What Causes a Car to Fail to Start After Driving Through a Puddle?
2 Answers
Detailed explanation and solutions for a car failing to start after driving through a puddle are as follows: 1. Bent engine connecting rod: When the vehicle's engine is running, if the water level on the road is higher than the engine's intake system, water can backflow. The water will enter from the air filter to the intake pipe and then into the engine combustion chamber, causing the engine connecting rod to bend. Solution: Replace the engine connecting rod. 2. Spark plug water ingress: If the distributor cap gets wet, it loses its normal ignition function. Water entering the engine air filter element increases intake resistance and causes water to enter the combustion chamber, preventing the spark plug from igniting. Solution: Remove all spark plugs, drain the water from the intake pipe, and then reinstall the spark plugs.
After driving through a deep puddle last time, my car suddenly stalled. I've experienced a similar situation before. Upon inspection, I found that the water was too deep and flooded the exhaust pipe, preventing the car from exhausting gases. Also, if the ignition system gets wet, the spark plugs can become soaked and fail to ignite. If too much water enters the air intake, it affects the air supply, and without enough air for combustion, the car can stall. Electrical short circuits can also be an issue—water ingress might cause the ignition button to malfunction. The worst-case scenario is hydrolock, where water enters the engine. In this case, never attempt to restart the engine, or it could be severely damaged. It's best to first check if there's water in the exhaust pipe, and if you're not experienced, calling for roadside assistance is the safest option. That time, it cost me several hundred dollars to fix—a costly lesson indeed.
