Xantia petrol - traumatized after a puddle

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atr
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Xantia petrol - traumatized after a puddle

Post by atr »

Hi
Two day ago, while driving to work, I went into a puddle with my 2001 petrol Xantia. it stalled and I could not start it again. the vehicle was pulled out of the puddle.
I've tried to blow compressed air in order to dry it but to no avail. when I turn the ignition - the lights on the instrument panel goes on and it seems O.K. turning the key one more step in order to engage the starter motor - I can hear a click, may be it's the Bendix, I'm not shure if it's indeed the Bendix or a relay, and that's it. the starter motor doesn't respond. since it seems like a weak battery, I've tried to jump start it, connecting another cars battery with heave gauge cables, but that didn't help either, which brings me to the conclusion that nothing wrong with the battery.
could you offer me any ideas?
Thanx.
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Re: Xantia petrol - traumatized after a puddle

Post by Xaccers »

How deep was the puddle?
Could water have gotten into the air intake?
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Re: Xantia petrol - traumatized after a puddle

Post by Chlorate »

How hard did you hit the puddle? Sounds to me like your engine has ingested some water...
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Re: Xantia petrol - traumatized after a puddle

Post by VertVega »

Alternator would be dead, which caused an empty battery (?)
I would first check battery voltage.

Motor air intake hose end is about the half way of the radiator and it is U shaped
which is like a water lock. Check the air filter, Is it wet/damp?
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Re: Xantia petrol - traumatized after a puddle

Post by Mandrake »

Which petrol engine does it have ? The different petrol engines have different air intake and filter locations...
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Re: Xantia petrol - traumatized after a puddle

Post by VertVega »

If my memory serves me right atr's was same engine like mine :) and MK2.
Air intake is next to radiator, on the battery side.
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atr
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Re: Xantia petrol - traumatized after a puddle

Post by atr »

Hi
It was not too much of a deep one, I guess something about 20cm deep. I dont believe that the air intake sucked water and anyhow the problem is that the starter motor doesn't operate at all, not that the engine wont start. turning the ignition key to the "springy" position where the starter should turn, yields only a clicking sound of a relay or the Bendix. that's all. what I was thinking is maybe it has something to do with the the switch that enables operation of the starter in Parking or Neutral position (it's an automatic transmission). do you think that might be the problem? in that case, could you guide me where it is located? as per the engine, it's an RFV one, 2.0lit 16valve, petrol, of course.
Thanx for your help. :(
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Re: Xantia petrol - traumatized after a puddle

Post by Xantidote »

atr wrote:about 20cm deep
Quite deep for me. Have you tried sticking the car in top gear (ignition off) and push it, just to see that the engine will then turn over?

Just noticed it's an automatic - don't know much about auto gearbox electrics, but maybe some water has flooded gearbox electrics? Could there be an inhibitor switch somewhere?
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Re: Xantia petrol - traumatized after a puddle

Post by Mandrake »

atr wrote:Hi
turning the ignition key to the "springy" position where the starter should turn, yields only a clicking sound of a relay or the Bendix. that's all. what I was thinking is maybe it has something to do with the the switch that enables operation of the starter in Parking or Neutral position (it's an automatic transmission). do you think that might be the problem?
Unlikely. If the gear lever is in drive there won't be a click, turning the key will be silent. Try starting it in drive, if there is no click but there is a click in neutral then its definitely not the starter safety switch.

The next thing I'd be checking is the voltage going to the starter solenoid at the solenoid. If its too low (below about 9-10 volts) then it will only click but won't engage the starter.
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Re: Xantia petrol - traumatized after a puddle

Post by davoxx »

take out the spark plugs and try starting the engine.
why?
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Re: Xantia petrol - traumatized after a puddle

Post by 6speedmanual »

What davoxx said.
If the engine is hydraulic locked, the starter will engage but not be able to turn engine.

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atr
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Re: Xantia petrol - traumatized after a puddle

Post by atr »

:) Hi guys, thanx for your help. the engine was indeed hidraullicly locked. the amount of water
that shot out was unbelievable! I let it run about 15 minutes and still drops come out of the tail pipe, but at least it runs!
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Re: Xantia petrol - traumatized after a puddle

Post by Mandrake »

atr wrote::) Hi guys, thanx for your help. the engine was indeed hidraullicly locked. the amount of water
that shot out was unbelievable! I let it run about 15 minutes and still drops come out of the tail pipe, but at least it runs!
Just count yourself lucky that it's an automatic, that's probably what saved it from any real damage! =D>

If the engine ingested a large amount of water while driving at speed it would have almost instantly stalled and seized due to the hydraulic locking, but the automatic gearbox would have provided buffering from the road speed to allow the engine to stall without damage. (flexible coupling from the engine rpm to road speed through the torque converter, which allows safe overrun)

In a manual with a direct ratio with no slip the instant seizing of the engine would have (depending on selected gear and conditions) either locked the front wheels and sent you into a skid in the wet conditions or terminally bent some of the con-rods in the engine... :shock:

To me 20cm is more than a puddle, I would never knowingly drive through water that deep at anything other than a few mph crawl, I've accidentally hit water less than half that depth at motorway speeds before and the sudden yank in direction that feels like you're going to head into the ditch can be quite scary. :shock:

PS remember to change your air filter ASAP. It probably looks like a soggy newspaper now so you don't want that breaking up and being sucked into the engine either. :lol:
Simon

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Re: Xantia petrol - traumatized after a puddle

Post by atr »

Thanx. changed it already along with the spark plugs.
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Post by addo »

Glad it goes - sounds like you dodged a bullet.
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