Engine Running Rough After Going Through Puddle.

[davemar 16]

I was driving home in the rain today and the roads were pretty wet in places. I went through a puddle that was a lot deeper than I initially thought, not helped by a bus coming the other way blinding me for a split-second so I couldn't see it clearly. I probably hit the puddle too fast (didn't lose control at all, just a lot of water to hit!), so I reckon a lot of water got into things. Certainly the fanbelt gave a good squeal. A few minutes afterwards, the engine started running really rough, probably only on 3 cylinders, and really struggling for power. I managed to struggle home, but it didn't sound or feel good. Didn't get a chance to get things checked over when back home as it was dark and chucking it down.

 

Is it likely to be just misfiring, due to water in the electrics, or could something more serious be damaged? Could there be water in a cylinder, or would that just have seized it completely? It seemed to feel and sound OK when I was off the gas, it was just really ill when applying any sort of power at all. I can't have been pushing out much more than 20 bhp I reckon.

 

Needless to say, when I was trying to maintain momentum and avoid stopping or slowing when driving home, I was stuck behind the faffiest driver in the world.

[mickie 3]

check you've got a spark by pulling each lead off 1 at a time and turning the car over with it next to a good earth..

 

look down the bores by taking the spark plugs out to see if there is any water..

 

its probably just some water getting into the HT leads

[jackherer 543]

Its far more likely to be water in the wiring than water having got in the inlet IMO.

 

The only times its happened to me is when the cover for the leads is missing from the cam cover and water has got in around the spark plugs.

[davemar 16]

The air intake is behind the headlight, so it'll have to splash up pretty high to get in there I would have thought.

I'll check in the morning if this bloody weather eases off...

[SeanO'Connor 0]

The air intake is behind the headlight, so it'll have to splash up pretty high to get in there I would have thought.

I'll check in the morning if this bloody weather eases off...

 

Your HT leads are possibly breaking down and the water is shorting them, or the water has got in the dizzy cap, or the water has run down an HT lead and shorting a plug. Check in the dark look round the dizzy for sparks everywhere. Mine did it a bit, so i sealed it all up with new parts now it's fine in the wet.

[hexhamstu 9]

happened to me last winter, can of wd-40 and some paper towels, spray and rub down the dizzy ht lead connections etc and it fired up nice again.

[mr_exe 1]

might be worth checking to see if its damp/wet inside the dizzy cap.

[Goliath 94]

Same happened to me after i washed my engine/bay with a pressure washer! doh!

 

Just water on the ht leads/dizzy cap stopping the spark getting to where it should, with me the spark was jumping from the wet/oily leads on to the wing mounted coil. Just take all the leads off and give them a good clean and dry.

[welshpug 1,657]

whip the plugs out and spin her over on the starter, wipe everything down with a soaking in WD40 and a rag, should start then

[davemar 16]

Checked her over this morning. The spark plug holes for 1 and 2 cylinder were full of water, so no wonder they weren't firing. I soaked up some of the water, removed the plugs and spun the engine over. When I put it all back together, she started up fine, so success!

[jackherer 543]

Was your lead cover missing?

[davemar 16]

Yes, I haven't fitted it for ages as I found it was crushing the HT leads too much. I still think it would have let some water through as they aren't the most water-tight things in the world.

[jackherer 543]

I've never had a problem when its been fitted, its what its there for...