |
where are you? how deep was the water? how long was the car in the water?what have you done so far to try to get it started?
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My car happens to be a flood damage car, so I got it pretty cheap. But with no water on the interior of the car, it turns out it was a pretty good deal.
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Originally Posted by zoom44
(Post 3685062)
where are you? how deep was the water? how long was the car in the water?what have you done so far to try to get it started?
The water was must have been at about 2feet [overestimating] at its deepest. The car ran the puddle and stalled as I was exiting. The car was in the water for no more than 4seconds. I attempted starting the car normally 3 times. I tried jump starting it once at the advise of my uneducated relative and once that failed we pushed it to the gas station nearby where I left it over night. I have not had it towed or inspected yet. Thanks for the assistance! |
How deep was the puddle?!
I've driven through one maybe 1/2 foot deep, no issues. If I were you, I'd start by removing the plugs, leads, and coils, then letting everything dry. :dunno: |
2 feet!! Thats pretty deep. You just can't tell sometimes before you're already commited.
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get the air filter dried out. get the maf dried out. start the fing car
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OMG! Sorry that happened to you!
Wow! I remember getting into a big puddle in an underpass. I was in my winter car (Jetta) traveling behind three other cars and saw the puddle at the last minute. I changed lanes to slightly higher ground and watch the three of them collide beside me in a shower of water and plastic bits! That was only around a foot deep or so! Life sucks but it could always be way worse. I wish you luck with your car. Please let us know what happens. |
Originally Posted by zoom44
(Post 3685112)
get the air filter dried out. get the maf dried out. start the fing car
Time to remain optimistic. |
Originally Posted by DarkBrew
(Post 3685125)
OMG! Sorry that happened to you!
Wow! I remember getting into a big puddle in an underpass. I was in my winter car (Jetta) traveling behind three other cars and saw the puddle at the last minute. I changed lanes to slightly higher ground and watch the three of them collide beside me in a shower of water and plastic bits! That was only around a foot deep or so! Life sucks but it could always be way worse. I wish you luck with your car. Please let us know what happens. As for doing it myself, I wish I could say that I am a car junkie but my knowledge is very basic. That being said, I am not afraid to get dirty with your guys' guidance. |
get it dried out and get a few of the AZ crew to push it. or just ray by himself :)
most of the lights came on because of the stalling. |
luckily you have quite a good rx8 crew out their in AZ so I'd try to get their attention in the regional forums.
when you turn the key to start the car do you hear the motor turning over or just click click click? if you have comprehensive, i think you can claim this under insurance under flooding? |
Originally Posted by Vaeleth
(Post 3685154)
Luckily the puddle was in a parking lot and I was only going about 15mph. Still, if shit is as bad I hope it isn't, then I'm going to be stuck with a car that I may not be able to afford to fix and still have several years to pay off.
As for doing it myself, I wish I could say that I am a car junkie but my knowledge is very basic. That being said, I am not afraid to get dirty with your guys' guidance. At least you didn't flood the engine in the typical way :) |
wow 2 feet is more like a lake than a puddle for a car
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The engine should be fine. You cite the air filter is dry but check the MAF as well just to be certain.
Now, there is a possibility that water temporarily shorted something and the ECU is confused. Fortunately you're in [usually] bone dry AZ and therefore everything should dry out fairly quickly. Provided again that something major didn't short you should be fine. |
Life strikes again...
I just got a call from my technician and they say that I need to replace the engine along with sensors and potentially other things. They expect me to invest 6000 dollars plus more if they find more issues.
I dont have 6000 and I still ower 18000. This is a fucking nightmare. Please advise... |
^ PM the good folks at Black Halo Racing (BHR) and have them take a look prior. I find it hard to believe the engine is shot from such a brief incident.
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Two feet of water is enough to completely submerse the wheels, i.e. also enough to completely submerse the engine minus the intake manifold. I find it very hard to believe you actually drove through water that deep. That being said, the issues are still the issues, though it's strange they'd be happening since rotaries are generally more tolerant of inhaling water than piston engines are. Hell, some people de-carbon their old 13Bs by spraying water into the intake.
Is there any chance it just needs to sit out in the Phoenix sun for a few days? I'd try that before paying anyone to take stuff apart, especially since most shops will just swap out the engine without even trying to rebuild it. |
Vaeleth... like I said before you go paying some people thousands of dollars TRY YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY. There is underwriting for flooding under Comprehensive.
And you did not drive through two feet of water. |
take out the plugs and crank.
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What parking lot were you in that had 2 feet of water?! What intersection so I can drive there and physically look if it is possible!
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Full details
First off, thank you all for your patience with me. I had a moment of despair this morning. Let me give you all the full details.
I am not paying anything until I really know what wrong with the car. I contacted NPP (extended warranty company) and they said that they "can't" cover it. I am now going to call my insurance company. I talked to the mechanic and he basically told me that they want to replace the following parts to see if they can get the car going to further diagnose the problem. These are the parts they want to replace... Engine Rotary House Engine Gaskets Air Filter (They want to charge me 35 just for the air filter!) Air Flow Sensor Coolant Spark plugs Throttle Body Front and back Oxygen Sensors For q grand total of 6445 dollars. They also think there will be more electrical problems that may cost an additional 1k. Lastly, "BlackRx", the ditch where the puddle was is located in the parking lot behind the shell gas station on Dobson and Broadway, in Mesa. Thank you all for you help. Ps: The reason for wanting to replace the engine is because it is "locked". |
Wow...they just want to replace everything. That is nuts
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Of course you can fix it when you replace the entire car! :lol:
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Originally Posted by Vaeleth
(Post 3687979)
First off, thank you all for your patience with me. I had a moment of despair this morning. Let me give you all the full details.
I am not paying anything until I really know what wrong with the car. I contacted NPP (extended warranty company) and they said that they "can't" cover it. I am now going to call my insurance company. I talked to the mechanic and he basically told me that they want to replace the following parts to see if they can get the car going to further diagnose the problem. These are the parts they want to replace... Engine Rotary House Engine Gaskets Air Filter (They want to charge me 35 just for the air filter!) Air Flow Sensor Coolant Spark plugs Throttle Body Front and back Oxygen Sensors For q grand total of 6445 dollars. They also think there will be more electrical problems that may cost an additional 1k. Lastly, "BlackRx", the ditch where the puddle was is located in the parking lot behind the shell gas station on Dobson and Broadway, in Mesa. Thank you all for you help. Ps: The reason for wanting to replace the engine is because it is "locked". |
It is nearly impossible to hydrolock the rotary engine. Seek service elsewhere!
There is a possibility of some electrical degradation from shorting tho', so I'll give them that one. |
why is this car at a "technician"? it should be at your house. you splashed water into it which caused it to stall. they want to replace the engine to see if it will start? was the throttle body immersed in water? when you took out the air filter did water pour out of the accordian tube? why replace the coolant? did water from the puddle somehow force its way into the cooling system?
its not frickin locked. get it to your house, buy some beer, start up the bbq or hibachi or whatever you have and invite the AZ crew over. whatever you do dont let that place its at now touch it again. replace the engine gaskets.... really? ....:rant::icon_no2::spank: |
Flood Insurance in AZ??? Yea right...not a chance it is on that policy.
Im with everyone else in saying there isn't a chance you actually carried enough speed to make it through 2' of water. Going into something like that would be like hitting a brick wall. I also believe that the AZ folks are the right call to make. $6K can get you a lot of stuff from the BHR crew. I did run into an RX8 at one of the local dealers that was hydrolocked with water. The master tech was shocked and amazed that it happened...however after he explained more it made sense. I guess the owner of the vehicle had driven it into some flooding we had in the fall. They didn't have the cash to have the dealer fix the issue and weren't a member of the club so they didn't know about us locals. So they let the car sit...with water in it...through the winter...and took it to the dealer in March. Needless to say...that engine was toast. |
Originally Posted by zoom44
(Post 3689711)
why is this car at a "technician"? it should be at your house. you splashed water into it which caused it to stall. they want to replace the engine to see if it will start? was the throttle body immersed in water? when you took out the air filter did water pour out of the accordian tube? why replace the coolant? did water from the puddle somehow force its way into the cooling system?
its not frickin locked. get it to your house, buy some beer, start up the bbq or hibachi or whatever you have and invite the AZ crew over. whatever you do dont let that place its at now touch it again. replace the engine gaskets.... really? ....:rant::icon_no2::spank:
Originally Posted by zoom44
(Post 3689711)
They want to replace the engine to see if it will start?
Originally Posted by zoom44
(Post 3689711)
Was the throttle body immersed in water?
Originally Posted by zoom44
(Post 3689711)
When you took out the air filter did water pour out of the accordian tube?
Originally Posted by zoom44
(Post 3689711)
Why replace the coolant?
Originally Posted by zoom44
(Post 3689711)
Did water from the puddle somehow force its way into the cooling system?
They claim that the engine is locked. How or why that would happen, I have no idea. I wish I could say that I am an expert on my own car, but my knowledge is very basic. And as I mentioned above, I found coolant in places that it should not be. The air filter was moist right after the incident, but by no means was there any water coming out of the accordion tube. To give you all a visual here are some images of the "scene of the crime". http://img828.imageshack.us/img828/741/img0050wb.th.jpg Uploaded with ImageShack.us If you note the water marks on the pole in the image. That is no where near two feet as I over estimated. |
I think your "technician" flooded your 8 with gas trying to start it and fouled the plugs.
Try a de-flood procedure: Dump a couple of ccs worth of oil in each of the spark plug holes, remove the fuel relays from the under hood fuse box, crank the engine for about ten rounds of 20 second bursts, waiting 5 minutes between cranks; then turn back on on the fuel, replace the fouled spark plugs, try to start the engine. |
I'm with Rote8 on this.................................and everybody else.
However, the few times(or threads) that I have seen on this type of issue, the block has ended up being been cracked or something. See this thread OP, you might want to read through it, it's only three pages and you will see just how valuable insurance can be. Don't overlook that! https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-parts-sale-wanted-44/hydro-locked-engine-need-new-engine-asap-196770/#post3549058 I still think you should take that car elsewhere. If you ain't gonna hit up the local AZ crew and continue to listen to that "technician" said, then you are going to be out $6500.00 Wouldn't it be better to know for sure before dumping that kinda cash at it? Call your insurance company! |
Please call the BHR crew.. They are some of the best rotary and rx8 guru's in the nation. Your are lucky you live so close to them.
I agree with everyone else. Leave this dumby technician you have or else pay the price of stupidity... |
i have seen a motor that has been emerged in the water, let me tell you it is not pretty.
The guy drove it into water, When the engine was out, we saw the center has cracked and the dipstick will just come out the other side, the intake manifold had heaps of water, the exhaust ports were filled with water, the housing were cracked at the dowel points, there was apex seals in the intake port (i think intake or was it exhaust). The engine actually imploded. |
BHR should already be back in town.
And get the 8 back to you place. They want 6k to replace the motor just to TS the electrical? BS! that can be done without the motor. get some us Az folks over and you'll have a better anwser than what most stealerships can even think about. |
Originally Posted by 09Factor
(Post 3692900)
BHR should already be back in town.
And get the 8 back to you place. They want 6k to replace the motor just to TS the electrical? BS! that can be done without the motor. get some us Az folks over and you'll have a better anwser than what most stealerships can even think about. |
i have seen a motor that has been emerged in the water, let me tell you it is not pretty.
The guy drove it into water, When the engine was out, we saw the center has cracked and the dipstick will just come out the other side, the intake manifold had heaps of water, the exhaust ports were filled with water, the housing were cracked at the dowel points, there was apex seals in the intake port (i think intake or was it exhaust). The engine actually imploded. |
^.............is there an echo in here?
BTW................what happened to the OP? Not a word in 4 days! This outta be a good story..............hope he comes back and tells us! |
Is this guy even alive?
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Hopefully he didn't spend $6500 without having someone else look at it :)
If it turns over..they should dry it out and do a pressure test and a compression test to see it the engine is normal...if it didn't break anything then they should try and pull start it and see if it will start If the MAF gets wet it outputs a higher voltage than normal and will output more fuel and likely flood the car...so it could just be flooded with fuel really bad (look for a 0103 code) This whole hydrolock thing is almost an urban myth |
Yeah, but like Tofu said, I have also seen pics of more than one that went submarining and ended up cracking the block(rotor housing).......so that can happen for sure.
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but he didnt submarine. he said the tb was never under water. look at the pics of the parking lot. the water was not 2 feet
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^................then he hopefully the car okay, and has the car somewhere else rather than where he was. I don't think you have to actually have water sucked down the intake to have this sort of issue??????? Hopefully we will get an update sooner or later.
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Drove my 8 into some water May 1st this year, insurance paid for a new motor, the problem now is in the steering. Checked a thread on how to clean and solder the connectors for the steering rack, you should do the same to perhaps prevent possible future problems...
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Fin
Originally Posted by Tomza87
(Post 3714258)
Drove my 8 into some water May 1st this year, insurance paid for a new motor, the problem now is in the steering. Checked a thread on how to clean and solder the connectors for the steering rack, you should do the same to perhaps prevent possible future problems...
It's been a rough last month and I would like to give you all the update. Like the last post, my insurance covered all the costs and I was left to pay the deductible. "Officially" they replaced the engine because it was hydro locked along with several other parts. The full list is as follows... V0 High PWE A/T RX8 ENG $2,001 Gasket Set, Engine $146 Spark Plug Set $162 Mazda Coolant FL22 $17.92 Element, Air Cleaner $25.01 WB Battery $114.09 Valve, Solenoid $125 Valve, Shutter Manifold $345.63 Gasket, Shutter Valve $9.76 Bolts $3.07 Gasket, A.C.V $6.66 Zoom Power Engine CL $30.01 Part Total: $2986.85 Labor Costs: $2484.29 Grand Total: $5471.14 In addition to the fixing my car and attempting to rob me blind, the dealership left me a nice gash across my rear bumper. It looks like they literally took a screw driver and scraped a nice chunk of paint off. So, they will be taking the car back on Monday to fix the issue. I'm also grateful to whoever posted the last comment. When I picked up my car I knew the steering felt really stiff, but I figured I just needed to get used to the car again. Luckily I am still in the time window where I can add it to the same insurance claim. Lastly, I'd like to thank everyone for the help in attempting to diagnose the issue, in addition to the AZ locals who offered to help me fix them. Unfortunately, I run a business and am busy 7days a week so I couldn't take you all up on the offer. Thanks to you all, -Vael PS: My windshield is cracked and I am looking to replace it. Is it possible to order a do it yourself online, or should I just pay a company to do it? |
Originally Posted by Vaeleth
(Post 3743120)
PS: My windshield is cracked and I am looking to replace it. Is it possible to order a do it yourself online, or should I just pay a company to do it?
Pay a company |
Depending on the crack size it may or may not be done for free. Also...check with your auto insurance company as you more than likely have glass coverage. You really really want to have a professional from like Safelite replace your windshield though and not do it yourself. It could save your life one day.
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