okay so i drove through a large puddle that engulfed my car and it stalled and wouldn't start and so i waited about half an hour and it started and i drove it home if drove very strange such as high idle dropping to low idle almost stalling a few times it is also throwing a code so i was wondering if it will be better when it dries or should i cry

ps. im new and have never posted i have a ss supercharged cobalt.

 

Hindsight is always 20/20 isn't it?

 

if u went in on the driver side its possible if it was deep enough that some water got sucked into the engine because the filter is in the wheel well, but youd have to drive deep enough to get up to the headlight so i dont know lol

 

Yeah, not too sure what could have happened there, but I can tell you that it probably wouldn't have happened if the person was showing respect to his car, or paying attention to his driving...

Nice going.

 

ya when i see a large puddle i ease away if possible or slow right down, and i did this with all my cars ive owned, its like driving a lowered car, you have to be careful!

 

yea I guess we need a few more details...

Do you have a Cold Air Intake?

How deep was the puddle? did it sound like you where in a boat as you went through it?

I would get your code reset at the dealer. They should be able to tell you waht caused it. You definately didnt hydro lock it, cause it wouldnt start at all.

I wonder if you maybe got your ignightor wet or something else important under the car. either way take it your dealer and answer my 2 questions above

 

that must've been one deep ass puddle if you're stock because the airbox snorkel is about 24-30" above ground.. that was more like a pond

 

it was deep and was up to the headlight and i could not go around it and i wasn't driving badly i don't have cold air intake the puddle wasn't up to the headlight but pushing thorough it it caused a wave or w/e that was on the hood i tried to just ease through it because there is no going around it and as i was going through it it started to spit and sputter and stalled out.

 

The Car is built for the street... how in the world could you find a puddle that big on a normal roadway???

You are not making any sense, use some punctuation.

 

It doesn't add up; you say you 'tried to just ease through it' but there was a wave of water that came up on the hood?

-Only way a wave of water would come up onto the hood was if you entered the puddle on a downhill slope at a pretty high speed. Water just doesn't splash over the hood if your going slow through a puddle.

-If the water level was say, at the foglights, it would only streamline around the car, definitely not find it's way up onto the hood. Actually, pretty much anywhere on the car the water would just go around the car.

-If you were doing a pretty high speed which is the only way I could see it splashing onto the hood, you weren't easing through it.

-You said the puddle is deep, up to the headlight. That's no puddle, thats a good 2-3 feet deep--more of a pond on a street. I'm not sure how 2-3 feet of water can accumulate on a street unless there was flooding, which I'm pretty sure didn't happen (to that degree anyway). EDIT: A couple unpunctuated sentences later I saw you contradicted yourself saying it wasn't to the headlight. Blargh.

So the only possible conclusion I see is that you went gung-ho rambo style into the puddle, perhaps not knowing how deep it is (always good to know), and f'ed up something in the car, maybe electrical.

I've gone through some sudden puddles at high speeds (50mph or so), hydroplane included, and the water definitely did not come up onto the hood, it just splashed around the side like it always would. If I do not know how deep the puddle is and there is no way around it, I'll slow to a few MPH, and crawl through it, I don't give a damn about who is behind me.



Hmm?


Anyway, enough of my critical-analysis. Time to catch some zzz's.

 

next time instead of going slow how bout u get some speed and hyrdoplane over it? therefore your car will not be engulfed in it.


ryan

 

Haha, and then he can ask why his steering was all sloppy and the brakes went to crap.

 

it's simple chemistry.. H20 > Cobalt.

 

It makes sense that the road was flooded considering he/she is from florida, i remember when i drove to florida a bunch of times it would rain like crazy and certain parts of the street would be flooded as much as he/she said, though i don't understand why they would go through it, unless it was a life/death situation, even if there was no other way around, they should've just parked somewhere. It sounds like he/she is lucky though, b/c the car is starting so i don't believe there is too much damage. Looks like ur gonna have to get it checked out at the dealership.

 

I won't flame, But:

Proverbs 26:11
As a dog returns to its vomit, So a fool repeats his folly.

Don't repeat your folly, You fool!

 

Why in the world would you drive through something like that?! It's almost guaranteed you screwed something up with the car, in that situation you're lucky if you don't screw something up. I understand you couldn't go around it but you never ever should have drove THROUGH it.

Take it to the dealer and have them look it over. Definitely don't expect it to be covered under warranty though, you're going to be on the hook for the repairs. But it sure isn't going to fix itself with that much water involved. You're real lucky you didn't hydro lock it or worse yet if the engine was hot and the water was cold, you could have done some real damage to the aluminum block.

 

"You're real lucky you didn't hydro lock it or worse yet if the engine was hot and the water was cold, you could have done some real damage to the aluminum block."

I hadn't thought of that. Smart.

 

Ever shampooed an engine. They take a real good soaking, but you have to let them dry out. Best way is to park your car on a slight angle with the rear lower than the front. I do alot of off roading and drive through creeks etc with my Ranger and have had this happen. No sweat, your SS/SC will be as good as new when she dries out.
Hutch

 

A puddle that can "engulf" a car is called a creek,pond or small lake.


Let your car dry out and it will be fine.

 

It was at a dip in the road and the run off sewer was over flowing, the water itself came up to about mid shin,but as Leafy mentioned i was coming in at an angle so my nose was lower and plowed the water, and no matter what speculation may say i know for a fact how fast i was going and it was about 10-15mph, and thanks for everyones advice because it really is appreciated.

 

Had a Similar situation when i woke up one morning and my parking lot was flooded from the rain, Most likely you got a little water in the engine as I can relate to the odd idling patterns you seem to be having. I drove my car out (barely) and let it sit for a little while (a overnight to 24 hours) and it was fine....

I would recomend however that you change your oil soon.

 

if i see a big puddle if i can ill move in the other lane to avoid it....if not ill go around it or slow wayyy down and **** off the people behind me

 

Updates?

-Rich

 

Yeah, I have one. I would of built a DAM.

 

Water is a solid, and not a combustable. If it makes its way into you're combustion chamber, the reduced displacement caused by the water has to be compensated for, usually by putting a "s" in your rod, cracking it or damaging something costly. Then the domino effect occurs. You're car may "seem" fine, but the real damage may be on the way. Seen this myself... If you hydrolocked you're car, you've done damage to youre internals. Shitty business.