hey guys,
a few weeks ago my fiancé was driving my 04 TL and drove through a puddle that was deeper than he thought (he says 6 inches but who knows). the car turned off for a bit but started running shortly after. since then, its been misfiring on a bunch of different cylinders, it changes every time we scan. the check engine light is usually on and its usually misfiring when stopped/parked, not usually while driving. we can't seem to figure out what is going on.. some things we've already tried:
-airing it out (obviously tried this first)
-disconnecting battery
-2 days ago did all new coils/plugs (it was time to do them anyway)
has anyone else had this problem? its super frustrating..my TL is my baby and I hate to drive her like this. he is thinking it could be maybe O2 sensor or crankshaft position sensor..

what do you guys think???

 

bent some components in the engine...

Do a leak down test and a compression test...will tell you everything you need to know without tearing down the engine.

 

Ugh. Potentially really bad. Like Justn said, it could have some bent valves or connecting rods if it sucked up water. Even a small amount can do it. I'm assuming it's running like crap?

Have a mechanic take a look. Explain what happened and that you'd like a leak down and compression test (that way he'll know what you're talking about instead of taking you for a ride). If all that's fine, then it may be something electrical. If those tests come back bad; compression loss or significant blow-by, then I'm afraid you're looking at needing a new engine - which is probably more expensive than the car is worth.

Edit: it could very well be a position sensor (crankshaft, camshaft) or possibly an O2 sensor, though a bad O2 sensor usually comes with a specific code - usually between P0135 to P0140. The thing that leads me to believe it's more likely engine damage is the water. Water can screw up a sensor, but most of the sensors in the engine are relatively water resistant. Heck, I used to pressure spray my engine bay and never had any sensor problems. I don't recommend that BTW. It's not all that good for various reasons. But my point is that water is unlikely to kill a sensor but can easily damage an engine if it gets sucked into the intake.