Vaeleth

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".

BlackRX82006

iTrader: (1)

Wow...they just want to replace everything. That is nuts

DarkBrew

Of course you can fix it when you replace the entire car!

jasonrxeight

if the engine cranks, its not locked.

Huey52

iTrader: (2)

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.

zoom44

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? ....

DeViLbOi

iTrader: (1)

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.

Vaeleth

Let me give you a run down of what I Found, but first let me answer your questions.

Quote:

Originally Posted by zoom44

They want to replace the engine to see if it will start?

Lol.. yes. It is ridiculous I know. From there they said that after they got the car running they would be able to assess they electrical damage.

Quote:

Originally Posted by zoom44

Was the throttle body immersed in water?

No.

Quote:

Originally Posted by zoom44

When you took out the air filter did water pour out of the accordian tube?

No. At worst the air filter was moist.

Quote:

Originally Posted by zoom44

Why replace the coolant?

Here was an interesting find on my part. When I checked the spark plugs I found that they were coated with water, oil, AND coolant. According to the mechanics the engine is also full off coolant and a little water.

Quote:

Originally Posted by zoom44

Did water from the puddle somehow force its way into the cooling system?

By what I found, it must have. Either that or my car had some major issues prior to me driving into the water.

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".



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.

Rote8

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.

Mazurfer

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!

adamwzl

iTrader: (3)

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...

tofu_box

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.

09Factor

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.

BlackRX82006

iTrader: (1)

Agreed, I'll come out and lend a helping hand. I'll bring beer

tofu_box

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.

Mazurfer

^.............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!

BlackRX82006

iTrader: (1)

Is this guy even alive?

dannobre

iTrader: (3)

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

Mazurfer

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.

zoom44

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

Mazurfer

^................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.

Tomza87

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...

Vaeleth

Hello everyone,

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?

BlackRX82006

iTrader: (1)

Pay a company

DeViLbOi

iTrader: (1)

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.