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View Full Version : car + big puddle = bad experience and need some help

messiveian
11-27-2007, 10:37 AM
Ok im sorry for posting here but the dodge forums SUCK!!!! and i loved this forum when i had my grand am.
I have a 2000 Stratus Es with the 2.5L engine

I live in NY and it was raining non stop for the last 2 days. Well i was going down a back road and i didnt see this pothole. (dark and rainy) Well i ran my car through it and splashed ALOT of water. Well 2 seconds later my car starts chugging but it wasnt stalling out. So i am in the middle of nowhere and of course i didnt have my cell on me so i decide to try my luck and drive home. The car would only chug below 2000RPMS so i would just keep it above there. Well i was about 5 minutes home and there is a hill so i start going up it and i notice that the car is chugging even more so i let off the gas a little and then the check engine light starts flashing so i go to pull over and then it is just a solid light so i decide to go on with my journey. I figure its a missfire. Well i get home and scan the code and yes it was multiple missfires. so i clear the code.
Well i figured i would let it dry out some today then go and get new spark plugs and wires and air filter. Well i go out to start it this morning and it starts right up and wasnt misfiring at all. I checked the oil and there was no water in it.

I think today im just going to get the filter and oil changed as a precaution.
Is it possible for it to just dry up and act fine?

Thanks and sorry for the long post.
Mwindsor82
11-27-2007, 10:39 AM
Everything was just wet... very comman for going through large puddles, you should be fine. (same thing happend to me in my grand am)
sunrunner_pei
11-27-2007, 10:40 AM
It sounds like wet ignition components to me. I'm not very familiar with that engine, but now that it's dry and running fine, I don't think you have anything to worry about. I'd change the oil just to be safe though. :thumbup2:
messiveian
11-27-2007, 10:52 AM
ok good. im going to change the air filter and oil today. I just replaced both of these 3 weeks ago lol. oh well its cheap. And i was just hoping that i wasnt going to have to remove all the plugs and crank the water out and all that fun stuff. Well thank you very much
Nighthawk243
11-27-2007, 03:57 PM
You might've had a slight amount of water in the engine. Enough to cause problems, but not enough to completely hydrolock the engine. Let it dry a bit before you run it again, maybe it'll evap enough and you would be fine.
messiveian
11-27-2007, 06:39 PM
yea i had to assume i had some water in the engine. i had a P0300 code multiple misfire so water much have gotten to the plugs. I let it sit for about an hour and then drove it home and then it was much better but it probably wont be perfect for a few days so im not running it hard or anything
infernus
11-27-2007, 08:51 PM
It sounds like wet ignition components to me. I'm not very familiar with that engine, but now that it's dry and running fine, I don't think you have anything to worry about. I'd change the oil just to be safe though. :thumbup2:

+1

I remember my old Sunbird would run like crap if it needed a tuneup and I would start it up on foggy mornings. Some ignition systems are really touchy about moisture. For sure though, a little bit of WD-40 on the contacts gets things going again.
GMFWDFAN
11-27-2007, 10:36 PM
In my old Beretta I slammed some ankle-deep water at a good speed (totally didn't see it, coming around a curve) and the only side-effect was my batter light flickering twice...(alt. got wet I suppose). Then my aftermarket alarm siren was fubared by the wetness though. :lol:

I'd say check the air filter and if it's ok let it be. If it's running fine now I wouldn't think anything terrible had been done...