designergrey

Last night I was driving home and I went through a large water puddle where the water was a few inches below the door trim and the engine stalled out. Meanwhile I was driving side-by-side with toyota compact that didn't get caught in the water. Another car also stalled out as well.

Does anyone have any idea what sort of damage I might have caused? and where I took in water? The tow truck driver said that the water had come up less than halfway in the engine compartment and it didn't get on the top half of the engine at all. Also the information display was reading check coolant level and that there was an oil sensor malfunction message.

4 separate cars had stopped to make sure that I was okay and a couple of college guys helped get my car pulled over to the side of the road. It is good to know that there was help available.

Saprissa

i saw plenty of water damaged cars (engines) when I lived in Miami, and people would drive through large puddles thinking they "could make it". You say: "water was a few inches below the door trim", yet the tow truck driver said "that the water had come up less than halfway in the engine compartment".
So how high was the water level ?

It also depends how long your engine was under water.
I know in Miami they were really tough on used car salesmen who were trying to sell off water-logged engine cars as if nothing was wrong with them.
I would get the car to an MB Tech right away and have them give the engine a full look-over, and possible an entire all-liquid flush. Also check your exhaust, because if your engine was halfway in water, then most likely your exhaust got swamped too.

Good luck ! you might be screwed or you might be lucky (really lucky) !

designergrey

When I got out of the car it was a few inches from the bottom door trim. I think what the tow truck driver meant was that it was wet only as far as halfway, not standing in water halfway up the engine. The engine itself was never under water. The water that came in was being splashed in from the front of the car into the front grille. The car was in the standing water for about 5 minutes until I got it pushed over to the side of the road.

I had it towed to the dealership so I will know what the damage is soon enough.

vadim

Worst case is your engine seized if water got into the intake and then into the cylinders. That would require a complete engine overhaul. Let's hope your case is not so severe!

AdamVax

good luck man

mleskovar

...could you turn the engine over? If so, then it wasn't 'hydrolocked' and the reason it stopped was electrical/electronic and not physical damage. If it was hydrolocked (water sucked into intake and into cylinder[s] that can't compress it) the engine won't turn over and the water needs to be removed....through sparkplug holes usually...and the oil flushed/changed out. If it was electrical/electronic damage usually blowing/drying out all the connectors works. Anything is a guess until someone with knowledge looks at it....and tells you the truth.

designergrey

Thanks for the information. My insurance company said they would take care of it. I still haven't heard from the dealer to find out what is wrong with my car.

In the meantime I am driving my friend's 1998 C230. All I can say is that the C Class has come a long way. I miss my car.

zishan03

What gear were you in when you were going through the water by the way? And just to let you know its probably not the best idea to go through a puddle that big at the same time as someone else!!


Zishan

designergrey

I know what not to do as far as puddles are concerened NOW...hindsight is 20/20. This is the first on SUV vehicle I have driven for years so I guess I really wasn't thinking about how close to the ground I was.

So the diagnosis is that I need a new engine. He says they have to order a new engine...who knows how long this is going to take. So I have to pay my $500 deductible. I had only put 4,500 miles on the engine I have now.

I have only lived in Las Cruces a little after a year and of course I had to be out and about in what my neighbor says is the "worst storm he has seen in 10 years"

I'm really sad about this whole thing. But in perspective, there are people dealing with a lot worse right now so I need to just suck it up.