Stuck in water

[nahudson]

So I have a 98 mercury Sable and I got stranded in some high water last week, high water being just below my doors. My starter was under warrenty since I had just replaced it last year, so I have replaced that and my battery as both were tested and bad. I still cannot get the car to start. Before I replaced the battery, i could turn the key and hold it and it would click several times, with new battery it only clicks the first time I turn it.

I am a very amatuer mechanic at best.

Any other advise of what to check, fuses?

I do plan on changing oil and filters if I can get it to start again

I am trying to avoid paying someone to get it running again, since the car is so old
I am just hoping I can get it running again

 

[mtwaterguy]

First, check the dip stick to see if the oil is contaminated with water. If it is, change the oil before turning over the engine. If not, don't waste your money. As far as the clicking goes, that's usually a bad connection.

 

[Torque1st]

Hydro-locked. The engine cylinders are probably full of water. The engine may or may not be toast.

 

[d33pt]

pull the plugs and turn it over. see if water shoots out. if water comes out, then clear it out, then put the plugs back in and try again.

 

[bazzateer]

I have a 98 mercury Sable ..................... since the car is so old

Old?! My newest car is a '98. That's barely used.

 

[buick64203]

Old?! My newest car is a '98. That's barely used.

They made cars after 1987?

 

[kmacht]

Hydro-locked. The engine cylinders are probably full of water. The engine may or may not be toast.

I doubt that is the problem. He said that the water was only up to the bottom of the doors. Hard to get water all the way up into the cylinders when it is just barely covering the oil pan. If anything is locked up due to the water my guess would be the transmission. I would drain and replace the fluid. If the starter was under water there is a good chance that water was leaking past it and into the ******. Have you checked the voltage on the battery? Is it up past 12.5 volts? If not, put a charger on it. How about the voltage down by the starter. Have someone turn the key and see if you are getting 12 volts down to the cable on the starter. Does the starter have a built in selnoid? If not, you may want to check that as it could have been damaged in the water depending on where it was mounted.

Keith

 

[1983Camperspecial]

Old?! My newest car is a '98. That's barely used.

Yep, thats whats wrong with this country these days, Everyone thinks stuff more than a couple of years old is old and junk,,,Meanwhile I drive a 1980 3/4 ton 4x4 truck. paid for AND cheap insurance. and I too second hydrolocked engine,., I don't understand why people think cars are submarines and think they should just drive through water they just seen a lifted 4wd get stuck in....DON"T DRIVE THROUGH FLOODED ROADS...YOU CAN DIE!

 

[Falcon67]

I doubt that is the problem. He said that the water was only up to the bottom of the doors.

If there is an air intake under the fender or down in front of the tire well near the front of the car, it could very well have sucked up water.

Always some little ricer dudes losing their motors in flooded intersections around here in spring with their nifty cold air intakes stuck down under the chassis.

 

[rickairmedic]

I will add it is possible that water got sucked up the exhaust . Anybody else ever notice deep water fording kits include an elevated exhaust as well as an elevated intake.

Rick

 

[lametec]

with new battery it only clicks the first time I turn it.

Expound on this.

Often, if all you get is one try, then nothing after that, it's a bad connection.

This could be at your battery or starter.

What happens is that there's a connection good enough for passing a little current, but once you try the starter, the current is so high that it arcs and causes what little connection you had to fail completely. Wiggling wires in the bad spot will let you try again, often with the same result.

 

[Falcon67]

Also clean all the grounds - anything grounded on the block and/or frame. Especially the negative battery cable. Clean the connections on the block to firewall/frame cable. Clean the solenoid mounting area too.

 

[dirttracker18]

Call your insurance company. Rising water is covered on many policies. I found this out when my buddy did the same thing, hydro locked and broke a rod. Called his insurance company and they covered the engine replacement.

With a vehicle of that age they may jsut offer you a by-out. Take it, find someone to fix it and put a little cash in your pocket.

just a suggestion though.

Worth looking into

 

[robin1731]

Call your insurance company. Rising water is covered on many policies. I found this out when my buddy did the same thing, hydro locked and broke a rod. Called his insurance company and they covered the engine replacement.

With a vehicle of that age they may jsut offer you a by-out. Take it, find someone to fix it and put a little cash in your pocket.

just a suggestion though.

Worth looking into

I got the impression he drove in to the water. He said he got "stranded". I doubt the insurance would cover that. If he drove in too fast then it could easily have gotten water in the intake. I've seen it way too many times. People driving into flooded waters way too fast and then killing the getting water where it don't belong.

 

[Cardboard Man]

I would second checking the battery/starter connections and grounds, as these were things you changed after the flood.

I also doubt its hydro locked due to only door-level water. It is possible, but I would check simpler things first.

Same with the trans, even if it did take on water, this would have nothing to do with the no-start condition.

Check your new battery again, make sure it's fully charged. Check your connections at the starter again, make sure they're tight, especially the ground.

 

[jam0o0]

1: check the dip stick.
if even one water drop: change oil continue to 1.5.
if none: drain oil. be prepared to put it back in. if it looks like anythign other than normal oil drain and go to 2. if it looks normal put the oil back in and skip 2-4
1.5. check trans fluid follow same procedure as you did with the engine oil.
2. pull ALL the spark plugs
3. with all spark plugs out crank the car over. do this a few times.
4. put spark plugs back in.
5. make sure there is no water around plug wires.
6. check battery voltage. if it's less than 12.4 put a good charger on it. try to start it again. if you still get clicking go to 7
7. find every electrical box between the battery pos post and the starter. they are all suspect.
8. all the wire connections power and ground are the next most likely IME. this includes corrosion going into wire insulation. and grounding bolts being loose.
9. make sure every electrical plug in the car is dry. this is a huge pain. but it will help you find the 2 ground locations you missed in step 8.

if it's still not starting pull a plug and make sure you have spark. then make sure your fuel injectors are firing.

i've had a few friends sink their cars and jeeps.

edit: it's EASY to hydro lock an engine with only floor level water if your car has a below headlight air intake. hell i've seen a car hydro lock cause the cooling fan threw water in the high mounted intake. in fact if you drove into water and your car died this is the second most likely reason it died. right after getting water in the electrics. imo

 

[dirttracker18]

I got the impression he drove in to the water. He said he got "stranded". I doubt the insurance would cover that.

Doesn't seem to matter.

Obviously insurance is different state to state and country to country but I would look into it. That kind of damage can get expensive fast and have lasting repercussions.

As I said, worth looking into. Worst they could say is no we don't cover that.

 

[nahudson]

thanks for everyone response
I gave up and had it towed to my local mechanic shop
It was hydrolocked, water in the pistons, and I have a bent rod.-I just got the call
I do have air intake in left fender and that is most likely where all the water came in at.

As far as insurance, I carry liability only

My car is old a 98 vehicle is considered old, that does not mean that it is bad

Heck I have been driving my dads 97 silverado and it is awesome and I would take it any day

Anyways, I am not sure what to do next, Do I want to invest money to have it rebulit or just salvage it and count my losses.

I have my dads truck for as long as I need it. Good to have parents who can help you out even when you are in your mid 30's

 

[dirttracker18]

thanks for everyone response
I gave up and had it towed to my local mechanic shop
It was hydrolocked, water in the pistons, and I have a bent rod.-I just got the call
I do have air intake in left fender and that is most likely where all the water came in at.

As far as insurance, I carry liability only

My car is old a 98 vehicle is considered old, that does not mean that it is bad

Heck I have been driving my dads 97 silverado and it is awesome and I would take it any day

Anyways, I am not sure what to do next, Do I want to invest money to have it rebulit or just salvage it and count my losses.

I have my dads truck for as long as I need it. Good to have parents who can help you out even when you are in your mid 30's

Ya that's what happened to my buddies Acura. Only he drove it to the shop after he got the water out. On the way the ben rod came apart and made a real mess.

I would think with a 98 Sable the value is not worth putting major repairs into unless you have the ability to buy a used engine and put it in yourself. Might be worth attempting to sell for someone else to do repairs and flip it. See what the local salvage yards will give you, check for current scrap metal prices and then see if you can off load it on Craigs list. It's free so it is worth a shot anyway.

 

[Groovy]

I have dealt with a couple of inboard V8 boat motors that were hydro locked a Volvo and a merc. On one the flappers were installed backwards by a Sea Ray dealer boat backed off throttle water flooded the motor and they were done. I drained all fluids sprayed wd-40 in cylinders hand cranked the crank a few rotations filled fluids (reversed flappers) and off they went for a few hundred more hours of course they are marinized motors so may be a different ball game but wd-40 is my friend drain remove plugs spray into cylnder with count to ten spin crank put plugs back in replace all fliters and fluids give it a try-buy AAA towing before going out.

 

[dirttracker18]

I have dealt with a couple of inboard V8 boat motors that were hydro locked a Volvo and a merc. On one the flappers were installed backwards by a Sea Ray dealer boat backed off throttle water flooded the motor and they were done. I drained all fluids sprayed wd-40 in cylinders hand cranked the crank a few rotations filled fluids (reversed flappers) and off they went for a few hundred more hours of course they are marinized motors so may be a different ball game but wd-40 is my friend drain remove plugs spray into cylnder with count to ten spin crank put plugs back in replace all fliters and fluids give it a try-buy AAA towing before going out.

No good as he stated it has a bent rod.

 

[bdkruger1]

If the car was in exceptional shape other than it's current engine status, I would shop around for a good used engine and swap it out. Otherwise, find out what it's worth and sell it.

 

[Torque1st]

Hydrolocked is what I figured. The bent rod makes the engine toast. Either get a used engine which can be an iffy proposition, part it out, or sell it to a junkyard. It is not scrap metal yet and has a lot of usable parts.

Never drive into water more than an inch deep on a known road. Never drive into moving water.

 

[jay50]

find you a good boneyard engine and set her in.

 

[nahudson]

I think it is headed for the salvage yard

I do not have the ability to replace the engine nor the talent, nor time.

 

[nissan_crawler]

Define "bent rod". Although I normally wouldn't recommend this, if the car is toast either way, if the rod isn't that bad, I would put it together and drive the *****. If you yard-sale the engine, does it matter? You were junking it anyway.

I've known vehicles with bent rods to go along ways. Our 425hp tractor engine barfed a rod nut out of the pan while changing the oil. Zero engine damage, god knows how long it was like that.

I know of a 350 that had a rod, piston, and rocker arms removed on one cylinder, and was used for over a year before being replaced.

Ever pull a piece of leather out main bearing cap, in place of a bearing?

Let's face it, sometimes these things hold together with not much other than luck helping.

Have them get it running and see what happens. At the worst, you get some sweet carnage to laugh at.

 

[jam0o0]

i would not recommend driving it with a bent rod unless you have to. meaning loss of employment or life. i've seen guys use parts of a belt to replace a munched main bearing, and i've seen transmissions run for months filled with only water. but those are all done out of ignorance or dire necessity.