I misjudged the depth of a water crossing and stalled my car in Windshield deep water. What do I need to replace to get it running again? All oils are getting replaced. What do I do about the wet ecu? Buy a new one? Anything else?

pull it and either a) blow it out as best you can and get it completely dry or immerse it in a bath of isopropyl alcohol and blow it out and let it dry

 

buy a can of contact cleaner spray and use it to dry any connectors that got wet

 

pull your spark plugs and turn the engine over to pump water from the cylinders, and hope you didnt bend your rods when you water locked the engine

 

you're leaving out a lot of details and I can't believe there's no pic for such an awesome 'oops' moment

I misjudged the depth of a water crossing and stalled my car in Windshield deep water. What do I need to replace to get it running again? All oils are getting replaced. What do I do about the wet ecu? Buy a new one? Anything else?

 

Misjudging means seeing 6" and it being 12".

 

You need to dry every connection. Drain every fluid. And the interior... that is a totally different story.

More like 36" if it's up the windsheild . Bad times.....

 

Last time I saw that happen... NickyNighteyes EA81 wagon went for a swim in the ocean - about halfway up the windows. It got a AAA ride back to Portland and although I did get it to run - the wireing was a mess and the interior smelled strongly of fish. We pulled the lift/Weber/5 speed off and he bought another wagon for $300 to put them in. It never did drive again - it remained a parts car to the end of it's days.

 

If it got up to the ECU and beyond..... well there's hope since it's only a 12v system but it's going to take a lot of work to fix it right. Pull the carpet and just dumpster it - then pull the drain plugs in the floor and wash it out with a hose. Then you can start the drying process.

 

GD

Edited April 11, 201015 yr by GeneralDisorder

I'm ahead of the game there. I pulled the interior and drain plugs awhile back. Only thing inside are the front seats that will absorb water. If it wouldve had the drainplugs in I wouldve floated. I did float through the first deep hole but I took on too much water in the second. In the first hole the car was floating and my tractor tires propelled me through.

snorkel

 

and new ECU and it should be good to go.

snorkel

 

and new ECU and it should be good to go.

 

Until all the connectors corrode.

Have experience from two separate occasions.

 

First time I hydro-locked engine.

 

 

Two weeks later......BLAM!

 

 

(replaced 01 engine with 04)

 

Second time I sank and stuck in a mud pit.

 

 

 

Cooked the ECU and a couple of wheel bearings(replaced them all).

Qman's right,you gotta take the interior apart,clean and dry harnesses and connectors or they will corrode.

How do I change the power streering fluid? It is the only fluid left that looks like chocolate milk

oh yea,NEVER Go fast through a large puddle.go slow enough to maintain a "bowwake" off the front of the car.That should keep most of the water out.Turn off radiator fans if possible when going through water because the fans like to bend and they may take out the radiator when they hit water.

 

or just get a snorkel and drive as fast as you want through a puddle.with your fans off.

Edited April 12, 201015 yr by Qman

oh yea,NEVER Go fast through a large puddle.go slow enough to maintain a "bowwake" off the front of the car.That should keep most of the water out.Turn off radiator fans if possible when going through water because the fans like to bend and they may take out the radiator when they hit water.

 

or just get a snorkel and drive as fast as you want through a puddle.with your fans off.

 

Where do you get this stuff? Worst advice I could imagine.

I found that information off the interweb(including from this board) so that means it must be true.

I found that information off the interweb(including from this board) so that means it must be true.

 

Believe it if you want, but don't spread it around!

How do I change the power streering fluid? It is the only fluid left that looks like chocolate milk

 

I've done this by the following;

 

remove drive belt,

pull the return line off pump, letting that fluid drain into catch can,

cap-off the line on the pump for the return line,

fill resevoir with fresh fluid,

spin the pump pulley, (I have a small 3/8 drive impact that works great for this), this will pump the fresh fluids thru the system.

Be sure you have the free-end of the return line in a catch can.

Keep the resevoir topped off with fluid as you're spinning the pulley.

Be sure to crank the steeringwheel from lock to lock also. (I have vehicle on jackstands and just move the front tires with my foot to do this.)

 

You can, leave the drive belt on the pump and run the engine to do this.

BUT,,, you need to have an assistant to help keep the resevoir full, and to insure the return line stays in the catch can.

I have an ecu on the way. I was expecting it to be more than $45 from a junkyard. Mine does look pretty toasty.

crappy cell phone pics:

Repeat after me......

 

My car is not a boat

My car is not a boat

My car is not a boat

how about "my car needs more waterproofing"?