Kinda long story.....

Well last night I was driving through Phoenix and stopped for dinner and then all of a sudden it started raining pretty hard while we were eating. It didnt seem like it was that bad but I guess phx doesnt have any kind of drainage. On the way back home I turned a corner to get on the freeway and then suddenly found myself in a 8inch deep pond. I was just idling but by the time I got my hand on the key to turn it off, it stalled. I got out and pushed it out of the pond in the middle of the freeway on ramp and then popped the hood and pulled the AEM cai from the throttle body to see if there was water. It looked slightly wet but not like a full hydrolock situation. I put the intake back on then waited a couple mins a tried to crank it.....I know.... I know..... why did I do it................. Well It cranked fine but didnt start for about 10 secs of cranking. Once it started I had the cloud of white smoke from the exhaust (which I hope was steam and not smoke) but then it ran fine. I was freaking out about the engine and the bent valves possibility so I got back off the freeway and stopped to check the oil. There was about two or three beads of water on the dipstick and the oil looked gross and milky. I decided that was it and let it sit there for the rest of the night. This morning I checked the oil again and it looked normal since the water separated out. I took it to the nearest oil change place and had them do an oil change and run a few extra quarts through to get all the water out. I drove it a few miles after the oil change and it seems fine. No valve taping, oil looks good now, idles fine, power feels the same. I think I might have lucked out and not bent anything. Im going to do compression test as soon as I can just to double check.

everyone cross your fingers for me

-Andrew

 

goodluck man!

 

I hope you survive brother. I did before.

 

What did we learn from this lesson? CAI's aren't worth buying a new motor perhaps? I'll never run one again and I never even got this close. Butt puckering drives in the rain is all it took.

 

Bent valves won't be a problem. A bent rod maybe. If the compression check comes out funky measure and compare the stroke per cylinder. I slightly bent rod may show no symptoms initially but over time and wear may cause problems. Changing the oil ASAP is important, it's best if you can do it before driving the car at all. You can even pull the plugs and suck out the water with a shop vac and small hose so you don't have to clean the plugs as many times. I hydrolocked an H22 so I'm quite familiar with the effects. Full coverage insurance should cover any repairs if necessary. Good Luck.

 

Lucky escape or a problem waiting to happen?

 

I had the same exact situation happen in my old del sol years ago, except mine wouldn't crank. I got the car towed back home and sprayed ether into the throttle body while my brother tried to start it. Finally, it cranked up and had horrible exhaust smoke shooting out for a long time

 

You might want to consider starting a claim with your insurance company now. Just let them know what happened and your intentions. Most insurance companies have a time limit on filing a claim, so this should cover your arse. Good luck.

 

This is why AEM offers a valve that prevents water from being drawn into the engine.

 

i have this in my 04. i live in vegas so rain isnt that common here but it's good to know that i have a decent chance of surviving deep water