Hey guys,

I gotta a quick question about my car. Ok, so i drive my car into some water and now the engine wont start anymore. i was wondering if someone could give me advise of how to remove the water correctly.

i need my car asap! so any help would be greatly appreciated! thanks.

car: 08 cobalt lt

 

go buy a new car itll cost ya that much in the end... probly fried a few sensors... wiring.. computers.... and got water in the motor... good luck

 

If you are lucky and didn't mess up any sensors....


IF the engine is hydrostatically locked follow this procedure:

Replace air filter and evacuate water from airbox and the external parts of the intake.
Take out the spark plugs. If, when you remove the spark plugs, there is no water present, the problem isn't hydro lock. If you detect water, bump the key. Do no more than bump it.
If water comes out proceed to the next step, if it attempts to turn over and will not, contact your insurance company and your local dealer.
If water comes out, the good news is that the engine is not locked up. Suck the rest of the water out with a suction pump
Get a squirt bottle and some de-natured alcohol and spray it into the engine through the spark plug holes and let it sit for a few hours.
Change the oil and flush the oil system.
Put it back together and start the vehicle.
If it seems to run fine, monitor it for a few minutes. If not, turn it off ASAP.
Change the oil again after 300 miles or 10 days.

 

thanks for the responses.

what do you think the chances are of my insurance covering any repairs?

 

They may treat it like a single-car wreck without documentation...but they may instead treat it like flood damage. The only way you will know is to contact them.

 

How deep did it go into the water? I can hardly imagine you going in the water, with the nose completely in it. Because you'd never be able to get out.

And just out of curiousity... what were you doing , trying to go through that water with your car?

 

I contacted my Insurance and they say it should be covered. Boy i hope so! cuz i am broke.

the water was only about half way up the tires. it wasn't that deep when i started going through it. i was reading another forum that said something
about a tiddle wave being created when you drive through water. thats probly what got to the intake. i may be an idiot for driving in water period with my car, but i know better then to drive up a river.


i sure hope so cuz the engine wont even turn over now. me and a buddy of mine were going to attempt your instructions today. but on second thought i was like hmm im not a car tech.

the road i was on has a stream that runs through it normaly. i go to that spot all the time and have driven through water like it was before. i guess i miscalculated about how deep the water would be this time.


with any luck the insurance person will total the car cuz it sounds like a lotta work.


thanks for the help guys i appreciate it. if i have any more questions i'll be back.