If a car goes underwater, will it still run after?

[sebhaque]

I was watching Transporter 3 earlier and it got me thinking - if a modern car gets submerged in water (not running, in the drink fo ran hour at most), would it be able to fire up again with minimal maintenance? Apologies if my lack of knowledge shows, but it's not something I've really thought of before.

Also, what would the effect be on the interior - I'm not sure how well stepper motors or other systems would fare being submerged for a few minutes.

[odyssey2200]

Maybe an old car with carbs, plugs and points etc, as long as it was not running when it went under.
If it was running it could hydraulic lock and bend a rod/ twist crank etc.


A few years back I was working in a dealership when we had loads of floods etc
out of 15 flooded cars towed in 9 were written off due to the cost of fooked ECUs etc.

IMHO that Audi would be fooked!

[sebhaque]

Thanks for the response mate - I guessed hydrolocking or "drowning" would kill off running engines underwater.

There's a lot of stuff in the film that needs to be taken with a pinch of salt.
the tyre air into those balloon things when Frank goes into the lake wouldn't work either

[EDLT]

I worked at a garage where a valeter managed to kill a few cars just with a hose, so submerging them will probably do the same job.

[Astra Dan]

Unlikely. Electronic systems are far more vulnerable with current flowing though them. Take the battery out, submerge, remove and thoroughly dry out and it might go again.
A car like that with many ECUs and I really doubt it.
As said, an older car with points, or even electronic 'points' which are generally 'potted' in protective goo, would go again fairly easily, like the Top Gear Toyota pickup. Empty the dizzy out etc.

I suppose the theory is the Transporter has a custom motor, so maybe he's had the electronics/ connectors water proofed, so plugs out, flush the water from the engine and vroom! In theory...

[redgriff500]

Not running.

Then yes once dried out it should be ok.

If saltwater then long term there are likely to be issues but freshwater generally is fine - despite what insurers think.

(Had a few flood damaged cars - all fine)

[Ilikebeaver]

odyssey2200 said:

Maybe an old car with carbs, plugs and points etc, as long as it was not running when it went under.
If it was running it could hydraulic lock and bend a rod/ twist crank etc.


A few years back I was working in a dealership when we had loads of floods etc
out of 15 flooded cars towed in 9 were written off due to the cost of fooked ECUs etc.

IMHO that Audi would be fooked!

Had a few cars down my road that were completly gone after the floods back then.
I am in Oxfordshire, so the floods were not even as bad as they were elsewhere!

[Blakewater]

There are always articles in papers and on websites saying people should avoid buying flood damaged cars and that insurers will generally write them off if people claim. My uncle once had a Three Series Compact when he was waiting for his company car to be ready when he got a new job. It ran fine but it smelled like a sewer inside. It's not so much mechanical failure that costs money to put right as the interior needing to be completely replaced.