Streets flooded, drove through deep water :(
 

Hi, MY2001, JDM STi7, 90kms,

Had some crazy rains and ended up driving through some deep water (didn't realize that it was that deep until it was too late).....anyway car cut off......tried to restart, cut off again. Car was put on flat bed wrecker and taken home.

Started it up after two days and let it idle for about 8 mins. Didn't sound great and at the start for like 2 mins white smoke came out the exhaust. After I shut it down I checked the oil and it was white and milky obviously water was in the oil. Changed the oil several times and now that is cool. Idling was still high so pulled IAC and cleaned it out and checked the ohms and showed the circuit was open so I figured it was dead. Went for a drive and was rough at first but then idling went to normal and driving seemed perfectly normal, no smoke out the exhaust. Got back home after about 10 mins and opened hood and noticed smoke coming from the right side of engine bay (if looking from drivers seat). Could not see where the smoke was really coming from and it went away after about 5 mins with car shut off.

I also have had the 2 rocker breathers and the crankcase breather all vented to atmosphere with some hose. I have also removed the PCV valve and blocked off the hose that goes to the manifold (had this setup for years).

The tubes were kinda low and I think it sucked in water and that is how the water got in my engine oil. I also think that the water got into my intake because I saw signs of water droplets on in the clean side of the intake box that night after the car was towed home.

Questions:

1) If I have the breathers vented to atmosphere and they sucked in water would that only go into my oil and not the combustion chamber ?

2) Is there any chance that the engine is OK even though some water may have got into the intake..........I know water doesn't compress but from what I can tell the car runs fine now and only issue is that smoke ? Guess the turbo could be smoking and shot ? Again exhuast had no smoke and smells normal.

Would the car be drivable like it was (except for the smoke at the end) and it seemed smooth while driving etc and no smoke from exhaust etc if the valves, rods, seals, bearings etc have been screwed ?

Please try to answer the questions and also add your thoughts.

Cheers :D

I don't think you've driven it far enough yet. If water gets all over the exhaust, especially if contaminated, it can take ages for the burning off to stop. Be bold and go drive it mate, if it's knackered, it's knackered, but from what you're saying you might just have got away with it.
Next time you come across a load of dirty water, send the missus out to check it for depth...

Next time you come across a load of dirty water, send the missus out to check it for depth... :D

OK, oddly enough I was just out for about a 20k drive.....even got her up to almost full boost in 2nd and 3rd before easing off a little.....after about 15K I pulled over and opened the hood and the smoke was still there.....also from the same side of the engine that crankcase breather that I have vented to atmosphere was dripping what looked like plain old water as well as smoking. Does this mean that something on that side of the engine is gone like bearing, con-rod, cylinder, sleeve, seals I don't know......anyway I limped back home at about 2,500 rpms in 1st through - 4th and by the time I got home and popped the hood the smoke had gone down a bit........again still nothing from the exhaust or anywhere else and when on boost it felt strong.....does the smoke probably indicate something is going / about to go ?

Cheers :D

bttt :D

bump

like Alan says, drive it more, if it appears to be boosting okay and strongly like it was previously then chances are it is just excess mositure. Is you oil still ok (no water / oil mix)?

Hi, yea I will take it for some more small runs again today (close to home :D ).

The oil looks great, nice and clean now. I just don't see why it would be smoking from the VTA coming from crankcase breather and also why it would be smoking somewhere from the engine.....why would smoke come from inside the crankcase ? Just looking for some possibilities.

Anyone have any answers to the question above as far as water being sucked into the combustion chamber from the crankcase or other breather VTA tubes ?

Cheers :D

mate had his bug do exactly the same thing about 8-9 months ago, its now happily runing 330bhp after turbo etc upgrade.

however he did strip all the intake pipework off and give it several days to let the water evapourate before tryign to drive it.

if it runs ok then you prob ok, but theres no guarenties about it. my old boss's audi stalled out and it muller the engine, so its realy pot luck.

if waters pooled somewhere then it will heat up and evapourate thorugh the weekest point or easiest exit.

take it for a really long drive not a short one, water into steam ratio is something like 1 : 1650 , it might take a while for it all to disappear .

i'd strip before you do that, you dont want to ingest any water left in the pipework

Thanks for the reply guys :D

I actually did strip a lot of the intake and other piping and let it dry out for like two days. I understand that water could still be trying to leave but I don't get what that has to do with a tube that is basically coming from my crankcase putting out smoke ?

years ago a mate had a new MK3 Golf 16v, we drove it through some tidal water (anyone who is familiar with Brancaster in Norfolk will understand) to get out of the Carpark after a windsurf

he kept it for a few years (Company Car) but he said it was NEVER the same again

that said he didnt really investigate the cause coz it was just a comapny car

Hi,

OK I just went for a nice long run and did some reasonably quick accellerations......pulled over a couple of times and no smoke came out the VTA or from the engine area described before. I got home and there was a little smoke coming from the lower, right side of the engine (looks like below the air box and closer to the front of the car......smoke coming off the headers if I had to guess).....but still no smoke from the breather tube from crankcase.......I also took an ecutek delta dash log which is basically 1st through 4th gear about 65 - 75% throttle, can someone have a look at the log and see if anything stands out as a warning flag, cheers ::D

Attached some links to pics of my ecutek delta dash log, gears 1st through 4th, 60 - 75% throttle:

http://i44.tinypic.com/14u818k.jpg

http://i40.tinypic.com/28t9cw8.jpg

http://i41.tinypic.com/fc1kec.jpg

http://i42.tinypic.com/hsw1zk.jpg

http://i41.tinypic.com/28tvms7.jpg