I just got a call from my dad who said he drove through about 4 inches of water in his ford explorer and the car stalled as it was going through the water. He restarted it at which point he had a "click" (his words not mine) going on in the engine. He drove it back to his place, shut it down and let it sit for 15 minutes. He restarted at that point after about 30 seconds of idle he heard click, click, click, clang. The engine was still turning though, though there was some shaking. He shut it off and noticed oil coming out from underneath the vehicle.

I'm afraid to say that it may have gotten hydrolocked. Any one else have any ideas?

12/25/2005 9:59:17 PM

not from 4 inches of water.

12/25/2005 10:13:00 PM

not likely

12/25/2005 10:23:08 PM

You can't simply rule it out based on some estimation by this dudes dad.

[Edited on December 25, 2005 at 10:23 PM. Reason : aha]

12/25/2005 10:23:27 PM

click followed by clang and oil underneath almost sounds like it shat a rod through the pan... could still be sputtering along on the remaining cylinders

if thats the case, its FUBAR

12/25/2005 10:24:12 PM

4 inches? I think your average civic will handle that just fine.

12/25/2005 10:32:08 PM

Heh heh. Poor Bart. You know, we had a lot of fun tonight. But, there's nothing funny about... vapour lock. It's the third most common cause of stalling. So please, take care of your car and get it checked. I'm Joe Namath. Good night!

12/25/2005 10:55:37 PM

it could me an inch of water. if that shizzle gets in your intake and into the motor. u is fucked. check the oil. check for cracks and shit.

but yeah, i kinda find that hard to beleive 4 inches of water somehow got sucked up the intake tubing of an explorer.

but you never know

12/26/2005 1:11:46 AM

I mean, there aren't too many reasons why an automobile would act in this manner with such a clear relationship to its exposure to standing water... I don't see why there is so much skepticism, and while the oil leak may have been pre-existing / unrelated, irregular noises and particularly vibration imply some affect to the rotating assembly, or something electrical (spark or injection)... but just maybe he should check his blinker fluid and NGR valve, eh, baonest?

12/26/2005 1:41:50 AM

I've done this. I threw a rod in my Teg going through about 6 or 8 inches of water at a relatively high speed.

On a job site. Feller on the roadbuilding crew asks me what just happened. I told him I blew the motor. He asks me if I'm sure, cause maybe I just lost a lot of oil. I ask why...he says, "well there's a pool of oil under your car."

Yeah...from the gaping hole in the side of the engine.

12/26/2005 3:05:59 AM