Drove through ford! Engine cut out
Discussion
Hi
I was out with my family yesterday and we were on a country lane. We approached a ford in the road so pulled up and stopped. My girlfriend sais 'lets turn round' but me being an adventerous guy said 'rubbish, you will get through there easy!'.
The marker in the ford said that the water was just under 1 foot deep.
My girlfriends dad was driving so we went for it!
His car is a 3.2 V6 Vauxhall Signum.
I told him to drive slowly but he went a little to quick causing a tidal wave to come up ovet he bonnet......
The car died and the would not spin over. We opened the doors and luckily was dry land beneath our feet; the momentum vurtually carried us through.
I poped open the bonnet but after many goes of turning the key we called the RAC. When turning the key all you could hear was the started trying to engage the flywheel; that clicking slight knocking sound.The engine would not turn over at all. All the electrics seemes ok. After an hour the RAC turned up and they did not even look at the car but put it on a low loader and we dropped it of at my garage.
I called the mechanic and he is having a look this morn.
On the roadside I removed the air filter and it was soaking wet so naturally water and I would imagine a fair bit of water has gotten into through the inlet manifold into the chambers.
Whats the chances of the mechanic removing the plugs, turning the engine over by hand and after a change of fluids and filters all being ok??
I guess if fluid entered that quickly it could be that as the piston were rising they could have bent some valves meaning major problems and expense?
Any thoughts and guidance would be much appreciated.
Thanks
I was out with my family yesterday and we were on a country lane. We approached a ford in the road so pulled up and stopped. My girlfriend sais 'lets turn round' but me being an adventerous guy said 'rubbish, you will get through there easy!'.
The marker in the ford said that the water was just under 1 foot deep.
My girlfriends dad was driving so we went for it!
His car is a 3.2 V6 Vauxhall Signum.
I told him to drive slowly but he went a little to quick causing a tidal wave to come up ovet he bonnet......
The car died and the would not spin over. We opened the doors and luckily was dry land beneath our feet; the momentum vurtually carried us through.
I poped open the bonnet but after many goes of turning the key we called the RAC. When turning the key all you could hear was the started trying to engage the flywheel; that clicking slight knocking sound.The engine would not turn over at all. All the electrics seemes ok. After an hour the RAC turned up and they did not even look at the car but put it on a low loader and we dropped it of at my garage.
I called the mechanic and he is having a look this morn.
On the roadside I removed the air filter and it was soaking wet so naturally water and I would imagine a fair bit of water has gotten into through the inlet manifold into the chambers.
Whats the chances of the mechanic removing the plugs, turning the engine over by hand and after a change of fluids and filters all being ok??
I guess if fluid entered that quickly it could be that as the piston were rising they could have bent some valves meaning major problems and expense?
Any thoughts and guidance would be much appreciated.
Thanks
I'd say worst case is you bent the con rods. Water doesn't compress so if it sucks water in then the valves shut, and the piston cant go up....the rod has to bend.
Best case is nothing bent and it'll turn over after taking the plugs out..... Somehow from your description I'm not buying that one. But I'm no expert....
Best case is nothing bent and it'll turn over after taking the plugs out..... Somehow from your description I'm not buying that one. But I'm no expert....
Munter said:
I'd say worst case is you bent the con rods. Water doesn't compress so if it sucks water in then the valves shut, and the piston cant go up....the rod has to bend.
Best case is nothing bent and it'll turn over after taking the plugs out..... Somehow from your description I'm not buying that one. But I'm no expert....
^^^^ What he says.Best case is nothing bent and it'll turn over after taking the plugs out..... Somehow from your description I'm not buying that one. But I'm no expert....
It doesn't normally bend valves, because if the valves are open, the water will flow round them. It's only when the valves are closed that the water has nowhere to go, in which case you've got a big, meaty crankshaft trying to push a (relatively) weak, bendy conrod against a cylinder full of incompresssible water. Something's got to give, and usually that something is the conrod.
Not sure exactly as I did not personally speak with mechanic.
The partners dad is going to call the insurance company and get it sorted. As I said hopefully it will be insured; he is fully comp with a big company so should be fine.
I have had a look in the net to see if there are any second hand engines out there but the 3.2 V6 is very rare
The partners dad is going to call the insurance company and get it sorted. As I said hopefully it will be insured; he is fully comp with a big company so should be fine.
I have had a look in the net to see if there are any second hand engines out there but the 3.2 V6 is very rare
Hate to say it, but I agree: probably a new engine. I was very lucky once, driving through a big puddle in my 944 Turbo. The car stalled, and without thinking I tried to start it. It would idle, but no more.
Luckily for me, the water only got as far as the air filter- this got clogged, and no air could get past. Removed the air filter, and it worked fine. But it could have got worse.
On the other hand, the engine could be fine, but the clectrics wet. It might be fine when its dried out. But these are only "if's" I'm afriad. Its more likely a bent conrod or two... Sorry.
Luckily for me, the water only got as far as the air filter- this got clogged, and no air could get past. Removed the air filter, and it worked fine. But it could have got worse.
On the other hand, the engine could be fine, but the clectrics wet. It might be fine when its dried out. But these are only "if's" I'm afriad. Its more likely a bent conrod or two... Sorry.
TROOPER88 said:
I will tell my partners dad to keep me informed over the insurance. If they offer a 'buy it back' option it may be available for next to nothing (the car is worth about £5k tops).
Do you think it would be woth doing this and waiting for a second hand engine to come up?
Hold on, you might not need a new engine yetDo you think it would be woth doing this and waiting for a second hand engine to come up?
Hi
Insurance company called him today and he is fully insured!!
They have already offererd him £4600 which is above what I would have valued it at. He refused their offer so will hopefull get £5000.
Naturally in hindsight he should not have driven through it but knowing me I would drive through it again in my car given the chance!
Hopefully all will end happily
Insurance company called him today and he is fully insured!!
They have already offererd him £4600 which is above what I would have valued it at. He refused their offer so will hopefull get £5000.
Naturally in hindsight he should not have driven through it but knowing me I would drive through it again in my car given the chance!
Hopefully all will end happily
Hydraulic lock, bends conrods not valves...
One of the lads who used to work for me, piped up a landrover wrongly in our workshop, coolant pipe into a breather, filled engine up with water, that bent the conrods.
What amazed me about this story is... Your insurance company actually paid out... Been following this post thinking, they are never gonna pay out, how wrong I was...
MOD: No signatures or advertising in posts, thanks.[/footnote]
One of the lads who used to work for me, piped up a landrover wrongly in our workshop, coolant pipe into a breather, filled engine up with water, that bent the conrods.
What amazed me about this story is... Your insurance company actually paid out... Been following this post thinking, they are never gonna pay out, how wrong I was...
MOD: No signatures or advertising in posts, thanks.[/footnote]
Edited by ThatPhilBrettGuy on Sunday 1st November 09:46
premmington said:
Hydralic lock, bends conrods not valves...
One of the lads who used to work for me, piped up a landrover wrongly in our workshop, coolant pipe into a breather, filled engine up with water, that bent the conrods.
What amazed me about this story is... Your insurance company actually paid out... Been following this post thinking, they are never gonna pay out, how wrong I was...
Not uncommon really. I've heard at least 2 other people do the same. Put it this way whats the difference between writing off your car driving into a canal by accident (where you'd expect a pay out), and driving through a ford thats too deep.One of the lads who used to work for me, piped up a landrover wrongly in our workshop, coolant pipe into a breather, filled engine up with water, that bent the conrods.
What amazed me about this story is... Your insurance company actually paid out... Been following this post thinking, they are never gonna pay out, how wrong I was...
Naturally I was hoping he was insured. I know most quality insurance policies cover accidental loss. If for example you reversed into a wall you would be covered. I still think that we would have made it through the water had the speed been lower. The driver entered the water to quickly causing the huge spoiler to create a damm/wave effect in the Ford. This resulted in a wave flowing over the bonnet and through the intake. Moving slower would have meant that the 'wave' created would not have happened.
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