Help!! Flooded underpass nightmare

I've got a 2001 Cobra with a wrecked back end and an engine that won't start. Here's the story:

My buddy calls me at about 11pm to tell me his keys are locked in his car in downtown Detroit and will I come help him? Sure, so I gather up some tools, jump in the Cobra and start the 20 or so mile journey downtown to bail him out. Well it's raining like hell and I'm on I-75 when I spot a big water puddle under an underpass up ahead. I hit the brakes and bring it down to about 40 so I don't lose control when I hit the puddle. I hit the puddle, which turned out to be more like a pond, and it slows me down big time as you can imagine. The person behind me in an Explorer didn't see all this in time and slams into the back of me while I'm in the water. Come out the other side of this huge puddle and the car's limping and sputtering, service engine light glowing. Person in the Explorer takes off, never to be seen again. I barely get the car off the freeway, the engine hardly runs but I make it. So I informed my locked-out buddy I wouldn't be able to make it and eventually had the car towed to the dealer back home. The car will not start. I'm hoping the electronics and everything are just too soaked right now, but I'm worried water somehow got into the engine and caused major damage. How likely does this seem? I can't imagine 3 seconds in a big puddle (which wasn't big enough to submerge the car or be crashing over the windshield or anything, but large enough to cause a 3 car accident right after mine) would send enough water into the engine to cause a huge problem, but I'm obviously concerned for insurance purposes if something is seriously wrong. What do you guys think? Besides my troubles with the hit-and-run, should I be worried about the motor?

:(

-Chris
 
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If the car is hydrolocked, it's something that the dealer could fix. How hard was the car hit in the back? Maybe the fuel cutoff switch was activated and needs to be reset?
 
ACSPONY said:
If the car is hydrolocked, it's something that the dealer could fix. How hard was the car hit in the back? Maybe the fuel cutoff switch was activated and needs to be reset?

+1 for enertia switch. Also dry out the air filter. Sorry to hear about your bad luck
 
Well I went to the dealership this morning to see if it would start and begin the process of getting everything fixed. It won't start, just cranks like it's out of gas. I'm just praying I don't need a whole new motor.

I also thought about the inertia switch when I finally got it safely off the freeway, but it wouldn't run at all if that had been tripped, so that's not it. We'll see, I gotta file a police report for the hit and run and get the insurance claim wheels turning today.

-Chris
 
I would fix the car and then trade it in or sell it and get another Mustang. There's no way that I would want to keep a car after getting rear ended and with motor damage. Even if a new engine was put in the car, the car wouldn't be the same again because of the collision.
 
All i know about hydrolock is that some times nothing majer happens, and sometimeds really bad can happen. its hard to tell. But I do know one thing for sure.
Water DOES NOT compress. No if or but about it. If water got in to the combastion chamber while its running. not good

But then again, if you have an insureance, you'll be mostlikely reworded with new engine
 
The collision wasn't bad enough to make it "not the same again" A front-ender would have me concerned. I'm pretty doubtful the engine has water in it, it cranked freely when I tried and ran for a bit afterwards, so i'm sure a few drops or whatever would've burned off while I limped if off the freeway. Tomorrow the insurance adjuster comes and work can begin, we shall see.

-Chris
 
KidTwist51 said:
The collision wasn't bad enough to make it "not the same again" A front-ender would have me concerned. I'm pretty doubtful the engine has water in it, it cranked freely when I tried and ran for a bit afterwards, so i'm sure a few drops or whatever would've burned off while I limped if off the freeway. Tomorrow the insurance adjuster comes and work can begin, we shall see.

-Chris

no no no. i dont think you quite grasp what hydrolock is. if enough water enters the intake and makes it to the cylinders, the pistons try to compress this amount like its air. if theres more water than can fit inside the combustion chamber at TDC, your rod snaps in half, because water does not compress, and at that point becomes stronger than the rod itself. if youre lucky and had a weak head gasket, it sometimes will be compressed out of the gasket, avoiding serious damage to the internals but meaning a head gasket job is in store for you.

hydrolock happens instantly, only takes 8 rpm's and enough water and youre done for, if you hit that puddle at 2k rpm, and engulfed enough water, it would have taken .00034 seconds to hydrolock and bust some rods(sometimes doesnt break all, cause not all cylinders will recieve the same amount of water), which is how it possibly ran and you were able to limp away.

hydrolock isnt something you can say "oh ****, i think im hydrolocking" and pull over and wait for things to dry out.
 
thomas91169 said:
no no no. i dont think you quite grasp what hydrolock is. if enough water enters the intake and makes it to the cylinders, the pistons try to compress this amount like its air. if theres more water than can fit inside the combustion chamber at TDC, your rod snaps in half, because water does not compress, and at that point becomes stronger than the rod itself. if youre lucky and had a weak head gasket, it sometimes will be compressed out of the gasket, avoiding serious damage to the internals but meaning a head gasket job is in store for you.

hydrolock happens instantly, only takes 8 rpm's and enough water and youre done for, if you hit that puddle at 2k rpm, and engulfed enough water, it would have taken .00034 seconds to hydrolock and bust some rods(sometimes doesnt break all, cause not all cylinders will recieve the same amount of water), which is how it possibly ran and you were able to limp away.

hydrolock isnt something you can say "oh ****, i think im hydrolocking" and pull over and wait for things to dry out.
QFT. good explanation.
hydrolocking an engine is like bubonic plague to humans. if you get it, youre f***ed
 
I wouldnt try to solve problems until you know whats going on from the dealer. Seems possible that water got into the motor but unlikely. Most likely you have a wet filter and maybe some water in the intake. Good luck about your car I know its hard not to think the worst.