Questions and Answers

A Drowned Rat?

Q. My son bought a used Probe (1993, V-6) a couple weeks ago. While driving in storm last week he wound up on a flooded street. He couldn't turn around (1-way) & the outcome was his car stalled in the water that was only up to the body of the car. He pushed the car out of the water & called me. I tried to jump the battery to no avail. When the ignition key is turn you get a click sound (one click) & nothing. Sort of like if your battery is bad.

We had it towed to the Ford dealer who said...water in the air filter & on the spark plugs. Diagnoses: a new $6,000 engine is needed!

Are Probes so fragile that they can't be driven in puddles when it's raining?

I can't believe their diagnosis. Could the electronic be wet? We changed the plugs + air filter + PCV valve. The dipstick looks like it has just oil in the engine. What should we try. My son hasn't even made his first payment on this 4 year loan and he only got liability insurance when he got it insured.

I am at a total loss!

A. This is always a tough dilemma, can't afford to fix it and can't afford not to. A few years ago when hurricane Gloria hit the New Jersey shore and Atlantic City was up to it's crap tables in water, we had a Nissan Maxima towed in. Similar situation, in water up to the bottom of the door. When I opened the door, the water came pouring out. Anyway, same thing happened, hit the key, the starter clicked and nothing. I took the plugs out, hooked up my remote starter, ducked and cranked the engine over. I got five techs and the service manager wet from all the water that came out of the cylinders.

I had a Nissan pick up in the same flood. The high water mark was halfway up the radiator. I replaced the computer and drove it away.

The problem is on both these cars, the air intake is so low, that they will suck in water. If the water is high enough, and the splash reaches the air intake, into the engine it goes. This is what's called Hydrostatic Lock. Water get's into the cylinders and since water can not be compressed, the engine locks up. If the engine is moving fast enough, the connecting rods can bend and pistons and crankshafts can break.

In the case of the Maxima, I put in a new set of spark plugs, replaced the airflow meter and EFI computer and the car started right up. I don't know how closely the Ford dealer looked at the engine, but I suspect the engine is not a total loss. Of course not having seen the car, I can't say that definitively. The Maxima was drowned in salt water which plays hell with electronic components, but fresh water isn't too bad, comparatively speaking. I would get a second opinion on it before sinking six grand into a new engine. Fords are tougher than that.