How to Determine if a Car Has Taken in Water
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To determine if a car has taken in water, you need to check four aspects: engine oil, pipes, spark plugs, and the engine. The specific methods are as follows: Check the engine oil: The simplest method is to check if the color of the engine oil is abnormal. If the oil turns milky white, it indicates that water has entered the fuel tank or engine. Check all pipes for water intrusion: Inspect the air filter and the lower housing of the air filter for obvious signs of water ingress. Also, check the intake pipe and intake manifold for clear traces of water. Check the spark plugs: Remove the spark plugs from each cylinder and check if they are damp. If they are, it indicates signs of water entering the engine. Check the engine cylinder walls: Look for carbon deposit marks. When the engine is working normally, the pistons of each cylinder reach the same top dead center position, and the top dead center position on the cylinder walls is clear. If water enters the engine, due to the difficulty of compressing water, the pistons cannot reach their original top dead center position, resulting in shorter piston movement strokes and a noticeable downward shift in the top dead center position. Three scenarios of water entering a car: The first scenario is when the car is stationary and submerged in water. If you promptly call for a tow truck to take it to a repair shop and clean it properly, it can be salvaged. The second scenario is when the car takes in water while in motion. The third scenario is when the engine cylinders are filled with a large amount of water, preventing the crankshaft from turning and the starter from working.
