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car won't start after driving through flood

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i'm new here and decided to check this out as i really can't afford a new car / repairs. basically i drove through some flood water the other day and there was a dip in the road which went all over the bonnet and then the car stopped so i think some got up the exhaust. i tried to start it again but it just started clicking. my boyfriend came out and we pushed the car out of the water and then tried bump starting it but it stopped so quickly that my boyfriend nearly went through the back window.

we decided to tow start it with his van which pretty much yielded the same results of the car slowing down rapidly but this time the front wheels weren't spinning and were just dragging and smoking along the road, not sure why but it only did it when in gear the wheels turned fine when out of gear so i think the breaks were jammed on or something. we did eventually get the wheels to start turning but then there was a banging grinding noise come from the engine. we thought maybe it was low on oil so we put some in and it pretty much came straight back out all over the floor. we looked and there seems to be a big hole on the side of the engine where the oil keeps coming out. obviously we cant drive without oil so how do we fix this on the cheap?
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Comments

  • marlot
    marlot Posts: 4,967 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    You don't say what the car is, or even if it is petrol or diesel. But it sounds like the engine was hydrolocked - you probably got water into to engine bores, which doesn't compress. Cheapest way forward is probably a secondhand engine.


    Some insurance companies might pay out for such an instance - you'd need to check your policy.


    http://www.autoevolution.com/news/engine-hydrolock-how-water-can-damage-or-destroy-your-engine-90270.html
  • It's likely to have ingested a load of water through the inlet tract and filled one or more cylinders. Trying to get it going would cause hydraulic locking and that could cause a conrod to bend and break through the crankcase.


    New engine time.


    Welcome back, BTW.
  • WestonDave
    WestonDave Posts: 5,154 Forumite
    Rampant Recycler
    I'm no mechanic but it sounds to me like something in the engine seized when you went into the water and whatever you've done since has done more damage to the point where you'll be lucky if you get away without a new engine never mind finding a cheap easy repair that you can do yourself. Having a hole that oil pours out suggests you may have forced a hole in the engine block or at least ruptured the head gasket. Forcing it to move in gear when it doesn't want to was pretty daft - that banging and grinding noise was probably a lot more than just a bit of missing oil!
    Adventure before Dementia!
  • tykesi
    tykesi Posts: 2,061 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    It's likely to have ingested a load of water through the inlet tract and filled one or more cylinders. Trying to get it going would cause hydraulic locking and that could cause a conrod to bend and break through the crankcase.


    New engine time.


    Welcome back, BTW.

    And in female form, I bet DM makes a lovely looking girly.
  • tykesi wrote: »
    And in female form, I bet DM makes a lovely looking girly.



    All sounded feasible until the 'big hole which the oil comes out of' bit.
  • motorguy
    motorguy Posts: 22,611 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Why doesnt MSE do what other forums do and prevent newbies from starting new threads until they have made a certain number of posts on the forum?
  • worried_jim
    worried_jim Posts: 11,631 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    All sounded feasible until the 'big hole which the oil comes out of' bit.

    Hasn't DM got a tool for sucking out the oil- then another for testing it.
  • LandyAndy
    LandyAndy Posts: 26,377 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts
    Quiet times in the world of Management Consultancy.
  • LandyAndy
    LandyAndy Posts: 26,377 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts
    edited 8 September 2015 at 11:53AM
    motorguy wrote: »
    Why doesnt MSE do what other forums do and prevent newbies from starting new threads until they have made a certain number of posts on the forum?


    Because lots of people find this site when they have a specific problem and sign up just for the purpose of asking about it.
  • Stoke
    Stoke Posts: 3,182 Forumite
    i'm new here and decided to check this out as i really can't afford a new car / repairs. basically i drove through some flood water the other day and there was a dip in the road which went all over the bonnet and then the car stopped so i think some got up the exhaust. i tried to start it again but it just started clicking. my boyfriend came out and we pushed the car out of the water and then tried bump starting it but it stopped so quickly that my boyfriend nearly went through the back window.

    we decided to tow start it with his van which pretty much yielded the same results of the car slowing down rapidly but this time the front wheels weren't spinning and were just dragging and smoking along the road, not sure why but it only did it when in gear the wheels turned fine when out of gear so i think the breaks were jammed on or something. we did eventually get the wheels to start turning but then there was a banging grinding noise come from the engine. we thought maybe it was low on oil so we put some in and it pretty much came straight back out all over the floor. we looked and there seems to be a big hole on the side of the engine where the oil keeps coming out. obviously we cant drive without oil so how do we fix this on the cheap?
    You can't, game over.
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