Water Flooded Engine...Need help! (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter JohnnyBee
- Start date
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Pathfinder
I am the STIG
also use rubbing alcohol on connections as it will displace any water and the evaparate quickly. good luck
- Thread starter
- #23
The ingine stopped because of water ingestion and it was in dirty fresh water. When i have had it started alot of black liquidy stuff came out the exhaust. It almost seemed like unburned gas. An insight on that?
I havent pulled the pan or done a compression test but would it even start if there was a bent rod?
I havent pulled the pan or done a compression test but would it even start if there was a bent rod?
powderpig
SILVER Star
I would also remove and dry the Idle air control conector and the Throttle position connector. I saw no mention of these. If your computer got swapped as well. Make sure the connectors here have no water inside them. Also make sure no water in the connectors that are behind the glove box. All have seals, but if water can get past the seals on the IAC and TPS and MAF connector, it can get other places you will not expect.
good luck
good luck
Unfortunately, I have a bit of experience here. Time is your enemy in this situation. The longer you wait, the more damage will be done due to corrosion from the minerals in the water.
Drain ALL fluids and refill with regular old dino fluids, especially the transmission fluid. The sooner you get the components up to operating temperature, the better off you’ll be. Drain and refill ALL fluids (including your brake fluid) at least 2 or 3 times.
Each and every electrical connector needs to be opened, blown out with compressed air, shot with WD40, blown out again, hit with spray grease. When I say every connector, I mean every single one that could have possibly gotten wet and even the ones that didn't. The connectors that you neglect will nag you for YEARS TO COME. Ask me how I know this.
Remove the center diff actuator on the top of the transfer case. This is an expensive part that needs to be cleaned out or the electric motor will fail due to corrosion.
Remove the neutral start switch on the side of the transmission. Open it up and dry it out, re-grease.
How much water was in the cabin? This will determine what other parts need to be replaced and what connectors need to be cleaned. There are a bunch of connectors under the center console that you need to address ASAP as well. The ECU lives above the glovebox. If the water line was below that then you should be OK, but DO NOT NEGLECT THE CONNECTORS. Water will flow through the harness due to capillary action and get drawn into places it shouldn’t be. Don’t forget the driver/passenger kick panels.
Again, the longer you wait, the more problems you will have over time.
Drain ALL fluids and refill with regular old dino fluids, especially the transmission fluid. The sooner you get the components up to operating temperature, the better off you’ll be. Drain and refill ALL fluids (including your brake fluid) at least 2 or 3 times.
Each and every electrical connector needs to be opened, blown out with compressed air, shot with WD40, blown out again, hit with spray grease. When I say every connector, I mean every single one that could have possibly gotten wet and even the ones that didn't. The connectors that you neglect will nag you for YEARS TO COME. Ask me how I know this.
Remove the center diff actuator on the top of the transfer case. This is an expensive part that needs to be cleaned out or the electric motor will fail due to corrosion.
Remove the neutral start switch on the side of the transmission. Open it up and dry it out, re-grease.
How much water was in the cabin? This will determine what other parts need to be replaced and what connectors need to be cleaned. There are a bunch of connectors under the center console that you need to address ASAP as well. The ECU lives above the glovebox. If the water line was below that then you should be OK, but DO NOT NEGLECT THE CONNECTORS. Water will flow through the harness due to capillary action and get drawn into places it shouldn’t be. Don’t forget the driver/passenger kick panels.
Again, the longer you wait, the more problems you will have over time.
Black liquidy stuff would merely be water in the exhaust system loosening years of oil/carbon deposits, or carbon from the cylinders/ex manifolds. Your top priority remains getting the pistons hot from running a minute at a time at least just to dry the water in the rings out. Before doing this, be sure there's not water in the oil and if so drain and refill with any crap oil just so you can run it and shut it off several times until the pistons have boiled off any water. If you let it sit around while you go through connections simply because it's not running smoothly, you risk ruining the cylinder walls so getting it running smoothly is something to deal with later.
I'm not there to hear it run, but roughness would be expected with flooded electronics. Get the cylinder environment dried FIRST and then deal with everything else.
Anyone can chime in on this, but if you have a bent rod and start it for a minute at a time for a few cycles it won't matter at the end of this. In that case, you're just beating on the rod bearings and wrist pin a bit - parts that will be replaced anyhow. The only risk in a bent rod scenario to what I'm suggesting is if the rod is bent so badly it's about to fail and damage the block. If it were my engine this is exactly what I'd be doing - getting some fire in the cylinders after ensuring the oil's not contaminated.
DougM
I'm not there to hear it run, but roughness would be expected with flooded electronics. Get the cylinder environment dried FIRST and then deal with everything else.
Anyone can chime in on this, but if you have a bent rod and start it for a minute at a time for a few cycles it won't matter at the end of this. In that case, you're just beating on the rod bearings and wrist pin a bit - parts that will be replaced anyhow. The only risk in a bent rod scenario to what I'm suggesting is if the rod is bent so badly it's about to fail and damage the block. If it were my engine this is exactly what I'd be doing - getting some fire in the cylinders after ensuring the oil's not contaminated.
DougM
Just wondering here....but how did you get water into the engine?
I've driven through puddles that were over the hood, no problems. I've watched videos of stock cruisers driving through a river (again over the hood) for at least a minute, no problems.
A LOT of water needs to make it into the intake before it gets sucked into the engine. In my experience you will get misfires (water in the spark plug cylinders) or stumbling (water in the dizzy) long before you get water into the engine proper.
Unless you installed something like a K&N cold air intake....then it'd be very easy to do.
I've driven through puddles that were over the hood, no problems. I've watched videos of stock cruisers driving through a river (again over the hood) for at least a minute, no problems.
A LOT of water needs to make it into the intake before it gets sucked into the engine. In my experience you will get misfires (water in the spark plug cylinders) or stumbling (water in the dizzy) long before you get water into the engine proper.
Unless you installed something like a K&N cold air intake....then it'd be very easy to do.
- Thread starter
- #28
Well some how I got it running good for probally ten to 15 minutes. The exhaust was no longer smoking really bad and it sounded genuinly better.
However, now it is back where it was before; very rough and shaking the engine around. Also the RPM's dont show up on the gauge like it did before.
BTW i have change the oil after it ran for a whil aabout 4 times. Thanks for the advice so far!
However, now it is back where it was before; very rough and shaking the engine around. Also the RPM's dont show up on the gauge like it did before.
BTW i have change the oil after it ran for a whil aabout 4 times. Thanks for the advice so far!
TJ96TLC
SILVER Star
Have you dried out all of the sensors and connectors yet??
- Thread starter
- #30
Yes i have.
At this point it is running great
there was a little black box, on the passanger side, near the ECU that was filled with water. I emptied it and it has been running good since. 
At this point it is running great
there was a little black box, on the passanger side, near the ECU that was filled with water. I emptied it and it has been running good since.
You will probably have to replace that little black box at some point in the near future.
In fact, I'd start saving pennies for lots of little black box replacements.
In fact, I'd start saving pennies for lots of little black box replacements.
TJ96TLC
SILVER Star
Glad you got it fixed..wonder what box that is..any pics?? Just in case i decide to take mine swimming
Read post #25 dude. trust me.
