Over Eager Car Washing -- Water in Air-Intake

Hello,

Writing in the hope that somebody will be able to help. While washing and waxing my '94 850 we were a bit too eager in scrubbing and rinsing under the hood. Am afraid that a decent amount of water got in the air-intake valves.

Started the car to take it for a drive to "dry" it and drove around the block. Heard a kind of gurgling or water noise when I accelerated. Returned quickly to the driveway where the car now sits.

Tried to start it about 25 minutes later and the car won't start. It just doesn't turn over. Electrical system seems fine. I'm concerned about water in the engine.

Please let me know what I should be doing/checking for.

Thanks Very Much,

Alex

[markas]

Hi ya,

I too have a N/A 94 2 litre model. Did you actually take apart the hole of the air intake system and this is why you are worried?

I personally jet wash my car two and have no problems, I just make sure I keep away from the spark plug cover so no water get on top of the head or down the holes where the plugs are.

If you let your car sit for a while unplug all the ht leads and give them a good wipe, if you can spray one of the water repellent products on them or air to ensure they are dry. The air intake box does actually have a drain hole at the bottom, as in normally use you will get a certain amount of ingestion of water on a busy road/freeway if raining badly.

Next the engine is not to keen on being started and switched off right away it confusing the ECU a bit. Next time you start her let her idle until you have the 3 o'clock point of the temp gauge with the bonnet up so you can listen for any bad sounds.

Hope this helps,

mark.

Thanks Mark,

Perhaps my air-intake drain hole is clogged? Any suggestions as to how I can find it and unclog it?

Also, excuse my ignorance, but what are "ht leads"?

Thanks so much for your help. I am hopeful now.

BTW, I didn't take apart the hole in the air-intake system so perhaps you are right and this is just the spark plugs. However, as I said in my initial post I was able to start it and drive it fairly immediately and only faced problems when I tried to accellerate -- I felt some minor seizing and heard some gurgling.

Any hope that this could be something other than water in the engine?

Thanks

Alex

Alex

If too much water gets in the intake, the engine can try to compress the water when the pistons are on the "up stroke", the water won't compress and this can cause all kinds of "remortgage required" repairs by bending the con rods.

The HT leads are the thick wires which connect the spark plugs to the distributor cap.

All you can really do is leave the engine long enough to be sure that it is dry and try to start it and see how it goes, fingers crossed for you !!

Good luck

Si

THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR HELP and SYMPATHY. THE CAR WORKS PERFECTLY. IT STARTED UP WELL. SPUTTERED A LITTLE BIT WHEN I ACCELERATED PAST 60MPH BUT IT SEEMS PERFECT NOW.

I THINK YOU MUST HAVE BEEN RIGHT ABOUT THE WET PLUGS OR HT LEADS.


I'M VERY VERY RELIEVED.

ALEX

PS NOW, IF I CAN ONLY GET MY HORN TO START WORKING PROPERLY AGAIN

[Simon Linton]

Well, we now have another story confirming what has been said before - do NOT use pressure washers or indeed any form of hose under the bonnet.

There are about 100 electrical connectors under there, all of which can be disrupted by water and some of which will cause very expensive damage if so disrupted.

Damp cloth time.

I have been thinking about getting mine steam cleaned for a while, probably without the spark plug cover because I have noticed that its a bit ming'in under there !!

Is steam cleaning OK or are there precautions to take ?


Si

[Simon Linton]

Not a good idea for the reasons I gave above - steam is water too and electricity and water don't get on at all.