AnthraciteAspec

iTrader: (6)

So I drove through a puddle about 6-8 inches deep and hydro locked my engine today. My car is low and I have a CAI so this has always been a worry. I drove through said puddle about an hour earlier and had no issues but the rain was coming down hard and there was inadequate drainage in this one spot.


Long story short I got towed to the dealer and they said I had water in a couple cylinders but no damage had been done. They dried everything out and had it running in about an hour. I guess I was going slow enough (practically at idle) when it happened so the car just stalled. They said I was really lucky as they had seen this happen before and usually the results were catastrophic.


I have been driving this car with a CAI for over 5 years and never had an issue. That said I am removing my cold air intake and will be going back to a stock air box. Just wanted to post this in case someone else is debating getting a cold air intake. I don't think it is worth the risk, especially for no performance gains and only a cool sound. I will miss that sound though.

guitarplayer16

iTrader: (8)

Sorry to hear, man.

How much for the CAI?

AnthraciteAspec

iTrader: (6)

Don't be sorry, I got lucky. I got out of their paying only $120. While I was sitting in the waiting room I was reading another thread on here about a guy who had to pay $7000.


I will do a straight trade for a stock setup if you are interested. I imagine you would want to keep your stock setup though.

AnthraciteAspec

iTrader: (6)

Found a stock airbox on craigslist so the CAI will be on the BM soon I guess.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

if no damage done = not hydro locked

Dcb18c5

Not good, glad it worked out.

AnthraciteAspec

iTrader: (6)

It got water in the engine which caused the engine to lock up.

I am no expert but the mechanic said it was hydro locked so I took his word. You could be right though I don't know.

paperboy42190

iTrader: (7)

I think the lock part of hydro lock means it's permanent. You definitely got close though. The rain around SoCal lately has been pretty bad, and most areas have inadequate drainage because we rarely get rain. Glad to hear your engine is fine though

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

water doesnt compress.
it will lock up and bend components damaging your engine. = Hydrolocked = FUCKED.


you're very lucky you caught it!

Comptechtl2367

Its a good thing you didn't damage your engine, but people dont understand that insurance will cover this damage. And 7k to replace the engine is absurd!!!

paperboy42190

iTrader: (7)

^really? Didn't know that. What would you say to insurance in this case?

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

"I would like to make a claim.
as you know, cali has been raining recently, and on my daily commute, there was a puddle the car couldnt avoid. I believe it sucked up water. I've already brought the car to my trusted mechanic and we're waiting for your adjuster"

NBP04TL4ME

Glad things worked out well for you, but I'm scratching my head trying to figure out how you got out of the dealership for $120. I figure $120 is about 45 - 60 mins of labor. If you truly got out of the dealer for $120 then you are a lot luckier than you think!

csmeance

^120 from the dealer is to remove the plugs, swap the oil and get the car running again!!!

IF YOUR CAR HYDROLOCKS (SHUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING THROUGH WATER) DO NOT TRY TO RESTART IT!!!!!!! RESTARTING IT WILL CAUSE ALL THE PROBLEMS

^ like I said first, if you don't start the car you can take to a shop and they will remove all the spark plugs and remove the fuel injector fuse. They will change the oil 1-2 times and try to start the car without the plugs. This will send the water shooting out of the engine so you don't damage it! Then put the plugs back in, reassemble, new oil and you are done!

NBP04TL4ME

I understand the process, but maybe it's just me - $120 seems pretty cheap.

thoiboi

Yeah those Cali showers the last couple days were crazy, flooding on the freeways and such, we're not used to it. Glad it was a 'happy' ending though OP. The whole time driving this weekend, I kept telling myself, "Man, I'm glad I decided against a CAI".

cazio

iTrader: (3)

I have a stock airbox if ur interested

gplayer

This is why I will never get an CAI. Ignoring the fact that they usually don't make a blind bit of difference in actual performance, the risk of this exact thing happening, with worse consequences, is way too high here in Georgia.

usdmJON

They make pre filters to avoid any small amounts of water from being sucked up.
As well AEM makes a bypass valve in case the intake gets submerged.


In my opinion for a daily driver SRI is perfect unless you're engines running hotter than normal.

Jesstzn

I had a stock air box / intake assy you could of had for free if you were closer.

gplayer

But how much does that cost? Most people go for the cheaper ones, which don't have those things.
In certain applications, CAI's are great. I just would not put one on a DD, because they still don't improve horsepower, unless you do some clever plumbing.
Otherwise you just suck air straight from the engine bay, which is usually a good bit hotter than the outside air, directly into the engine, which really defeats the whole purpose.

I hope I'm not coming off as a jerk here, but I really dislike CAI's, because of the above reasons.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

plus, we have a cold air intake system from the factory.
Which, Jon and I found out that it's impossible to suck up water in stock form.

the stock cold air intake system is far superior than an aftermarket one.

gplayer

Is that because of the U-shape bend or something else?

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

check it out!

gplayer

Ahhh, very interesting. Thanks for posting. Is that system, or one similar to it also on my 03 CL?

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

you can very easily tell if it is indeed the same system.
if by the battery area, you have plastic plumbing, that is the intake system shown here!

nfnsquared

Hate to say it, but I'll be surprised if there wasn't any damage. Hope I'm wrong, but if there was water in the cylinders, my guess is something got bent and it's only a matter of time before the damage manifests itself.

I hope I'm wrong and good luck!!! Keep us updated...

I hate cars

This wasn't necessarily a hydrolock. You just got a little water in there and put the fire out.

If you're worried, do a compression test. A leak down test won't catch a bent rod but a compression test will.

If a rod is bent you will eventually have an engine failure, usually a rod through the block. Chances are you will get a misfire code especially when idling as it gets worse and compression falls off. You can check the plugs after a few hundred miles and look for a plug that's darker (not sooty) than the rest. If any of this happens it would be a good idea to stop driving if you plan on salvaging the engine.

This shows the flaw of these cheesy CAI systems. The filter should always be in the engine bay protected. The inlet can be anywhere outside of the engine bay. It does not have to be in the fender well or near the ground. It can be anywhere outside, behind the grill is fine. Just outside of the inner fender, etc. there should be the outside air plumbed into the air box but with the airbox not sealed to the filter so dirt and water can blow by or drain out. It's so simple but everyone wants these cookie cutter chrome and stickers.

But yeah, do a compression check. If it's good, read the plugs while they're out. Do another compression check in 1,000-2,000 miles and if it's still good you're probably going to be fine.