Car shuts off when Raining - mechanics say different things
Discussion
I need some help and advice.
My 2001 Daewoo Matiz will usually shut off when it rains pretty hard (I'll end up stranded in the middle of the highway
just waiting for 10 minutes because it will start up again after some time).
It's been an ongoing issue that has never really been fixed. The first time it happened they only replaced the spark plugs
and coils but I don't think that was the issue. It seems for sure like it is the distributor cap that is allowing water to get in
and causing a shortage.
When I open the hood I could hear what sounds to be electrical sparks but nothing visible. One mechanic I took it to says
if it's too expensive to replace the distributor cap, they could put silicone sealant in the seals so that it might stop the water
from getting in.
Another mechanic I took it to said you are not supposed to put silicone sealant on that part...it's dangerous, it's supposed to
have some air move in and out.
When I told them both what the other said (certified licensed mechanics with extensive years of experience) they both say the
complete OPPOSITE. One guy says that's what your supposed to do, cost is about $30 or so he can do it for me.
The other mechanic says it's dumb, you're not supposed to use silicone sealant on that part and it's dangerous.
So I have no idea who is right and wrong. I have attached a photo.
Both guys however do say that you can make your own water guard and cover the distributor cap + area off with some vinyl, plastic,
or some covering to help keep the water out when it rains. The rain water seems to get inside the engine bay quite a lot with these
cars so they both did recommend to make your own covering. As you can see in the photo, one guy put some scrap vinyl plastic
sheet on top of the distributor....literally just a piece of garbage plastic and stuff it on top of the distributor cap.
I already tried using aluminum foil to cover off the area and but it rained hard yesterday and the car engine shut off (luckily I got
off the highway at that point) and waited 15 minutes later and it started right up again no problem.
My 2001 Daewoo Matiz will usually shut off when it rains pretty hard (I'll end up stranded in the middle of the highway
just waiting for 10 minutes because it will start up again after some time).
It's been an ongoing issue that has never really been fixed. The first time it happened they only replaced the spark plugs
and coils but I don't think that was the issue. It seems for sure like it is the distributor cap that is allowing water to get in
and causing a shortage.
When I open the hood I could hear what sounds to be electrical sparks but nothing visible. One mechanic I took it to says
if it's too expensive to replace the distributor cap, they could put silicone sealant in the seals so that it might stop the water
from getting in.
Another mechanic I took it to said you are not supposed to put silicone sealant on that part...it's dangerous, it's supposed to
have some air move in and out.
When I told them both what the other said (certified licensed mechanics with extensive years of experience) they both say the
complete OPPOSITE. One guy says that's what your supposed to do, cost is about $30 or so he can do it for me.
The other mechanic says it's dumb, you're not supposed to use silicone sealant on that part and it's dangerous.
So I have no idea who is right and wrong. I have attached a photo.
Both guys however do say that you can make your own water guard and cover the distributor cap + area off with some vinyl, plastic,
or some covering to help keep the water out when it rains. The rain water seems to get inside the engine bay quite a lot with these
cars so they both did recommend to make your own covering. As you can see in the photo, one guy put some scrap vinyl plastic
sheet on top of the distributor....literally just a piece of garbage plastic and stuff it on top of the distributor cap.
I already tried using aluminum foil to cover off the area and but it rained hard yesterday and the car engine shut off (luckily I got
off the highway at that point) and waited 15 minutes later and it started right up again no problem.
Silicone grease is acceptable for sealing HT leads, silicone sealer is not.
If the fault is ignition related it's just as likely, if not more likely, to be the HT leads, but replacing the cap, the leads and ideally the rotor arm as well would be a good start if they have never been done. Unless you insist on sourcing original Daewoo parts then these are not expensive parts.
If the fault is ignition related it's just as likely, if not more likely, to be the HT leads, but replacing the cap, the leads and ideally the rotor arm as well would be a good start if they have never been done. Unless you insist on sourcing original Daewoo parts then these are not expensive parts.
LimSlip said:
Silicone grease is acceptable for sealing HT leads, silicone sealer is not.
If the fault is ignition related it's just as likely, if not more likely, to be the HT leads, but replacing the cap, the leads and ideally the rotor arm as well would be a good start if they have never been done. Unless you insist on sourcing original Daewoo parts then these are not expensive parts.
I think I was quoted somewhere between 175-200 dollars.If the fault is ignition related it's just as likely, if not more likely, to be the HT leads, but replacing the cap, the leads and ideally the rotor arm as well would be a good start if they have never been done. Unless you insist on sourcing original Daewoo parts then these are not expensive parts.
I think I should just find a way to cover it as best as I can without suffocating it so it has some air to prevent condensation building up inside.
Any ideas?
Also do you know where the water is most likely getting in from? The top of the engine (water coming down off the hood into the engine bay)
or from the bottom (splashing up?) or from the fan spraying it with mist? Or is it just the moisture, in that case I guess it won't matter what side of the area I try to guard off from water, moisture will always find a way into the seals and short out the voltage?
or from the bottom (splashing up?) or from the fan spraying it with mist? Or is it just the moisture, in that case I guess it won't matter what side of the area I try to guard off from water, moisture will always find a way into the seals and short out the voltage?
cornflakes2 said:
When I open the hood I could hear what sounds to be electrical sparks but nothing visible. One mechanic I took it to says
if it's too expensive to replace the distributor cap, they could put silicone sealant in the seals so that it might stop the water
from getting in.
Both guys however do say that you can make your own water guard and cover the distributor cap + area off with some vinyl, plastic,
or some covering to help keep the water out when it rains. The rain water seems to get inside the engine bay quite a lot with these
cars so they both did recommend to make your own covering. As you can see in the photo, one guy put some scrap vinyl plastic
sheet on top of the distributor....literally just a piece of garbage plastic and stuff it on top of the distributor cap.
1. Try again in the dark with a hand water sprayer so that you can spray it at precise areas.if it's too expensive to replace the distributor cap, they could put silicone sealant in the seals so that it might stop the water
from getting in.
Both guys however do say that you can make your own water guard and cover the distributor cap + area off with some vinyl, plastic,
or some covering to help keep the water out when it rains. The rain water seems to get inside the engine bay quite a lot with these
cars so they both did recommend to make your own covering. As you can see in the photo, one guy put some scrap vinyl plastic
sheet on top of the distributor....literally just a piece of garbage plastic and stuff it on top of the distributor cap.
2. Scrap polyethene sheet in a hot engine bay is not a good idea!
3. Get a new distributor cap, ensure inside is totally completely 100% dry and seal round the flange with a finger of silicone grease, not silicone rubber sealant.
E-bmw said:
1. Try again in the dark with a hand water sprayer so that you can spray it at precise areas.
2. Scrap polyethene sheet in a hot engine bay is not a good idea!
3. Get a new distributor cap, ensure inside is totally completely 100% dry and seal round the flange with a finger of silicone grease, not silicone rubber sealant.
Thank you2. Scrap polyethene sheet in a hot engine bay is not a good idea!
3. Get a new distributor cap, ensure inside is totally completely 100% dry and seal round the flange with a finger of silicone grease, not silicone rubber sealant.
FFS! There is a fault with your car, not with the design of a car sold in the tens of thousands and driven daily in wet weather by thousands without issue!
So, stop trying to re-engineer your car and explain / define the problem:
1) How does the car stop? Does the engine stop? Stop dead? misfire? Do any lights blink on the dash or other electrical devices stop working?
2) How do you get it going again? Does it start cleanly when it does?
3) How wet is wet? Are we talking about a damp road, or driving through 3 feet of water? Does it only ever happen when it's wet?
Based on those answers we can then take a guess as to the possible causes, and hence then look at possible things to try to establish which one of the possible causes is the actual problem and then, and ONLY then, can you work out how to fix it!
So, stop trying to re-engineer your car and explain / define the problem:
1) How does the car stop? Does the engine stop? Stop dead? misfire? Do any lights blink on the dash or other electrical devices stop working?
2) How do you get it going again? Does it start cleanly when it does?
3) How wet is wet? Are we talking about a damp road, or driving through 3 feet of water? Does it only ever happen when it's wet?
Based on those answers we can then take a guess as to the possible causes, and hence then look at possible things to try to establish which one of the possible causes is the actual problem and then, and ONLY then, can you work out how to fix it!
E-bmw said:
1. Try again in the dark with a hand water sprayer so that you can spray it at precise areas.
2. Scrap polyethene sheet in a hot engine bay is not a good idea!
3. Get a new distributor cap, ensure inside is totally completely 100% dry and seal round the flange with a finger of silicone grease, not silicone rubber sealant.
Do you ever get that feeling of Deja-Vu?2. Scrap polyethene sheet in a hot engine bay is not a good idea!
3. Get a new distributor cap, ensure inside is totally completely 100% dry and seal round the flange with a finger of silicone grease, not silicone rubber sealant.
Here's the thing I don't get:
While driving through heavy rain (no big pools of water, just heavy rain coming down on the car and probably the splash coming up from cars in front of me spraying mist of water straight at me), the car will lose power and shut off (electrical).
If I sit and wait for about 10-15 minutes with the car off, it will start up again BUT during the wait time, it was still down pouring hard.
I don't think it's because of the rain falling down onto the hood and getting inside from the top.
If that were so, then even while sitting with the engine off, I shouldn't be able to turn it back on.
It must mean that it has something more to do with either under the car coming up or through the front grill.
I have a feeling it's more of the front grill. The last time this happened I was at a car wash and the attendant was using a power (pressure?) hose
just spraying down my car while the engine was on. When he sprayed the front of the car where the grill is, I noticed the engine was dying
and eventually shut off. It happened when he was spraying towards the front end of the car (front bumper, grill area) with such a powerful hose, it
must be the same effect like when driving in the rain and the water is coming in from directly into the front grill.
So it's doubtful it's an issue because of water coming down from the hood into the engine bay. While I was waiting for the 10-15 minutes I was parked under a tree which was probably a bad idea since even more water seemed to be coming down onto my car but I was still able to start the engine 10 minutes later.
So if I try to make my own water guard, I think I should try and cover it from all sides and not just the top.
Rubber glove was one of the things used to help waterproof the dizzy on petrol Landrovers for offroad use esp if wading was involved.
Hole in the end of each finger & the thumb for the 5 leads & tight fit onto the dizzy body.
This of course was after fitting good quality leads, cap & rotor arm. If these are old & there have been problems you're just wasting your time.
Dizzy caps must be clean & dry inside & out. What sometimes appear as very slight scratch marks on the plastic are usually tracking marks burnt by HT taking the line of least resistance - as in not along the plug lead(s), often in damp conditions effectively earthing the current & causing non-running.
Hole in the end of each finger & the thumb for the 5 leads & tight fit onto the dizzy body.
This of course was after fitting good quality leads, cap & rotor arm. If these are old & there have been problems you're just wasting your time.
Dizzy caps must be clean & dry inside & out. What sometimes appear as very slight scratch marks on the plastic are usually tracking marks burnt by HT taking the line of least resistance - as in not along the plug lead(s), often in damp conditions effectively earthing the current & causing non-running.
Edited by paintman on Tuesday 19th May 18:53
Dave. said:
E-bmw said:
1. Try again in the dark with a hand water sprayer so that you can spray it at precise areas.
2. Scrap polyethene sheet in a hot engine bay is not a good idea!
3. Get a new distributor cap, ensure inside is totally completely 100% dry and seal round the flange with a finger of silicone grease, not silicone rubber sealant.
Do you ever get that feeling of Deja-Vu?2. Scrap polyethene sheet in a hot engine bay is not a good idea!
3. Get a new distributor cap, ensure inside is totally completely 100% dry and seal round the flange with a finger of silicone grease, not silicone rubber sealant.
Horse......water.....
cornflakes2 said:
If I sit and wait for about 10-15 minutes with the car off, it will start up again BUT during the wait time, it was still down pouring hard.
I don't think it's because of the rain falling down onto the hood and getting inside from the top.
If that were so, then even while sitting with the engine off, I shouldn't be able to turn it back on.
It must mean that it has something more to do with either under the car coming up or through the front grill.
No, it means that it takes 10/15 min for the warmth of the engine to dry the water out.I don't think it's because of the rain falling down onto the hood and getting inside from the top.
If that were so, then even while sitting with the engine off, I shouldn't be able to turn it back on.
It must mean that it has something more to do with either under the car coming up or through the front grill.
Glove on the dizzy is common for wading landrovers, but this is a small hatch going down a road in rain, something it was designed for an 100's of others identical to it are doing.
As said, it has to be a failure somewhere, not a design issue.
You can recreate the fault with a powerful hose through the grill, as can the garage if it wants to, and you appear to be able to re-test about every 15mins or so which is four tests per hour. All you need to do now spray bits of it with a sprayer or jet through the gill till you find what causes it to stop. If you are still at a loss after a bit of this, once its stopped dripping and or fairly dry, unplug the electrical connectors in this area, inspect for corrosion and or signs of damp inside.
Daniel
As said, it has to be a failure somewhere, not a design issue.
You can recreate the fault with a powerful hose through the grill, as can the garage if it wants to, and you appear to be able to re-test about every 15mins or so which is four tests per hour. All you need to do now spray bits of it with a sprayer or jet through the gill till you find what causes it to stop. If you are still at a loss after a bit of this, once its stopped dripping and or fairly dry, unplug the electrical connectors in this area, inspect for corrosion and or signs of damp inside.
Daniel
1000s of these manage to limp around the roads , you must have a dodgy wire somewhere
new cap and leads is a good idea , then park somewhere dark and spray it over with a spray bottle and look for sparks or see where you spray it to make it stop
its all stuff you can do at home for little money
new cap and leads is a good idea , then park somewhere dark and spray it over with a spray bottle and look for sparks or see where you spray it to make it stop
its all stuff you can do at home for little money
You have received enough good advice from posters who know their stuff 
take the advice i.e cap,arm, leads etc worked on plenty of these in their heyday and wet weather was never an issue to engine function, however degraded plastic inlet manifolds leading to blown head gaskets was (failed water passage) 
anyway thats completely unrelated so please do as you have been advised
take the advice i.e cap,arm, leads etc worked on plenty of these in their heyday and wet weather was never an issue to engine function, however degraded plastic inlet manifolds leading to blown head gaskets was (failed water passage) anyway thats completely unrelated so please do as you have been advised
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