long story short. i drove my car into about a foot and a half of water. its a relatively low car. and it shut off while submerged. and i tried starting it, which now i can only imagine was very very bad for it. and my car sat there, half underwater, until the fire department came and pulled me out about an hour and a half later. the people told me that i should not try starting my car for a couple days. (this happened friday) so im planning on trying to start it tonight. what are the chances that my car will ever run agian.

if it got hydrolick lock in a cylinder(s) - 0
if you short circuited a bunch of electronics - 0

the above can be fixed with money and new parts...

If you really cranked it after the engine stalled out with water, it's probably fucked. Rods tend to bend when the cylinders get full of non-compressible material, like water. The computer modules might be okay, depending on where they are.

Pull all the spark plugs out and crank the motor to blow the water out, then try to start it.

I don't know why, but the title reminded me of this song. (http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=n4XCGeckA-E)

Generally, the electronics will surprisingly do fine. I've seen people pour water out of Range Rover ECUs and then have it running a few hours later when the board dries out... Most connectors on modern cars, save for the HT stuff, are pretty good at keeping out the water. Water does sweet fuck all to 12v though, it's just the electronics which may suffer.

However, hydraulic lock is a bad thing, which needs an engine stripdown and replacement of rods. Heads can fracture too if the engine was running fast enough.

If if sucked in any grit and crap, you may need to have your cylinders rebored as it can cause serious scoring.

There's a chance that the engine stopped because water got into the electrics and not because it got drawn into the air intake, which would save the engine from any serious damage.

so i just tried to start it and a made a noise ive never heard out of a car.

it was a high pitched whiir sound. the engine did not start. what is this?

so i just tried to start it and a made a noise ive never heard out of a car.

it was a high pitched whiir sound. the engine did not start. what is this?
That sound is probably the starter spinning but not engaging.

I'm guessing water got into the starter and/or bellhousing and corroded the surfaces so the pinion isn't shooting out on its shaft and engaging the flywheel. Depending on your starter type, it may have a solenoid (not the switching solenoid) to move the pinion gear, which could also be sticking.

Give the starter a good whack with a wooden mallet...or something heavy and not hard...which might free off the stuck pinion.

That sound is probably the starter spinning but not engaging.

I'm guessing water got into the starter and/or bellhousing and corroded the surfaces so the pinion isn't shooting out on its shaft and engaging the flywheel. Depending on your starter type, it may have a solenoid (not the switching solenoid) to move the pinion gear, which could also be sticking.

Give the starter a good whack with a wooden mallet...or something heavy and not hard...which might free off the stuck pinion.
okay wheres the starter.

okay wheres the starter.
I'm guessing it's a front wheel drive car. Look at the end of the engine where the gearbox is. It'll look like a metal cylinder bolted on top of the bellhousing between the engine and gearbox.

I can't find a good picture of a starter motor on an engine, but here's what it looks like off the car:
http://www.alternatorsandstarters.net/classified/starterafterlarge.jpg


BEFORE you try and crank it again though, remove the plugs first. You want to get all the water out the cylinders or you're going to risk causing more damage. Don't try and start it yet without pulling the plugs.

I just drove through about that much water the other day, on a flooded roadway.
My brakes were too wet for awhile to work, but everything else was fine.
Your issue may be the starter, as AP2K points at, as that is down there in the lowest region of the engine.
Most electronics are halfway up or higher , so I doubt you really took too much of a hit in 1.5 feet of water.

Your issue may be the starter, as AP2K points at.
:mad: Twas me. ;)

After driving through water, it's pretty normal that your brakes will be pretty, uh, inoperative for a bit. It gets scary with drums all round though as they all fill up completely - there's literally nothing there for the first few applications.

Havent you seen Transporter 3? A car can be completely submerged for 5 minutes and be running after only 10 minutes of light work.

Havent you seen Transporter 3? A car can be completely submerged for 5 minutes and be running after only 10 minutes of light work.

on topgear they sent a toyota hilux into the OCEAN (read: saltwater full of crap) and it was there for a few hours. They got it to start again in just about 10 minutes of work with just some wrenches.

on topgear they sent a toyota hilux into the OCEAN (read: saltwater full of crap) and it was there for a few hours. They got it to start again in just about 10 minutes of work with just some wrenches.
Bear in mind it was diesel and wasn't running when they put it in the ocean.

And the sand probably wreaked havoc with the engine, but it was still able to run. Just.

Bear in mind it was diesel and wasn't running when they put it in the ocean.


This. Big difference, plus it's a television program centred around entertainment that doesn't mind editing reality for the sake of a good fun segment. How in the blue fuck did your car get into the lake in the first place!?

I'm listening to skylab.

What...the...fuck.

Knickers of a girl is like channelling moby dick.

^ what the fuck?

^ what the fuck?

Seconded. Over my joint "Streets of Laredo" just made way for Ladytron's "Ghosts", an oldie but a goodie to bring me up to peak.

Bear in mind it was diesel and wasn't running when they put it in the ocean.

And the sand probably wreaked havoc with the engine, but it was still able to run. Just.

Yeah.. No chance of hydrolock with a car that isnt running. Especially since they pulled the plugs and all.

^ what the fuck?

THE VIBE MAN THE VIBE!


Well, for the first 30 seconds anyway.

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=QKt4tidpTvw

to

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=wW4b2axczFI


Both make bitching ringtones.

like this?

http://jalopnik.com/photogallery/doingwrong2/1005353602

You have to be kidding me. All these fucking replies and none of you wonder how this asshole's car ended up in a lake?

You have to be kidding me. All these fucking replies and none of you wonder how this asshole's car ended up in a lake?

Yep, we're kidding you. It's all a massive prank on you. SURPRISE!

Yep, we're kidding you. It's all a massive prank on you. SURPRISE!

Why did you let him know? D:

shoht dah fohk ohp.